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At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Geochronology and petrogenesis of Apollo 14 very high potassium mare basalts

Rb-Sr, K-Ar, and Sm-Nd isotopic studies were undertaken for two Apollo 14 very high potassium (VHK) highly radiogenic mare basaltic clasts from breccias 14305 and 14168. Rb-Sr data indicate ages of 3.83 + or - 0.08 b.y., and 3.82 + or - 0.12 b.y. for samples 14305 and 14168 respectively, for lambda(Rb-87) = 0.0 139/b.y. Their corresponding initial Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios are nearly identical, as well as their Ar-39 to Ar-40 age spectra, and it is proposed that they were derived from the same flow. The Sm-Nd isotopic data of whole rock and mineral separates for the two VHK basalts define an internal isochrone age of 3.94 + or - 0.16 b.y. for lambda (Sm-147) = 0.00654/b.y. and an initial Nd-143/Nd-144 of 0.50673 + or - 21. The similarity in isotopic ages suggests that VHK basalts crystallized from a melt about 3.85 b.y. ago. VHK basalts show very large Rb/Sr fractionation but no significant Sm/Nd fractionation at the time of crystallization. The source material had a Rb/Sr ratio similar to those of Apollo 14 high-Al mare basalts and a nearly chrondritic Sm/Nd ratio. Basalt/granite interaction was found to be responsible for the extreme enrichments of Rb/Sr and K/La during the formation of VHK basalts. It is concluded that K, Rb-rich components of granitic wall rocks in the highland crust were selectively introduced into ascending hot high-Al mare basaltic magma upon contact.

Shih, C.-Y.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Canopy reflectance, photosynthesis, and transpiration. II - The role of biophysics in the linearity of their interdependence

The ability of satellite sensor systems to estimate area-averaged canopy photosynthetic and transpirative properties is evaluated. The near linear relationship between the simple ratio (SR) and normalized difference (ND) and the surface biophysical properties of canopy photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) absorption, photosynthesis, and bulk stomatal resistance is studied. The models utilized to illustrate the processes of canopy reflectance, photosynthesis, and resistance are described. The dependence of SR, the absorbed fraction of PAR, and canopy photosynthesis and resistance on total leaf area index is analyzed. It is noted that the SR and ND vegetation indices and vegetation-dependent qualities are near-linearly related due to the proportion of leaf scattering coefficient in visible and near IR wavelength regions. The data reveal that satellite sensor systems are useful for the estimation of photosynthesis and transpirative properties.

Sellers, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Vegetation spatial variability and its effect on vegetation indices

Landsat MSS data were used to simulate low resolution satellite data, such as NOAA AVHRR, to quantify the fractional vegetation cover within a pixel and relate the fractional cover to the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the simple ratio (SR). The MSS data were converted to radiances from which the NDVI and SR values for the simulated pixels were determined. Each simulated pixel was divided into clusters using an unsupervised classification program. Spatial and spectral analysis provided a means of combining clusters representing similar surface characteristics into vegetated and non-vegetated areas. Analysis showed an average error of 12.7 per cent in determining these areas. NDVI values less than 0.3 represented fractional vegetated areas of 5 per cent or less, while a value of 0.7 or higher represented fractional vegetated areas greater than 80 per cent. Regression analysis showed a strong linear relation between fractional vegetation area and the NDVI and SR values; correlation values were 0.89 and 0.95 respectively. The range of NDVI values calculated from the MSS data agrees well with field studies.

Ormsby, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Hygrothermal and strain-rate effects on properties of graphite/epoxy composites

The combined effects of moisture (M), temperature (T), and strain rate (SR) on the properties of the unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite AS4/3501-6 are investigated experimentally. Longitudinal tensile, in-plane shear, and transverse tensile specimens with moisture content 0 or 1 percent were characterized using standard mechanical tests and the techniques described by Yaniv et al. (1987) at temperatures 23-128 C and strain rates from 5 x 10 to the -6th/sec to 5/sec. The results are presented in graphs and discussed in detail. The longitudinal properties of the composite were found to be generally unaffected by changes in the parameters, whereas transverse and interlaminar properties decreased with increasing T and M at constant SR and the transverse and in-plane shear moduli increased with SR. A time-T-M equivalence principle is used to derive master curves for all the matrix-dominated properties, expressed in terms of a two-variable shift function.

Daniel, I. M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

New age data on the geological evolution of Southern India

The Peninsular Gneisses of Southern India developed over a period of several hundred Ma in the middle-to-late Archaean. Gneisses in the Gorur-Hassan area of southern Karnataka are the oldest recognized constituents: Beckinsale et al. reported a preliminary Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron age of 33558 + or - 66 Ma, but further Rb-Sr and Pb/Pb whole-rock isochron determinations indicate a slightly younger, though more precise age of ca 3305 Ma (R. D. Beckinsale, Pers. Comm.). It is well established that the Peninsular Gneisses constitute basement on which the Dharwar schist belts were deposited. Well-documented exposures of unconformities, with basal quartz pebble conglomerates of the Dharwar Supergroup overlying Peninsular Gneisses, have been reported from the Chikmagalur and Chitradurga areas, and basement gneisses in these two areas have been dated by Rb-Sr and Pb/Pb whole-rock isochron methods at ca 3150 Ma and ca 3000 Ma respectively. Dharwar supracrustal rocks of the Chitradurga schist belt are intruded by the Chitradurga Granite, dated by a Pb/Pb whole-rock isochron at 2605 + or - 18 Ma. These results indicate that the Dharwar Supergroup in the Chitradurga belt was deposited between 3000 Ma and 2600 Ma.

Taylor, Paul N.↗
NASA NTRS1989

River Valley pluton, Ontario - A late-Archean/early-Proterozoic anorthositic intrusion in the Grenville Province

This paper presents Nd, Sr, and Pb isotopic data indicating a late-Archean/early-Proterozoic age for the River Valley anorthositic pluton of the southwestern Grenville Province of Sudbury, Ontario. Pb-Pb isotopic data on 10 whole-rock samples ranging in composition from anorthosite to gabbro yield an age of 2560 + or - 155 Ma. The River Valley pluton is thus the oldest anorthositic intrusive yet recognized within the Grenville Province. The Sm-Nd isotopic system records an age of 2377 + or - 68 Ma. High Pb-208/Pb-204 of deformed samples relative to igneous-textured rocks implies Th introduction and/or U loss during metamorphism in the River Valley area. Rb-Sr data from igneous-textured and deformed samples and from mineral separates give an age of 2185 + or - 105 Ma, indicating substantial disturbance of the Rb-Sr isotopic system.

Ashwal, Lewis D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

New insights in the numerical reliability properties of existing Kalman filter implementations

The convergence properties of Kalman filter algorithms are investigated analytically. A theoretical error analysis is performed on four types of algorithms, as defined by Anderson and Moore (1979): (1) a conventional Kalman filter, (2) a square-root (SR) covariance filter, (3) the Chandrasekhar SR filter, and (4) an SR information filter. The derivations are given in detail, and numerical results for the flight-path reconstruction problem studied by Verhaegen (1987) are presented in tables and graphs. It is shown that error propagation in algorithms (1) and (2) is sensitive to the condition number of the innovation-signal covariance matrix and the spectral norm of the filter state-transition matrix, whereas other parameters are dominant in (3) and (4). Filter (2) is found to be the most reliable for the class of problems studied.

Verhaegen, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Superconducting ceramics in the Bi1.5SrCaCu2O sub x system by melt quenching technique

Bi sub 1.5 SrCaCu sub 2 O sub x has been prepared in the glassy state by rapid quenching of the melt. The kinetics of crystallization of various phases in the glass have been evaluated by a variable heating rate differential scanning calorimetry method. The formation various phases on thermal treatments of the glass has been investigated by powder X-ray diffraction and electrical resistivity measurements. Heating at 450 C formed Bi sub 2 Sr sub 2 CuO sub 6, which disappeared on further heating at 765 C, where Bi sub 2 Sr sub 2 CaCu sub 2 O sub 8 formed. Prolonged heating at 845 C resulted in the formation of a small amount of a phase with T sub c onset of approx. 108 K, believed to be Bi sub 2 Sr sub 2 Ca sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 10. This specimen showed zero resistivity at 54 K. The glass ceramic approach could offer several advantages in the fabrication of the high-T sub c superconductors in desired practical shapes such as continuous fibers, wires, tapes, etc.

Bansal, Narottam P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Energetics and crystal chemistry of Ruddlesden-Popper type structures in high T(sub c) ceramic superconductors

The formation of Ruddlesden-Popper type layers (alternating slabs of rocksalt and perovskite structures) is seen in these oxides which is similar in many respects to what is seen in the system Sr-Ti-O. However, it was observed that there are some significant differences, for example the rocksalt and perovskite blocks in new superconducting compounds are not necessarily electrically, unlike in Sr-Ti-O systems. This will certainly render an additional coulombic bonding energy between two different types of blocks and may well lead to significant differences in their structural chemistry. In the higher order members of the various homologous series, additional Cu-O planes are inserted in the perovskite blocks. In order for the unit cell to electrically neutral the net positive charge on rocksalt block (which remains constant throughout the homologous series) should be balanced by an equal negative charge on perovskite block. It, thus becomes necessary to create oxygen vacancies in the basic perovskite structure, when width of the perovskite slab changes on addition of extra Cu-O planes. Results of atomistic simulations suggest that these missing oxygen ions allow the Cu-O planes to buckle in these compounds. This is also supported by the absence of buckling in the first member of Bi-containing compounds in which there are no missing oxygen ions and the Sr-Ti-O series of compounds. Additional results are presented on the phase stability of polytypoid structures in these crystal chemically complex systems. The studies will focus on the determination of the location of Cu(3+) in the structures of higher order members of the La-Cu-O system and whether Cu(3+) ions or oxygen vacancies are energetically more favorable charge compensating mechanism.

Dwivedi, Anurag↗
NASA NTRS1990

XES studies of density of states of high temperature superconductors

X-ray emission spectroscopic studies concerning the superconducting crystals, thin films and ceramics of the Y-Ba-Cu-O, Tm-Ba-Cu-O, Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O, Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and T1-Ba-Ca-Cu-O types are presented. The contributions of the 13d(9)L, 13d(10)L, 13d(10)LL and 13d(10)L(2) configurations, where L denotes a ligand hole at the oxygen orbitals in the spectroscopic pattern of these superconductors are discussed. An attempt to connect the x-ray 'as registered' Cu L emission spectra with the density of states close to the Fermi level, considering an influence of the CuL3 absorption edge, is presented. The corrected intensity distributions below the Fermi level are found to correspond to the theoretical density of states. Furthermore, an approach to the average valence of copper based on the account of the self-absorption and fluorescence effects and on the configurations listed above is shown. The average valence of copper in the materials investigated is estimated to lie in the range of +2.10 to 2.32 when the formal trivalent copper is considered as that characterized by the 13d(9)L configuration. The density of states at the Fermi level was estimated to be 2.4 states/eV-cell for a Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O crystal and 3.6 states/eV-cell for a Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O ceramic.

Jasiolek, Gabriel↗
NASA NTRS1989

Remote sensing of the thermal forcing on the tropical Pacific

Monthly fields of shortwave radiation (SR) and latent heat flux (LE) over the central and eastern tropical Pacific between 1980 and 1983 have been computed using satellite data. They are the dominant variable components of surface thermal forcing on the ocean in this time scale. During the 1982-1983 ENSO episode, surface-wind convergence and cloudiness associated with the displacement of equatorial organized convection caused a reduction in both the SR into the ocean and the LE out of the ocean. The lag-correlation coefficients between the forcing (SR-LE) and the sea surface temperature are found to be significantly high outside the equatorial region, showing that surface thermal forcing is the dominant factor in sea surface temperature change. In the narrow equatorial wave guide, ocean dynamics play a more important role, and surface heat flux is a consequence rather than the cause of sea surface temperature change.

Liu, W. Timothy↗
NASA NTRS1991

A strontium and neodymium isotopic study of Apollo 17 high-Ti mare basalts - Resolution of ages, evolution of magmas, and origins of source heterogeneities

The geochronological and compositional differences between previously identified magma types (A, B1, B2, and C) were investigated using high-precision Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic data for a set of Apollo 17 high-Ti mare basalt samples chosen to span the range of each of the magma types. These data, combined with previously reported geochemical ages, suggest that Apollo 17 volcanism was initially dominated by an eruption of Type B basalts. Data obtained from new whole-rock Sr and Nd isotopic analyses exhibited distinct differences in initial Sr and Nd isotopic compositions between Types A, B1, B2, and C basalts and were found to be consistent with existing petrogenetic models.

Paces, James B.↗
NASA NTRS1991

XES studies of density of states of high temperature superconductors

X-ray emission spectroscopic studies concerning the superconducting crystals, thin films, and ceramics of the Y-Ba-Cu-O, Tm-Ba-Cu-O, Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O, Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O, and Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O types are presented. The contributions of the 13d(9)L, 13d(10)L, 13d(10)LL, and 13d(10)L(2) configurations, where L denotes a ligand hole at the oxygen orbitals in the spectroscopic pattern of these superconductors are discussed. An attempt to connect the x-ray 'as registered' Cu L(alpha) emission spectra with the density of states close to the Fermi level, considering an influence of the CuL3 absorption edge, is presented. The corrected intensity distributions below the Fermi level are found to correspond to the theoretical density of states. Furthermore, an approach to the average valence of copper basing on the account of the self-absorption and fluorescence effects and on the configurations listed above is shown. The average valence of copper in the materials investigated is estimated to lie in the range of +2.10 to 2.32 when the formal trivalent copper is considered as that characterized by the 13d(9)L configuration. The density of states at the Fermi level was estimated to be 2.4 states/eV-cell for a Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O crystal and 3.6 states/eV-cell for a Tl-Ba-Ca-CU-O ceramic.

Jasiolek, Gabriel↗
NASA NTRS1994

The use of visible-channel data from NOAA satellites to measure total ozone amount over Antarctica

Accurate, detailed maps of total ozone were not available until the launch of the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) in late 1978. However, the Scanning Radiometer (SR), an instrument on board the NOAA series satellites during the 1970s, had a visible channel that overlapped closely with the Chappuis absorption band of ozone. We are investigating whether data from the SR can be used to map Antarctic ozone prior to 1978. The method is being developed with 1980s data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), which succeeded the SR on the NOAA polar-orbiting satellites. Visible-derived total ozone maps can then be compared able on the NOAA satellites, which precludes the use of a differential absorption technique to measure ozone. Consequently, our method works exclusively over scenes whose albedos are large and unvarying, i.e. scenes that contain ice sheets and/or uniform cloud-cover. Initial comparisons of time series for October-December 1987 at locations in East Antarctica show that the visible absorption by ozone in measurable and that the technique may be usable for the 1970s, but with much less accuracy than TOMS. This initial test assumes that clouds, snow, and ice all reflect the same percentage of visible light towards the satellite, regardless of satellite position or environmental conditions. This assumption is our greatest source of error. To improve the accuracy of ozone retrievals, realistic anisotropic reflectance factors are needed, which are strongly influenced by cloud and snow surface features.

Boime, Robert D.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Results of critical velocity experiments with barium, strontium, and calcium releases from CRRES satellite

As part of the NASA Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) chemical release program in September 1990, two Ba and also one each Sr and Ca canisters of a boron-titanium thermite mixture, which vaporizes the element on ignition, were released near perigee after dusk in the South Pacific to study the critical velocity effect proposed by Alfven. The critical velocities of these three elements are 2.7, 3.5, and 5.4 km/s respectively, all well below the orbital velocity of 9.4 km/s. On September 10, 1990, a Sr and Ba pair (G-13, or critical ionization velocity (CIV) I) was released near Rarotonga at approximately 515 km altitude in a background electron density of 3.4 x 10(exp 6)/cu cm. On September 14, 1990, G-14 or CIV II released a Ca and Ba pair west of New Caledonia near 595 km at an electron density of 1.5 x 10(exp 6)/cu cm. Ions of all three elements were observed with low-light level imagers from two aircraft after they had transited up the magnetic field lines into the sunlight. Emissions from the spherically expanding neutral gas shells below the solar terminator, observed with cameras filtered for the Ba(+) ion line at 4554 A and also in unfiltered imagers for approximately 15 s after release, are probably due to excitation by hot electrons created in the CIV process. The ions created clearly lost much of their energy, which we now show can be explained by elastic collisions: Ba(+) + O. Inventories of the observed ions indicate yields of 0.15% and 1.84% for Ba in the first and second experiments, 0.02% for Sr and 0.27% for Ca. Ionization from all the releases continued along the satellite trajectory much longer (greater than 45 s) than expected for a CIV process. The ion production along the satellite track versus time typically shows a rapid rise to a peak in a few seconds followed by an exponential decrease to a level essentially constant rate. The characteristic distances for CIV I and II are 47 and 62 km, respectively. We interpret the early time rise and exponential fall to be due to CIV ionization, of 0.014% (CIV I) and 0.40% (CIV II) for the Ba releases. The later ions produced at a constant rate probably have origins from other such processes as stripping and associative ionization collisions with atmospheric constituents primarily O, and charge exchange with O(+), He(+), and H(+). We suggest that the much larger Ba ionization rate in CIV II than CIV I is due to the fact that the release occurred in the peak Ca density where hot electrons were already present.

Wescott, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Structural, dynamical and electronic properties of CaCuO2

The scalar relativistic version of an accurate first principles full potential self-consistent linearized muffin tin orbital (LMTO) method has been employed for describing the physical properties of the parent system of the high-T(sub c) oxide superconductors, i.e., CaCuO2. The presently employed modified version of the LMTO method is quite fast and goes beyond the usual LMTO ASA method in the sense that it permits a completely general shape of the potential and the charge density. Also, in contrast to LMTO ASA, the present method is also capable of treating distorted lattice structures accurately. The calculated values of the lattice parameters of pure CaCuO2 lie within 3% of the experimentally measured values for the Sr-doped system Ca(0.86)Sr(0.14)CuO(2). The computed electronic structures and the density of states is quite similar to those of the other oxide superconductors, except of their three- dimensional character because of the presence of strong coupling between the closely spaced CuO2 layers. The van Hove singularity peak appears slightly below the Fermi level and a small concentration of oxygenation /or/ substitutional doping may pin it at the Fermi level. The calculated frequencies for some symmetric frozen phonons for undoped CaCuO2 are quite near to the measured data for the Sr-doped CaCuO2.

Agrawal, Bal K.↗