Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “mass”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 433 records · Page 24

Passive Microwave Brightness Temperature Assimilation to Improve Snow Mass Estimation across Complex Terrain in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan

An ensemble Kalman filter is used to assimilate Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2 (AMSR2) observations of passive microwave (PMW) brightness temperatures (spectral differences, ΔT b ) into land surface model estimates of snow mass over northwestern high mountain Asia (HMA). Trained support vector machines serve as the observation operator and map the geophysical modeled variables into ΔT b space within the assimilation framework. Evaluation of the assimilation routine is carried out through comparison of assimilated snow mass estimates with an in situ dataset. The assimilation framework helps improve the land surface model estimates through PMW ΔT b assimilation, particularly in terms of decreasing the domain-wide bias. The assimilation framework proved more effective during the (dry) snow accumulation season and decreased the bias and root-mean-square error (RMSE) in snow mass estimates at 76% and 58% of the comparative pixels, respectively. During the snow ablation season, the PMW brightness temperature signal contained less information related to snow mass due to the presence of other concurrent geophysical features that effectively serve as noise during the snow mass update. The utilization of PMW ΔT b for accurate snow mass estimation in complex terrain such as HMA is dependent on a multitude of factors for optimal results; however, it does add utility to the land surface model if the relevant pitfalls are taken into consideration prior to the state variable update.

Jawairia Ahmad↗

MOA-2007-BLG-400 A Super-Jupiter-mass Planet Orbiting a Galactic Bulge K-dwarf Revealed by Keck Adaptive Optics Imaging

We present Keck/NIRC2 adaptive optics imaging of planetary microlensing event MOA-2007-BLG-400 that resolves the lens star system from the source. We find that the MOA-2007-BLG-400L planetary system consists of a 1.71 ± 0.27M(sub Jup) planet orbiting a 0.69 ± 0.04M⨀ K-dwarf host star at a distance of 6.89 ± 0.77 kpc from the Sun. So, this planetary system probably resides in the Galactic bulge. The planet–host star projected separation is only weakly constrained due to the close-wide light-curve degeneracy; the 2σ projected separation ranges are 0.6–1.0 au and 4.7–7.7 au for close and wide solutions, respectively. This host mass is at the top end of the range of masses predicted by a standard Bayesian analysis. Our Keck follow-up program has now measured lens-source separations for six planetary microlensing events, and five of these six events have host star masses above the median prediction under the assumption that assumes that all stars have an equal chance of hosting planets detectable by microlensing. This suggests that more massive stars may be more likely to host planets of a fixed mass ratio that orbit near or beyond the snow line. These results also indicate the importance of host star mass measurements for exoplanets found by microlensing. The microlensing survey imaging data from NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (formerly WFIRST) mission will be doing mass measurements like this for a huge number of planetary events.

Exoplanets↗

Quantifying Feedback from Narrow Line Region Outflows in Nearby Active Galaxies. IV. The Effects of Different Density Estimates on the Ionized Gas Masses and Outflow Rates

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) can launch outflows of ionized gas that may influence galaxy evolution, and quantifying their full impact requires spatially resolved measurements of the gas masses, velocities, and radial extents. We previously reported these quantities for the ionized narrow-line region outflows in six low-redshift AGN, where the gas velocities and extents were determined from Hubble Space Telescope long-slit spectroscopy. However, calculating the gas masses required multicomponent photoionization models to account for radial variations in the gas densities, which span ∼6 orders of magnitude. To simplify this method for larger samples with less spectral coverage, we compare these gas masses with those calculated from techniques in the literature. First, we use a recombination equation with three different estimates for the radial density profiles. These include constant densities, those derived from [S ii], and power-law profiles based on constant values of the ionization parameter (U). Second, we use single-component photoionization models with power-law density profiles based on constant U, and allow U to vary with radius based on the [O iii]/Hβ ratios. We find that assuming a constant density of nH = 10(^2) cm(^−3) overestimates the gas masses for all six outflows, particularly at small radii where the outflow rates peak. The use of [S ii] marginally matches the total gas masses, but also overestimates at small radii. Overall, single-component photoionization models where U varies with radius are able to best match the gas mass and outflow rate profiles when there are insufficient emission lines to construct detailed models.

Mitchell Revalski↗

Seasonal Tidewater Glacier Terminus Oscillations Bias Multi-Decadal Projections of Ice Mass Change

Numerical, process-based simulations of tidewater glacier evolution are necessary to project future sea-level change under various climate scenarios. Previous work has shown that nonlinearities in tidewater glacier and ice stream dynamics can lead to biases in simulated ice mass change in the presence of noisy forcings. Ice sheet modeling projections that are used in the IPCC Assessment Report 6 (AR6) utilize atmospheric and oceanic forcings at annual temporal resolution, omitting any higher frequency forcings. Here, we quantify the effect of seasonal (<1 year) tidewater glacier terminus oscillations on decadal-scale (30 years) mass change. We use an idealized geometry to mimic realistic tidewater glacier geometries and investigate the impact of the magnitude of seasonal oscillations, bed slope at the glacier terminus, and basal friction law. We find that omitting seasonal terminus motion results in biased mass change projections, with up to an 39% underestimate or 25% overestimate of mass loss when seasonality is neglected, depending on bed slope and magnitude of oscillations. The bias is most sensitive to the magnitude of the seasonal terminus oscillations and exhibits very little sensitivity to choice of friction law. Although omitting seasonal terminus motion may bias mass change projections of individual glaciers, further work is needed to investigate the impact on ice sheet mass change projections. In order to achieve this, seasonality in atmospheric and oceanic forcings must be adequately represented and observations of seasonal terminus positions and tidewater glacier thickness changes must be acquired to evaluate numerical models. Note: Zip folder contains all videos listed in the supplemental document and can be downloaded for viewing.

D. Felikson↗

The Co2 Profile and Analytical Model for the Pioneer Venus Large Probe Neutral Mass Spectrometer

We present a significantly updated CO2 altitude profile for Venus (64.2–0.9 km) and provide support for a potential deep lower atmospheric haze of particles (≤17 km). We extracted this information by developing a new analytical model for mass spectra obtained by the Pioneer Venus Large Probe (PVLP) Neutral Mass Spectrometer (LNMS). Our model accounts for changes in LNMS configuration and output during descent and enables the disentanglement of isobaric species via a data fitting routine that adjusts for mass-dependent changes in peak shape. The model yields CO2 in units of density (kg m−3), isotope ratios for 13C/12C and 18O/16O, and 14 measures of CO2 density across 55.4–0.9 km, which represents the most complete altitude profile for CO2 at ≤60 km to date. The CO2 density profile is also consistent with the pressure, temperature, and volumetric gas measurements from the PVLP and VeNeRa spacecraft. Nominal and low-noise operations for the LNMS mass analyzer are supported by the behaviors (e.g., ionization yields, fragmentation yields, and peak shapes) of several internal standards (e.g., CH3+, CH4+, 40Ar+, 136Xe2+, and 136Xe+), which were tracked across the descent. Lastly, our review of the CO2 profile and LNMS spectra reveals hitherto unreported partial and rapidly clearing clogs of the inlet in the lower atmosphere, along with several ensuing data spikes at multiple masses. Together, these observations suggest that atmospheric intake was impacted by particles at ≤17 km and that rapid particle degradation at the inlet yielded a temporary influx of mass signals into the LNMS.

Venus↗

Analysis of Ice Mass Growth Over Time on the CRM65 Midspan Hybrid Model

The Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA is developing and applying tools to enable future technologies towards sustainable flight. Aircraft icing has been identified as a potential barrier to entry into service for innovative designs necessitating improvements to computational ice accretion tools. NASA is developing the Glenn Icing Computational Environment (GlennICE) to address deficiencies in the computational modeling capabilities of previously developed ice accretion solvers. To benchmark and improve the ability to model highly three-dimensional ice accretion, high quality validation data against experimental data is required. The CRM65 Midspan Hybrid geometry was previously tested at the NASA Icing Research Tunnel to generate experimental data for swept wing geometries typical for commercial transport aircraft. As a part of a 2018 icing test campaign, experimental data characterizing the relationship between ice accretion time and ice mass growth was obtained and can be leveraged for use in validation of computational tools. The desire for computational ice accretion solvers to predict ice shapes profiles accreted experimentally has often overshadowed the comparison to the mass and bulk volume of ice accreted. To address this deficiency, an analysis is presented in which GlennICE is applied to simulations of the CRM65 Midspan Hybrid model tested in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel. Results from the computational fluid dynamics simulations compared favorably to the experimental pressure coefficient data, thus validating the modeling setup. The experimental data showed excellent repeatability for the 15.0 minute accretion time. The comparisons between the experimental and computational ice mass over time showed good agreement up to 10.0 minutes after which the ice mass was underpredicted. The experimental ice mass was largely linear with some nonlinear data. The bulk volume of ice accreted experimentally compared well to GlennICE for the scanned ice shapes and mean combined cross section ice shapes, but was underpredicted for the maximum combined cross section ice shapes at longer accretion times. The experimental minimum combined cross section, mean combined cross section, and maximum combined cross section profiles when compared to GlennICE show good agreement for the mean combined cross section up to 15.0 minutes. The analyses show that with a single-shot method, GlennICE currently underpredicts the ice mass for longer accretion times, is not able to match the bulk volume of the maximum combined cross section due to dominating scallop features, and future work is required to generate a more generalized ice bulk density model.

Icing↗

Analysis of Ice Mass Growth Over Time on the CRM65 Midspan Hybrid Model

The Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA is developing and applying tools to enable future technologies towards sustainable flight. Aircraft icing has been identified as a potential barrier to entry into service for innovative designs necessitating improvements to computational ice accretion tools. NASA is developing the Glenn Icing Computational Environment (GlennICE) to address deficiencies in the computational modeling capabilities of previously developed ice accretion solvers. To benchmark and improve the ability to model highly three-dimensional ice accretion, high quality validation data against experimental data is required. The CRM65 Midspan Hybrid geometry was previously tested at the NASA Icing Research Tunnel to generate experimental data for swept wing geometries typical for commercial transport aircraft. As a part of a 2018 icing test campaign, experimental data characterizing the relationship between ice accretion time and ice mass growth was obtained and can be leveraged for use in validation of computational tools. The desire for computational ice accretion solvers to predict ice shapes profiles accreted experimentally has often overshadowed the comparison to the mass and bulk volume of ice accreted. To address this deficiency, an analysis is presented in which GlennICE is applied to simulations of the CRM65 Midspan Hybrid model tested in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel. Results from the computational fluid dynamics simulations compared favorably to the experimental pressure coefficient data, thus validating the modeling setup. The experimental data showed excellent repeatability for the 15.0 minute accretion time. The comparisons between the experimental and computational ice mass over time showed good agreement up to 10.0 minutes after which the ice mass was underpredicted. The experimental ice mass was largely linear with some nonlinear data. The bulk volume of ice accreted experimentally compared well to GlennICE for the scanned ice shapes and mean combined cross section ice shapes, but was underpredicted for the maximum combined cross section ice shapes at longer accretion times. The experimental minimum combined cross section, mean combined cross section, and maximum combined cross section profiles when compared to GlennICE show good agreement for the mean combined cross section up to 15.0 minutes. The analyses show that with a single-shot method, GlennICE currently underpredicts the ice mass for longer accretion times, is not able to match the bulk volume of the maximum combined cross section due to dominating scallop features, and future work is required to generate a more generalized ice bulk density model.

Icing↗

The Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) Investigation Development and Pre-Flight Planning

The Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) is a mass spectrometer instrument that operated during the Astrobotic Peregrine Mission-1 as part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. This paper describes the instrument and investigation design, development, and planning conducted by the PITMS team consisting of a successful partnership between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), The Open University (OU), NASA, and ESA. PITMS was designed to measure the abundance and temporal variability of volatile species in the near-surface lunar exosphere from a landed platform on the lunar surface. The PITMS instrument consisted of an ESA-provided Exospheric Mass Spectrometer (EMS; including sensor, electronics, controller, power supply boards) and a GSFC wrapper that provided structural elements, thermal control, and a deployable dust cover. PITMS was designed to operate as a passive sampler, where ambient gases would enter PITMS through an aperture, diffuse around the mass analyzer cavity, become ionized by electron impact and trapped in a radiofrequency field, then sequentially released to a detector to build a mass spectrum. PITMS was capable of measuring species with a massto-charge ratio (m/z) from 10 to 150 Da, with a mass resolution of approximately 0.5 amu. The PITMS science investigation was planned to be operated by GSFC with an international team of scientists. Though the mission did not achieve its lunar landing, information about the PITMS instrument and planning is provided to be able to understand and effectively use data that will be forthcoming from the investigation.

Barbara Cohen↗

Mass Economy Evaluation for Integrated ECLSS and Propulsion Architecture

As missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) lengthen and extend to deep space, minimizing resupply needs becomes vital for sustaining crewed operations. Traditional life support systems depend on consumables resupplied from Earth, a method that is increasingly impractical for missions beyond LEO, such as lunar outposts or Mars transit. Long-duration missions require more efficient, autonomous systems that can recycle essential resources, particularly water and oxygen, to minimize the frequency and mass of resupply missions. The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is essential to such missions, with the International Space Station (ISS) serving as a testbed for advanced water recovery and partial oxygen recycling via physico-chemical methods. Yet, ECLSS and propulsion subsystems generally operate independently, despite overlapping requirements and potential areas for synergy. For instance, ECLSS byproducts, water, CO₂, and hydrogen, could be repurposed for propulsion, potentially reducing dedicated propellant mass and increasing overall system efficiency. One promising approach is to develop shared-resource architectures that integrate ECLSS with propulsion systems. This study examines the potential of such integration through the Sabatier CO₂ reduction process, focusing on water management as a key factor in system mass trade-offs. The Sabatier reaction produces water and methane from metabolic CO₂ and electrolytic hydrogen, partially closing the life support loop and providing methane, which could serve as a propellant. This integration could minimize waste, reduce resupply requirements, and enhance mission mass efficiency. A dynamic modeling framework will be used to simulate resource flows over long missions, capturing interactions between life support and propulsion. By comparing integrated versus separate system configurations, the study aims to quantify mass benefits and penalties, informing future habitat designs and trade studies for missions prioritizing autonomy and mass efficiency.

ECLSS↗

Mass Economy Evaluation for Integrated ECLSS and Propulsion Architecture

As missions in low Earth orbit (LEO) lengthen and extend to deep space, minimizing resupply needs becomes vital for sustaining crewed operations. Traditional life support systems depend on consumables resupplied from Earth, a method that is increasingly impractical for missions beyond LEO, such as lunar outposts or Mars transit. Long-duration missions require more efficient, autonomous systems that can recycle essential resources, particularly water and oxygen, to minimize the frequency and mass of resupply missions. The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is essential to such missions, with the International Space Station (ISS) serving as a testbed for advanced water recovery and partial oxygen recycling via physico-chemical methods. Yet, ECLSS and propulsion subsystems generally operate independently, despite overlapping requirements and potential areas for synergy. For instance, ECLSS byproducts, water, CO 2 , and hydrogen, could be repurposed for propulsion, potentially reducing dedicated propellant mass and increasing overall system efficiency. One promising approach is to develop shared-resource architectures that integrate ECLSS with propulsion systems. This study examines the potential of such integration through the Sabatier CO₂ reduction process, focusing on water management as a key factor in system mass trade-offs. The Sabatier reaction produces water and methane from metabolic CO 2 and electrolytic hydrogen, partially closing the life support loop and providing methane, which could serve as a propellant. This integration could minimize waste, reduce resupply requirements, and enhance mission mass efficiency. A dynamic modeling framework will be used to simulate resource flows over long missions, capturing interactions between life support and propulsion. By comparing integrated versus separate system configurations, the study aims to quantify mass benefits and penalties, informing future habitat designs and trade studies for missions prioritizing autonomy and mass efficiency.

ECLSS↗

Comparing the Performance of Hyperbolic and Circular Rod Quadrupole Mass Spectrometers with Applied Higher Order Auxiliary Excitation

This work applies higher order auxiliary excitation techniques to two types of quadrupole mass spectrometers (QMSs): commercial systems and spaceborne instruments. The operational settings of a circular rod geometry commercial system and an engineering test-bed for a hyperbolic rod geometry spaceborne instrument were matched, with the relative performance of each sensor characterized with and without applied excitation using isotopic measurements of Kr+. Each instrument was operated at the limit of the test electronics to determine the effect of auxiliary excitation on extending instrument capabilities. For the circular rod sensor, with applied excitation, a doubling of the mass resolution at 1% of peak transmission resulted from the elimination of the low-mass side peak tail typical of such rod geometries. The mass peak stability and ion rejection efficiency were also increased by factors of 2 and 10, respectively, with voltage scan lines passing through the center of stability islands formed from auxiliary excitation. Auxiliary excitation also resulted in factors of 6 and 2 in peak stability and ion rejection efficiency, respectively, for the hyperbolic rod sensor. These results not only have significant implications for the use of circular rod quadrupoles with applied excitation as a suitable replacement for traditional hyperbolic rod sensors, but also for extending the capabilities of existing hyperbolic rod QMSs for the next generation of spaceborne instruments and low-mass commercial systems.

auxiliary excitation↗

Mass spectrometry in the U.S. space program: past, present, and future

Recent years have witnessed significant progress on the miniaturization of mass spectrometers for a variety of field applications. This article describes the development and application of mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation to support of goals of the U.S. space program. Its main focus is on the two most common space-related applications of MS: studying the composition of planetary atmospheres and monitoring air quality on manned space missions. Both sets of applications present special requirements in terms of analytical performance (sensitivity, selectivity, speed, etc.), logistical considerations (space, weight, and power requirements), and deployment in perhaps the harshest of all possible environments (space). The MS instruments deployed on the Pioneer Venus and Mars Viking Lander missions are reviewed for the purposes of illustrating the unique features of the sample introduction systems, mass analyzers, and vacuum systems, and for presenting their specifications which are impressive even by today's standards. The various approaches for monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cabin atmospheres are also reviewed. In the past, ground-based GC/MS instruments have been used to identify and quantify VOCs in archival samples collected during the Mercury, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and Mir missions. Some of the data from the more recent missions are provided to illustrate the composition data obtained and to underscore the need for instrumentation to perform such monitoring in situ. Lastly, the development of two emerging technologies, Direct Sampling Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry (DSITMS) and GC/Ion Mobility Spectrometry (GC/IMS), will be discussed to illustrate their potential utility for future missions. c 2001 American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

NASA Discipline Environmental Health↗

The First Stars: A Low-Mass Formation Mode

We perform numerical simulations of the growth of a Population III stellar system under photodissociating feedback. We start from cosmological initial conditions at z = 100, self-consistently following the formation of a minihalo at z = 15 and the subsequent collapse of its central gas to high densities. The simulations resolve scales as small as approx. 1 AU, corresponding to gas densities of 10(exp 16)/cu cm. Using sink particles to represent the growing protostars, we evolve the stellar system for the next 5000 yr. We find that this emerging stellar group accretes at an unusually low rate compared with minihalos which form at earlier times (z = 20-30), or with lower baryonic angular momentum. The stars in this unusual system will likely reach masses ranging from <1Stellar Mass to approx. 5 Stellar Mass by the end of their main-sequence lifetimes, placing them in the mass range for which stars will undergo an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. Based upon the simulation, we predict the rare existence of Population III stars that have survived to the present day and have been enriched by mass overflow from a previous AGB companion.

Low-Mass↗

DDA Computations of Porous Aggregates with Forsterite Crystals: Effects of Crystal Shape and Crystal Mass Fraction

Porous aggregate grains are commonly found in cometary dust samples and are needed to model cometary IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Models for thermal emissions from comets require two forms of silicates: amorphous and crystalline. The dominant crystal resonances observed in comet SEDs are from Forsterite (Mg2SiO4). The mass fractions that are crystalline span a large range from 0.0 < or = fcrystal < or = 0.74. Radial transport models that predict the enrichment of the outer disk (>25 AU at 1E6 yr) by inner disk materials (crystals) are challenged to yield the highend-range of cometary crystal mass fractions. However, in current thermal models, Forsterite crystals are not incorporated into larger aggregate grains but instead only are considered as discrete crystals. A complicating factor is that Forsterite crystals with rectangular shapes better fit the observed spectral resonances in wavelength (11.0-11.15 microns, 16, 19, 23.5, 27, and 33 microns), feature asymmetry and relative height (Lindley et al. 2013) than spherically or elliptically shaped crystals. We present DDA-DDSCAT computations of IR absorptivities (Qabs) of 3 micron-radii porous aggregates with 0.13 < or = fcrystal < or = 0.35 and with polyhedral-shaped Forsterite crystals. We can produce crystal resonances with similar appearance to the observed resonances of comet Hale- Bopp. Also, a lower mass fraction of crystals in aggregates can produce the same spectral contrast as a higher mass fraction of discrete crystals; the 11micron and 23 micron crystalline resonances appear amplified when crystals are incorporated into aggregates composed otherwise of spherically shaped amorphous Fe-Mg olivines and pyroxenes. We show that the optical properties of a porous aggregate is not linear combination of its monomers, so aggregates need to be computed. We discuss the consequence of lowering comet crystal mass fractions by modeling IR SEDs with aggregates with crystals, and the implications for radial transport models of our protoplanetary disk.

Crystal Shape and Crystal Mass Fraction↗

The Great Dimming of Betelgeuse: A Surface Mass Ejection and Its Consequences

The bright supergiant, Betelgeuse(Alpha Orionis, HD 39801), underwent a historic optical dimming during 2020 January 27–February 13. Many imaging and spectroscopic observations across the electromagnetic spectrum were obtained prior to, during, and subsequent to this dimming event. These observations of Betelgeuse reveal that a substantial surface mass ejection (SME) occurred and moved out through the extended atmosphere of the supergiant. A photospheric shock occurred in 2019 January–March, progressed through the extended atmosphere of the star during the following 11 months and led to dust production in the atmosphere. Resulting from the substantial mass outflow, the stellar photosphere was left with lower temperatures and the chromosphere with a lower density. The mass ejected could represent a significant fraction of the total annual mass-loss rate from the star suggesting that episodic mass-loss events can contribute an amount comparable to that of the stellar wind. Following the SME, Betelgeuse was left with a cooler average photosphere, an unusual short photometric oscillation, reduced velocity excursions, and the disappearance of the∼400 day pulsation in the optical and radial velocity for more than two years following the Great Dimming.

M supergiant stars↗

Precision Measurement of a Brown Dwarf Mass in A Binary System in the Microlensing Event OGLE-2019-BLG-0033/MOA-2019-BLG-035

Context. Brown dwarfs are transition objects between stars and planets that are still poorly understood, for which several competing mechanisms have been proposed to describe their formation. Mass measurements are generally difficult to carry out for isolated objects as well as for brown dwarfs orbiting low-mass stars, which are often too faint for a spectroscopic follow-up. Aims. Microlensing provides an alternative tool for the discovery and investigation of such faint systems. Here, we present an analysis of the microlensing event OGLE-2019-BLG-0033/MOA-2019-BLG-035, which is caused by a binary system composed of a brown dwarf orbiting a red dwarf. Methods. Thanks to extensive ground observations and the availability of space observations from Spitzer, it has been possible to obtain accurate estimates of all microlensing parameters, including the parallax, source radius, and orbital motion of the binary lens. Results. Following an accurate modeling process, we found that the lens is composed of a red dwarf with a mass of M(1) = 0:149 ± 0.010 M⊙ and a brown dwarf with a mass of M(2) = 0:0463 ± 0:0031 M at a projected separation of a⊥ = 0:585 au. The system has a peculiar velocity that is typical of old metal-poor populations in the thick disk. A percent-level precision in the mass measurement of brown dwarfs has been achieved only in a few microlensing events up to now, but will likely become more common in the future thanks to the Roman space telescope.

gravitational lensing↗

Stellar evolution. ii. the hydrogen-burning phase of a star of 7.0 solar masses <sternentwicklung. ii. die wasserstoff- brennende phase eines sterns von 7.0 sonnenmassen<

With the computer program by Hofmeister, Kippenhahn, Weigert (1964, from now on referred to as ''I") the evolution of a population I star of 7.0 solar masses has been followed. The results presented here are based on a sequence of 119 models, the first of which represents the homogeneous main sequence state and has a convective core containing 26% of the mass. The following models describe the phase of depletion of hydrogen in the core, which is shrinking in mass until the convection around the centre disappears. After this the gradual development of a hydrogen burning shell source is shown. The models show the evolution into the red giant region, while the helium core is contracting until helium burning starts at the centre and a new convective core is built up. The luminousity is increased about 1 magnitude compared with the main sequence state. At the same time the outer convective region grows in mass and covers at the maxi­mum 71% of the total mass of the star. During the evolution to the red giant state, the evolutionary track crosses the region of the cepheids. Some aspects of the corresponding models are discussed.

STELLAR EVOLUTION↗

Dynamic characteristics of a two-stage variable-mass flexible missile with internal flow

A general formulation of the dynamical problems associated with powered flight of a two stage flexible, variable-mass missile with internal flow, discrete masses, and aerodynamic forces is presented. The formulation comprises six ordinary differential equations for the rigid body motion, 3n ordinary differential equations for the n discrete masses and three partial differential equations with the appropriate boundary conditions for the elastic motion. This set of equations is modified to represent a single stage flexible, variable-mass missile with internal flow and aerodynamic forces. The rigid-body motion consists then of three translations and three rotations, whereas the elastic motion is defined by one longitudinal and two flexural displacements, the latter about two orthogonal transverse axes. The differential equations are nonlinear and, in addition, they possess time-dependent coefficients due to the mass variation.

Meirovitch, L.↗