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At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Description of statistical methods and a routine for determining the parameters of a model in processing experimental results

A computer routine is suggested for selecting the optimum parameters of a theoretical model and determining the errors in them due to errors in physical measurements and for evaluating the conformity of theory with the experiment. The paper describes the specification sequence for the input data and the format of the calculation results. Sample printouts are appended.

Usikov, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Planetary geology: Impact processes on asteroids

The fundamental geological and geophysical properties of asteroids were studied by theoretical and simulation studies of their collisional evolution. Numerical simulations incorporating realistic physical models were developed to study the collisional evolution of hypothetical asteroid populations over the age of the solar system. Ideas and models are constrained by the observed distributions of sizes, shapes, and spin rates in the asteroid belt, by properties of Hirayama families, and by experimental studies of cratering and collisional phenomena. It is suggested that many asteroids are gravitationally-bound "rubble piles.' Those that rotate rapidly may have nonspherical quasi-equilibrium shapes, such as ellipsoids or binaries. Through comparison of models with astronomical data, physical properties of these asteroids (including bulk density) are determined, and physical processes that have operated in the solar system in primordial and subsequent epochs are studied.

Chapman, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A static model of chromospheric heating in solar flares

The response of the solar chromosphere to flare processes, namely nonthermal electrons, thermal conduction, and coronal pressure, is modeled. Finite difference methods employing linearization and iteration are used in obtaining simultaneous solutions to the equations of steady-state energy balance, hydrostatic equilibrium, radiative transfer, and atomic statistical equilibrium. The atmospheric response is assumed to be confined to one dimension by a strong vertical magnetic field. A solution is obtained to the radiative transfer equation for the most important optically thick transitions of hydrogen, magnesium, and calcium. The theoretical atmospheres discussed here are seen as elucidating the role of various physical processes in establishing the structure of flare chromospheres. At low coronal pressures, conduction is found to be more important than nonthermal electrons in establishing the position of the transition region. Only thermal conduction can adequately account for the chromospheric evaporation in compact flares. Of the mechanisms considered, only nonthermal electrons bring about significant heating below the flare transition region.

Ricchiazzi, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Condensed matter physics of planets - Puzzles, progress and predictions

Attention is given to some of the major unresolved issues concerned with the physics of planetary interiors. The important advances in observations, and experimental and theoretical investigations are briefly reviewed, and some areas for further study are identified, including: the characteristics of atomic and electronic degrees of freedom at the high pressures and temperatures typical of a condensed planetary core; the behavior of water at megabar pressures; and the nature of the core-alloy in the earth and in the core mantle phase boundary. Consideration is also given to the behavior of carbon at high pressures and temperatures in the presence of oxygen and hydrogen; the behavior of the volatile ice assemblage in Titan at pressures of 2-40 kbar; and the electrical conductivities of matter under planetary core conditions.

Stevenson, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Analytical ultrasonics for characterization of metallurgical microstructures and transformations

The application of contact (piezoelectric) and noncontact (laser generation and detection) ultrasonic techniques for dynamic investigation of precipitation hardening processes in aluminum alloys, as well as crystallization and phase transformation in rapidly solidified amorphous and microcrystalline alloys is discussed. From the variations of the sound velocity and attenuation the precipitation mechanism and kinetics were determined. In addition, a correlation was established between the observed changes in the velocity and attenuation and the mechanical properties of age-hardenable aluminum alloys. The behavior of the elastic moduli, determined ultrasonically, were found to be sensitive to relaxation, crystallization and phase decomposition phenomena in rapidly solidified metallic glasses. Analytical ultrasonics enables determination of the activation energies and growth parameters of the reactions. Therefrom theoretical models can be constructed to explain the changes in mechanical and physical properties upon heat treatment of glassy alloys. The composition dependence of the elastic moduli in amorphous Cu-Zr alloys was found to be related to the glass transition temperature, and consequently to the glass forming ability of these alloys. Dynamic ultrasonic analysis was found to be feasible for on-line, real-time, monitoring of metallurgical processes.

Rosen, M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Physical properties of asteroids

The physical properties of asteroids were studied by telescopic observations and laboratory and theoretical work. Spectrophotometry from 0.3 to 1.1 microns and 1.2, 1.6 and 2.2 micron photometry allow spectral-compositional classification of asteroids. Based on laboratory data and telescopic observations, it was found that infrared measurements at 1.2, 1.6 and 2.2 microns provide a relatively rapid and accurate method for the classification of minor planets and are important in comparing asteroids with meteorites. This technique was proven and employed in an expanded survey of Apollo-Amor-Aten and other unusual asteroids recently scanned by IRAS.

Veeder, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Fatigue strength reduction model: RANDOM3 and RANDOM4 user manual, appendix 2

The FORTRAN programs RANDOM3 and RANDOM4 are documented. They are based on fatigue strength reduction, using a probabilistic constitutive model. They predict the random lifetime of an engine component to reach a given fatigue strength. Included in this user manual are details regarding the theoretical backgrounds of RANDOM3 and RANDOM4. Appendix A gives information on the physical quantities, their symbols, FORTRAN names, and both SI and U.S. Customary units. Appendix B and C include photocopies of the actual computer printout corresponding to the sample problems. Appendices D and E detail the IMSL, Version 10(1), subroutines and functions called by RANDOM3 and RANDOM4 and SAS/GRAPH(2) programs that can be used to plot both the probability density functions (p.d.f.) and the cumulative distribution functions (c.d.f.).

Boyce, Lola↗
NASA NTRS1989

Anomalously high intercombination line ratios in symbiotic stars - Extreme Bowen pumping?

International Ultraviolet Explorer observations of the ratio of the O III intercombination lines near 1660 A are assembled, showing that the observed ratios in symbiotic stars are significantly higher than the theoretically predicted optically thin limit of 2.5. The presence of an enhancing physical process is thereby indicated. It is suggested that Bowen pumping of the lower level of the 1666.2 A line in an 'external saturation' limit, coupled with appreciable optical depth, could logically explain the high ratios. Some tentative evidence for this is presented and the relevance of far-infrared observations of the O III 51.8 and 88.3 micron lines in symbiotic sources is emphasized.

Kastner, S. O.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Multiband radar characterization of forest biomes

The utility of airborne and orbital SAR in classification, assessment, and monitoring of forest biomes is investigated through analysis of orbital synthetic aperature radar (SAR) and multifrequency and multipolarized airborne SAR imagery relying on image tone and texture. Preliminary airborne SAR experiments and truck-mounted scatterometer observations demonstrated that the three dimensional structural complexity of a forest, and the various scales of temporal dynamics in the microwave dielectric properties of both trees and the underlying substrate would severely limit empirical or semi-empirical approaches. As a consequence, it became necessary to develop a more profound understanding of the electromagnetic properties of a forest scene and their temporal dynamics through controlled experimentation coupled with theoretical development and verification. The concatenation of various models into a physically-based composite model treating the entire forest scene became the major objective of the study as this is the key to development of a series of robust retrieval algorithms for forest biophysical properties. In order to verify the performance of the component elements of the composite model, a series of controlled laboratory and field experiments were undertaken to: (1) develop techniques to measure the microwave dielectric properties of vegetation; (2) relate the microwave dielectric properties of vegetation to more readily measured characteristics such as density and moisture content; (3) calculate the radar cross-section of leaves, and cylinders; (4) improve backscatter models for rough surfaces; and (5) relate attenuation and phase delays during propagation through canopies to canopy properties. These modeling efforts, as validated by the measurements, were incorporated within a larger model known as the Michigan Microwave Canopy Scattering (MIMICS) Model.

Dobson, M. Craig↗
NASA NTRS1991

The Solar-A mission - An overview

An overview of the Solar-A spacecraft, launched in August 1991, is presented. This mission is dedicated primarily to the study of solar flares, especially of high-energy phenomena observed in the X- and gamma-ray ranges. With a coordinated set of instruments, including hard X-ray and soft X-ray imaging telescopes as well as spectrometers with advanced capabilities, it is expected to reveal many new aspects of flares and help better understand their physics, supporting international collaboration with ground-based observatories as well as theoretical investigations. The scientific instruments of Solar-A, especially the soft X-ray telescope, require sophisticated control of flight operations to exploit their capabilities with the constraints of the telemetry data rate and the capacity of the data recorder; this is achieved by the 'data processor' unit. Objectives include flare-related phenomena, dynamical phenomena not necessarily related to flares, and global coronal structure.

Ogawara, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Collision-induced squeezing in a harmonic oscillator

The concept of squeezing has so far been applied mainly to light, as is evidenced by the number of research works on the subject of squeezed light. Since, in quantum mechanics, both light and the simple harmonic oscillator are described within the same mathematical framework, there is of course no difficulty in applying the concept to the simple harmonic oscillator as well. In fact, the theoretical development of squeezed states and squeezed light owes much to the physical insights that one obtains as the analogy between light and the harmonic oscillator is exploited. The example presented shows clearly that two states with different phases in general have different degrees of squeezing, even if they have the same state distribution. This means that, even if one considers collision processes that produce the same state distribution, the degree of squeezing obtained during and after the collisions can be quite different, depending on how the phases phi(sub n) of the probability amplitudes develop in time as the collisions proceed. It is therefore evident that, for a detailed study of collision-induced squeezing, further study on the time development of the phases in collisions and its relation to collision parameters such as potential energy surfaces and collision energy is needed.

Lee, Hai-Woong↗
NASA NTRS1995

Viscoplastic Model Development with an Eye Toward Characterization

A viscoplastic theory is developed that reduces analytically to creep theory under steady-state conditions. A viscoplastic model is constructed within this theoretical framework by defining material functions that have close ties to the physics of inelasticity. As a consequence, this model is easily characterized-only steady-state creep data, monotonic stress-strain curves, and saturated stress-strain hysteresis loops are required.

Freed, Alan D.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Bulk Growth of Wide Band Gap II-VI Compound Semiconductors by Physical Vapor Transport

The mechanism of physical vapor transport of II-VI semiconducting compounds was studied both theoretically, using a one-dimensional diffusion model, as well as experimentally. It was found that the vapor phase stoichiometry is critical in determining the vapor transport rate. The experimental heat treatment methods to control the vapor composition over the starting materials were investigated and the effectiveness of the heat treatments was confirmed by partial pressure measurements using an optical absorption technique. The effect of residual (foreign) gas on the transport rate was also studies theoretically by the diffusion model and confirmed experimentally by the measurements of total pressure and compositions of the residual gas. An in-situ dynamic technique for the transport rate measurements and a further extension of the technique that simultaneously measured the partial pressures and transport rates were performed and, for the first time, the experimentally determined mass fluxes were compared with those calculated, without any adjustable parameters, from the diffusion model. Using the information obtained from the experimental transport rate measurements as guideline high quality bulk crystal of wide band gap II-VI semiconductor were grown from the source materials which undergone the same heat treatment methods. The grown crystals were then extensively characterized with emphasis on the analysis of the crystalline structural defects.

Su, Ching-Hua↗
NASA NTRS1997

Bulk Growth of Wide Band Gap II-VI Compound Semiconductors by Physical Vapor Transport

The mechanism of physical vapor transport of II-VI semiconducting compounds was studied both theoretically, using a one-dimensional diffusion model, as well as experimentally. It was found that the vapor phase stoichiometry is critical in determining the vapor transport rate. The experimental heat treatment methods to control the vapor composition over the starting materials were investigated and the effectiveness of the heat treatments was confirmed by partial pressure measurements using an optical absorption technique. The effect of residual (foreign) gas on the transport rate was also studies theoretically by the diffusion model and confirmed experimentally by the measurements of total pressure and compositions of the residual gas. An in-situ dynamic technique for the transport rate measurements and a further extension of the technique that simultaneously measured the partial pressures and transport rates were performed and, for the first time, the experimentally determined mass fluxes were compared with those calculated, without any adjustable parameters, from the diffusion model. Using the information obtained from the experimental transport rate measurements as guideline high quality bulk crystal of wide band gap II-VI semiconductor were grown from the source materials which undergone the same heat treatment methods. The grown crystals were then extensively characterized with emphasis on the analysis of the crystalline structural defects.

Su, Ching-Hua↗
NASA NTRS2000

Theoretical Technology Research for ISTP/SOLARMAX

During the last decade, we have been developing theoretical tools to support the scientific objectives of the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program. Results from our mission-oriented theory program have contributed significantly to the development of predictive capabilities by using real upstream solar wind conditions as input to our models and forecasting events observed downstream near Earth. We also developed the capability to unravel the complex information contained in ion velocity distribution functions measured near the Earth to determine their origin and energization process. During solar maximum, solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) dominate the sun's activity. It is now widely accepted that the impact of CMEs (or magnetic clouds) with the Earth's magnetosphere is the cause of most magnetic storms during solar maximum. One important aspect of a CME is the occurrence of solar energetic particle (SEP) events. During these events, protons, electrons, and heavy ions of solar origin are accelerated to very high energies by shock waves driven out from the sun. We carried out a series of large-scale kinetic (LSK) simulations to model the effect of SEPs on the near-Earth environment and the accessibility of these high-energy particles to the inner magnetosphere. We present the results of these studies.

Ashour-Abdalla, Maha↗
NASA NTRS1990

Exclusive measurements of light fragment production at forward angles in Ne-Pb and Ne-NaF collisions at E/A=400 MeV and 800 MeV

Emission of light fragments at small angles is studied in relativistic heavy ion collisions using the Diogene plastic wall for both symmetrical and non-symmetrical target-projectile systems with 400 MeV per nucleon and 800 MeV per nucleon incident neon nuclei. Efficiency of multiplicity measurements in the small angle range for the selection of central or peripheral collisions is confirmed for asymmetric systems. Differential production cross sections of Z = 1 fragments show evidence for the existence of two emitting sources. The apparent temperature of each source is obtained from comparison with a thermodynamical model.

NASA Discipline Number 04-10↗
NASA NTRS2005

A Comparative Study of Probability Collectives Based Multi-agent Systems and Genetic Algorithms

We compare Genetic Algorithms (GA's) with Probability Collectives (PC), a new framework for distributed optimization and control. In contrast to GA's, PC-based methods do not update populations of solutions. Instead they update an explicitly parameterized probability distribution p over the space of solutions. That updating of p arises as the optimization of a functional of p. The functional is chosen so that any p that optimizes it should be p peaked about good solutions. The PC approach works in both continuous and discrete problems. It does not suffer from the resolution limitation of the finite bit length encoding of parameters into GA alleles. It also has deep connections with both game theory and statistical physics. We review the PC approach using its motivation as the information theoretic formulation of bounded rationality for multi-agent systems. It is then compared with GA's on a diverse set of problems. To handle high dimensional surfaces, in the PC method investigated here p is restricted to a product distribution. Each distribution in that product is controlled by a separate agent. The test functions were selected for their difficulty using either traditional gradient descent or genetic algorithms. On those functions the PC-based approach significantly outperforms traditional GA's in both rate of descent, trapping in false minima, and long term optimization.

Huang, Chien-Feng↗
NASA NTRS2017

Building Reliable Forecasts of Solar Activity

Solar ionizing radiation critically depends on the level of the Sun’s magnetic activity. For robust physics-based forecasts, we employ the procedure of data assimilation, which combines theoretical modeling and observational data such that uncertainties in both the model and the observations are taken into account. Currently we are working in two major directions: 1) development of a new long-term forecast procedure on time-scales of the 11-year solar cycle, using a 2-dimensional mean-field dynamo model and synoptic magnetograms; 2) development of 3-dimensional radiative MHD (Magnetohydrodynamic) simulations to investigate the origin and precursors of local manifestations of magnetic activity, such as the formation of magnetic structures and eruptive dynamics.

Kitiashvili, Irina↗