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At least 451 records · Page 25

Time-Variable Gravity from Satellite Laser-Ranging: The Low-Degree Components and Their Connections with Geophysical/Climatic Changes

Satellite laser-ranging (SLR) has been observing the tiny variations in Earth s global gravity for over 2 decades. The oblateness of the Earth's gravity field, J2, has been observed to undergo a secular decrease of J2 due mainly to the post-glacial rebound of the mantle. Sometime around 1998 this trend reversed quite suddenly. This reversal persisted until 2001, at which point the atmosphere-corrected time series appears to have reversed yet again towards normal. This anomaly signifies a large interannual change in global mass distribution. A number of possible causes have been considered, with oceanic mass redistribution as the leading candidate although other effects, such as glacial melting and core effects may be contributing. In fact, a strong correlation has been found between the J2 variability and the Pacific decadal oscillation. It is relatively more difficult to solve for corresponding signals in the shorter wavelength harmonics from the existing SLR-derived time variable gravity results, although it appears that geophysical fluid mass transport is being observed. For example, the recovered J3 time series shows remarkable agreement with NCEP-derived estimates of atmospheric gravity variations. Likewise, some of the non-zonal harmonic components have significant interannual signal that appears to be related to mass transport related to climatic effects such as El Nino Southern Oscillation. We will present recent updates on the J2 evolution, as well as a monthly time sequence of low-degree component map of the time-variable gravity complete through degree 4, and examine possible geophysical/climatic causes.

Chao, Benjamin F.↗

Bondi Accretion and the Problem of the Missing Isolated Neutron Stars

A large number of neutron stars (NSs), approximately 10(exp 9), populate the Galaxy, but only a tiny fraction of them is observable during the short radio pulsar lifetime. The majority of these isolated NSs, too cold to be detectable by their own thermal emission, should be visible in X-rays as a result of accretion from the interstellar medium. The ROSAT All-Sky Survey has, however, shown that such accreting isolated NSs are very elusive: only a few tentative candidates have been identified, contrary to theoretical predictions that up to several thousand should be seen. We suggest that the fundamental reason for this discrepancy lies in the use of the standard Bondi formula to estimate the accretion rates. We compute the expected source counts using updated estimates of the pulsar velocity distribution, realistic hydrogen atmosphere spectra, and a modified expression for the Bondi accretion rate, as suggested by recent MHD simulations and supported by direct observations in the case of accretion around supermassive black holes in nearby galaxies and in our own. We find that, whereas the inclusion of atmospheric spectra partly compensates for the reduction in the counts due to the higher mean velocities of the new distribution, the modified Bondi formula dramatically suppresses the source counts. The new predictions are consistent with a null detection at the ROSAT sensitivity.

Perna, Rosalba↗

NASA's Earth Observations of the Global Environment

A birds eye view of the Earth from afar and up close reveals the power and magnificence of the Earth and juxtaposes the simultaneous impacts and powerlessness of humankind. The NASA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in an historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to Africa and Cape Town. See the latest spectacular images from NASA & NOAA remote sensing missions like Meteosat, TRMM, Landsat 7, and Terra, which will be visualized and explained in the context of global change. See visualizations of global data sets currently available from Earth orbiting satellites, including the Earth at night with its city lights, aerosols from biomass burning in the Middle East and Africa, and retreat of the glaciers on Mt. Kilimanjaro. See the dynamics of vegetation growth and decay over Africa over 17 years. New visualization tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global mosaic images including Landsat and Terra tours of Africa and South America, showing land use and land cover change from Bolivian highlands. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See massive dust storms sweeping across Africa and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and Amazon basin. See ocean vortexes and currents that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny phytoplankton and draw the fish, pant whales and fisher- man. See how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nifia. We will illustrate these and other topics with a dynamic theater-style presentation, along with animations of satellite launch deployments and orbital mapping to highlight aspects of Earth observations from space.

King, Michael D.↗

Using Piezoelectric Ceramics for Dust Mitigation of Space Suits

The particles that make up moon dust and Mars soil can be hazardous to an astronaut s health if not handled properly. In the near future, while exploring outer space, astronauts plan to wander the surfaces of unknown planets. During these explorations, dust and soil will cling to their space suits and become imbedded in the fabric. The astronauts will track moon dust and mars soil back into their living quarters. This not only will create a mess with millions of tiny air-born particles floating around, but will also be dangerous in the case that the fine particles are breathed in and become trapped in an astronaut s lungs. research center are investigating ways to remove these particles from space suits. This problem is very difficult due to the nature of the particles: They are extremely small and have jagged edges which can easily latch onto the fibers of the fabric. For the past summer, I have been involved in researching the potential problems, investigating ways to remove the particles, and conducting experiments to validate the techniques. The current technique under investigation uses piezoelectric ceramics imbedded in the fabric that vibrate and shake the particles free. The particles will be left on the planet s surface or collected a vacuum to be disposed of later. The ceramics vibrate when connected to an AC voltage supply and create a small scale motion similar to what people use at the beach to shake sand off of a beach towel. Because the particles are so small, similar to volcanic ash, caution must be taken to make sure that this technique does not further inbed them in the fabric and make removal more difficult. Only a very precise range of frequency and voltage will produce a suitable vibration. My summer project involved many experiments to determine the correct range. Analysis involved hands on experience with oscilloscopes, amplifiers, piezoelectrics, a high speed camera, microscopes and computers. perfect this technology. Someday, vibration to remove dust may a vital component to the space exploration program. In order to mitigate this problem, engineers and scientists at the NASA-Glenn Further research and experiments are planned to better understand and ultimately

Angel, Heather K.↗

Calibration, Data Acquisition, and Post Analysis of Turbulent Fluid Flow in a Calibration Jet Using Hot-wire Anemometry

The Turbine Branch concentrates on the following areas: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and implementing experimental procedures to obtain physical modeling data. Hot-wire Anemometry is a valuable tool for obtaining physical modeling data. Hot-wire Anemometry is likely to remain the principal research tool for most turbulent air/gas flow studies. The Hot-wire anemometer consists of a fine wire heated by electric current. When placed in a fluid stream, the hot-wire loses heat to the fluid by forced convection. In forced convection, energy transfer is due to molecular motion imposed by an extraneous force moving fluid parcels. When the hot-wire is in "equilibrium", the rate of heat input to the wire is equal to the rate of heat loss at the wire ends. The equality between heat input and heat loss is the basis for King s equation, which relates the electrical parameters of the hot-wire to the flow parameters of the fluid. Hot-wire anemometry is based on convective heat transfer from a heated wire element placed in a fluid flow. Any change in the fluid flow condition that affects the heat transfer from the heated element will be detected virtually instantaneously by a constant-temperature Hot-wire anemometry system. The system implemented for this research is the IFA 300. The system is a fully-integrated, thermal anemometer-based system that measures mean and fluctuating velocity components in air, water, and other fluids. It also measures turbulence and makes localized temperature measurements. A constant-temperature anemometer is a bridge and amplifier circuit that controls a tiny wire at constant temperature. As a fluid flow passes over the heated sensor, the amplifier senses the bridge off-balance and adjusts the voltage to the top of the bridge, keeping the bridge in balance. The voltage on top of the bridge can then be related to the velocity of the flow. The bridge voltage is sensitive to temperature as well as velocity and so the built-in thermocouple circuit can be attached to a thermocouple that can measure the fluid temperature. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Moreno, Michelle↗

Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy Used to Study Foams

The white appearance of familiar objects such as clouds, snow, milk, or foam is due to the random scattering of light by the sample. As we all know, pure water is clear and easily passes a beam of light. However, tiny water droplets, such as those in a cloud, scatter light because the air and water droplet have different indexes of refraction. When many droplets, or scattering sites, are present, the incident light is scattered in random directions and the sample takes on a milky white appearance. In a glass of milk, the scattering is due to small colloidal particles. The white appearance of shaving cream, or foam, is due to the scattering of light at the water-bubble interface. Diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) is a laser light-scattering technique used to noninvasively probe the particle dynamics in systems that strongly scatter light. The technique takes advantage of the diffuse nature of light, which is reflected or transmitted from samples such as foams, dense colloidal suspensions (such as paint and milk), emulsions, liquid crystals, sandpiles, and even biological tissues.

Zimmerli, Gregory A.↗

Structural and Acoustic Damping Characteristics of Polyimide Microspheres

A broad range of tests have been performed to evaluate the capability of tiny lightweight polyimide spheres to reduce sound and vibration. The types of testing includes impedance tube measurement of propagation constant, sound power insertion loss for single and double wall systems, particle frame wave characterization and beam vibration reduction. The tests were performed using spheres made of two types of polyimide and with varying diameter. Baseline results were established using common noise reduction treatment materials such as fiberglass and foam. The spheres were difficult to test due to their inherent mobility. Most tests required some adaptation to contain the spheres. One test returned obvious non-linear behavior, a result which has come to be expected for treatments of this type. The polyimide spheres are found to be a competent treatment for both sound and vibration energy with the reservation that more work needs to be done to better characterize the non-linear behavior.

Palumbo, Daniel L.↗

An Hour of Spectacular Visualization

The NASA/NOAA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations from space in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to Athens and site of the 2004 Summer Olympics and the Far East using 1 m IKONOS "Spy Satellite" data. Contrast the 1972 Apollo 17 "Blue Marble" image of the Earth with the latest US and International global satellite images that allow us to view our Planet from any vantage point. See the latest spectacular images from NASA/NOAA/Commercial remote sensing missions like Terra, GOES, TRMM, SeaWiFS, & Landsat 7, QuickBird of the SE Asia Tsunami, devastation of Hurricane Katrina this year in New Orleans, and the LA/San Diego Fires of 2003. See how High Definition Television (HDTV) is revolutionizing the way we do science communication. Take the pulse of the planet on a daily, annual and 30-year time scale. See daily thunderstorms, the annual blooming of the northern hemisphere land masses and oceans, fires in Africa, dust storms in Iraq, and carbon monoxide exhaust from global burning. See visualizations featured on Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science covers & National & International Network TV. Spectacular new global visualizations of the observed and simulated atmosphere & oceans are shown. See the currents and vortexes in the oceans that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny plankton and draw the fish, whales and fishermen. See the how the ocean blooms in response to El Nino/La Nina climate changes. The Etheater will be presented using the latest High Definition TV (HDTV) and video projection technology on a large screen. See city lights around the globe and in your area observed by the "night-vision" DMSP satellite, Also see how Keyhole and Google Maps are using satellite and aerial photography to help you find your house and plan your vacation.

Hasler, Arthur F.↗

Adaptive Optics: Arroyo Simulation Tool and Deformable Mirror Actuation Using Golay Cells

The Arroyo C++ libraries, written by Caltech post-doc student Matthew Britton, have the ability to simulate optical systems and atmospheric signal interference. This program was chosen for use in an end-to-end simulation model of a laser communication system because it is freely distributed and has the ability to be controlled by a remote system or "smart agent." Proposed operation of this program by a smart agent has been demonstrated, and the results show it to be a suitable simulation tool. Deformable mirrors, as a part of modern adaptive optics systems, may contain thousands of tiny, independently controlled actuators used to modify the shape of the mirror. Each actuator is connected to two wires, creating a cumbersome and expensive device. Recently, an alternative actuation method that uses gas-filled tubes known as Golay cells has been explored. Golay cells, operated by infrared lasers instead of electricity, would replace the actuator system thereby creating a more compact deformable mirror. The operation of Golay cells and their ability to move a deformable mirror in excess of the required 20 microns has been demonstrated. Experimentation has shown them to be extremely sensitive to pressure and temperature, making them ideal for use in a controlled environment.

Lint, Adam S.↗

Comet Dust: The Story of Planet Formation as Told by the Tiniest of Particles

Our planetary system formed out of a gas-rich disk-shaped nebula with the early Sun at its center. Many small icy bodies were consumed by the formation of the giant planets. However, many km-size icy bodies were tossed out of the giant-planet region to the cold, distant reaches of our solar system. Comets remained in their places of cold storage until perturbed into orbits that carry them into the inner solar system where they pass relatively close to the Sun. Comets are warmed by the Sun and shed material from their outer layers. The ices and gases shed by comets reveal simple and complex organic molecules were present at the time and in the region of the formation of the giant planets. Where the Earth was forming was too hot and had too intense sunlight for many of these ices and molecules to survive. The dust shed by comets tells us that some stardust survived unaltered but much of the dust was heated and crystallized before becoming part of the comet. Therefore, comet dust grains tell of large radial migrations from the cold outer reaches near Neptune into the hot regions near the forming Sun, and then back out to the cold regions where icy comets were accreting and forming. On 2005 July 4, the NASA Deep Impact Mission hit a comet and ejected primitive materials fiom its interior. These materials were not released into the comet s coma during normal activity. Despite the many passages of this comet close to the Sun, these primitive volatile gases and dust grains survived in its interior. Comet dust grains show that cold and hot materials were mixed into the same tiny particle very early in the formation of the solar system, and these aggregate dust grains never saw high temperatures again. The survival of primitive materials in comet nuclei suggests comets could have delivered organic molecules and primitive dust grains to early Earth.

Wooden, D. H.↗

Miniature GC: Minicell ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) for astrobiology planetary missions

Astrobiology flight experiments require highly sensitive instrumentation for in situ analysis of volatile chemical species and minerals present in the atmospheres and surfaces of planets, moons, and asteroids. The complex mixtures encountered place a heavy burden on the analytical instrumentation to detect and identify all species present. The use of land rovers and balloon aero-rovers place additional emphasis on miniaturization of the analytical instrumentation. In addition, smaller instruments, using tiny amounts of consumables, allow the use of more instrumentation and/or longer mission life for stationary landers/laboratories. We describe here the development of a miniature GC - Minicell Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) under development through NASA's Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development (ASTID) Program and NASA's Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program.

Kojiro, Daniel R.↗

Experiments With Small Animals Rarely Go This Well

In the mid-1950s, a young U.S. Air Force engineer named Clark Beck began work with what is now one of NASA s most prolific spinoffs, the radiant barrier technology. Beck s work involved creating materials that could withstand the immense heat created by passage through the Earth s atmosphere. He was working on structures and resources that could withstand the fluctuations in temperature created by a skip reentry, where a craft would skip along the surface of the atmosphere, gradually making inroads sufficient for reentry, a process that took the craft from extreme heat to frigid cold every few seconds. The material also needed to withstand millions of pounds of pressure per inch of bending without twisting, the simulated force of reentry. Without reflective material, the craft would get what Beck refers to as "red hot wings," and without the required flexibility, the craft would break apart. One result of Beck s work was the discovery of the useful properties of radiant barrier material. The Space Agency used Beck s design work for the materials that went into building the space capsules, heat resistant instrument panels, and, in conjunction with the Air Force, an early spacecraft prototype, the DynaSoar, that looks remarkably similar to the present-day Space Shuttle. NASA used the thin, shiny, silver material to protect the first space explorers from the harsh environment of space, which could range from -460 F to 541 F. If the engineers had used conventional insulation for the space suits, the fabric would have been 7-feet thick, a little awkward for even the most nimble of astronauts to maneuver. Radiant barrier technology was clearly the solution. It reflected the astronaut s body heat back into the suit to keep him warm, while at the same time reflecting radiant energy from the Sun outward to keep him cool. The radiant barrier material reflected more than 95 percent of the radiant energy away from the wearer, while tiny holes in the fabric allowed moisture to escape and longer heat waves to get through. This amazing fabric had an added benefit that made it ideal for its space-bound application: It weighed only 17 pounds per 1,000 square feet. NASA has used this material ever since the Gemini and Apollo missions, on virtually all of its spacecraft, and even on unmanned missions as thermal protection for instruments.

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Hydrogen Sensors Boost Hybrids; Today's Models Losing Gas?

Advanced chemical sensors are used in aeronautic and space applications to provide safety monitoring, emission monitoring, and fire detection. In order to fully do their jobs, these sensors must be able to operate in a range of environments. NASA has developed sensor technologies addressing these needs with the intent of improving safety, optimizing combustion efficiencies, and controlling emissions. On the ground, the chemical sensors were developed by NASA engineers to detect potential hydrogen leaks during Space Shuttle launch operations. The Space Shuttle uses a combination of hydrogen and oxygen as fuel for its main engines. Liquid hydrogen is pumped to the external tank from a storage tank located several hundred feet away. Any hydrogen leak could potentially result in a hydrogen fire, which is invisible to the naked eye. It is important to detect the presence of a hydrogen fire in order to prevent a major accident. In the air, the same hydrogen-leak dangers are present. Stress and temperature changes can cause tiny cracks or holes to form in the tubes that line the Space Shuttle s main engine nozzle. Such defects could allow the hydrogen that is pumped through the nozzle during firing to escape. Responding to the challenges associated with pinpointing hydrogen leaks, NASA endeavored to improve propellant leak-detection capabilities during assembly, pre-launch operations, and flight. The objective was to reduce the operational cost of assembling and maintaining hydrogen delivery systems with automated detection systems. In particular, efforts have been focused on developing an automated hydrogen leak-detection system using multiple, networked hydrogen sensors that are operable in harsh conditions.

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Lighting the Way for Quicker, Safer Healing

Who's to say that a little light can t go a long way? Tiny light-emitting diode (LED) chips used to grow plants in space are lighting the way for cancer treatment, wound healing, and chronic pain alleviation on Earth. In 1993, Quantum Devices, Inc. (QDI), of Barneveld, Wisconsin, began developing the HEALS (High Emissivity Aluminiferous Light-emitting Substrate) technology to provide high-intensity, solid-state LED lighting systems for NASA Space Shuttle plant growth experiments. The company evolved out of cooperative efforts with the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison a NASA center for the Commercial Development of Space. Ronald W. Ignatius, QDI s president and chairman, represented one of WCSAR s industrial partners at the time. WCSAR was conducting research on light sources for promoting food growth within closed environments where humans would be present for a long duration, such as the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. With the support of WCSAR, Ignatius experimented with LEDs, which provide high-energy efficiency and virtually no heat, despite releasing waves of light 10 times brighter than the Sun. Ignatius admits that some scientists involved in the project were skeptical at first, thinking that the idea of using LEDs to promote plant growth was far-fetched. The experiments, however, demonstrated that red LED wavelengths could boost the energy metabolism of cells to advance plant growth and photosynthesis. This finding prompted Ignatius to develop a line of LED products that emit the exact wavelength of light that plants use in photosynthesis. Our company gives credit to Dr. Ray Bula, the director of WCSAR, for having the foresight to go against the prevailing dogma of the time and design the first plant experiment using monochromatic light to grow lettuce plants, Ignatius proclaims. In 1989, Ignatius formed QDI to bring the salt grain-sized LEDs to market, and in October 1995, the light sources made their Space Shuttle flight debut on the second U.S. Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mission (STS-73, Columbia)

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Polarimeter Arrays for Cosmic Microwave Background Measurements

We discuss general system architectures and specific work towards precision measurements of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization. The CMB and its polarization carry fundamental information on the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe. Detecting the imprint of primordial gravitational radiation on the faint polarization of the CMB will be difficult. The two primary challenges will be achieving both the required sensitivity and precise control over systematic errors. At anisotropy levels possibly as small as a few nanokelvin, the gravity-wave signal is faint compared to the fundamental sensitivity limit imposed by photon arrival statistics, and one must make simultaneous measurements with large numbers, hundreds to thousands, of independent background-limited direct detectors. Highly integrated focal plane architectures, and multiplexing of detector outputs, will be essential. Because the detectors, optics, and even the CMB itself are brighter than the faint gravity-wave signal by six to nine orders of magnitude, even a tiny leakage of polarized light reflected or diffracted from warm objects could overwhelm the primordial signal. Advanced methods of modulating only the polarized component of the incident radiation will play an essential role in measurements of CMB polarization. One promising general polarimeter concept that is under investigation by a number of institutions is to first use planar antennas to separate millimeter-wave radiation collected by a lens or horn into two polarization channels. Then the signals can be fed to a pair of direct detectors through a planar circuit consisting of superconducting niobium microstrip transmission lines, hybrid couplers, band-pass filters, and phase modulators to measure the Stokes parameters of the incoming radiation.

Stevenson, Thomas↗

Bombardment History of the Moon: What We Think We Know and What We Don't Know

The absolute impace history of the moon and inner solar system can in principle be derived from the statistics of radiometric ages of shock-heated planetary samples (lunar or meteoritic), from the formation ages of specific impact craters on the moon or Earth; and from agedating samples representing geologic surface units on the moon (or Mars) for which crater densities have been determined. This impact history, however, is still poorly defined. The heavily cratered surface of the moon is a testimony to the importance of impact events in the evolution of terrestrial planets and satellites. Lunar impacts range in scale from an early intense flux of large objects that defined the surface geology of the moon, down to recent, smaller impacts that continually generate and rework the lunar regolith. Densities of larger craters on lunar surface units of dated age define a projectile flux over time that serves as the basis for estimating surface ages on other solid bodies, particularly Mars. The lunar cratering history may address aspects of Earth s evolution, such as the possible role of early intense impacts on the atmosphere and early life and possible periodicity in large impact events in the more recent past. But, much about the lunar impact history remains unknown.. On Earth approximately 172 impact craters up to ~300 km in diameter and up to ~2 Gyr in age are recognized. Although these data suggest greater relative numbers of younger craters, possibly suggesting a recent increase in projectile flux, both the diameters and especially the ages of most terrestrial crates are so poorly known that the differential terrestrial impact flux over time is uncertain. For the moon, densities of craters on some mare surfaces and crater ejecta deposits, for which we have measured or estimated formation ages, suggest an approximately constant lunar impact rate of larger projectiles over the past ~3.5 Gyr. However, the data are cumulative in nature and limited. Questions exist as to how accurately dated samples correlate with surfaces having measured crater densities. Studies of ages of many tiny impact-melt beads from Apollos 12 and 14 soils show a decrease in the number of beads with age from ~4 Gyr ago to ~0.4 Gyr ago, followed by a significant increase in beads with age <0.4 Gyr (2). These authors concluded that the projectile flux had decreased over time, followed by a significant flux increase more recently.

Bogard, Donald↗

A Survey of Plasmas and Their Applications

Plasmas are everywhere and relevant to everyone. We bath in a sea of photons, quanta of electromagnetic radiation, whose sources (natural and artificial) are dominantly plasma-based (stars, fluorescent lights, arc lamps.. .). Plasma surface modification and materials processing contribute increasingly to a wide array of modern artifacts; e.g., tiny plasma discharge elements constitute the pixel arrays of plasma televisions and plasma processing provides roughly one-third of the steps to produce semiconductors, essential elements of our networking and computing infrastructure. Finally, plasmas are central to many cutting edge technologies with high potential (compact high-energy particle accelerators; plasma-enhanced waste processors; high tolerance surface preparation and multifuel preprocessors for transportation systems; fusion for energy production).

Eastman, Timothy E.↗

Deep Space 1 flight experience: adventures on an ion drive (AAS 02-072)

This paper provides a brief overview of the DSI attitude control subsystem, shares a few lessons-learned, and describes some of the many daunting challenges faced by our tiny flight team during the course of the mission. Special focus will be given to the nuances of flying a spacecraft with ion propulsion, our nick-of-time rewrite of the attitude determination software after the failure of the on-board star tracker in late 1999, and DSl's subsequent successful flyby of comet Borrelly on September 22, 2001.

SEP ion propulsion DS1 flight experience↗