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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.

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At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

Line Blanketing in Vega and Sirus

A theoretical model and spectrum calculation for Vega is discussed. The abundance of carbon is approximately -3.8, which is 0.3 lower than the old solar value and supports Mount and Linsky's newer value. The oxygen abundance is approximately -3.5. Assuming that Vega has solar abundances, the solar oxygen abundance appears to have been overestimated by 0.3 in the log. Other abundances appear to be solar. For Sirius the calculations do not agree with the observed spectrum. Line opacity is considerably underestimated, notably in third-spectrum iron group lines. Carbon is underabundant relative to Vega by 0.2 in the log. Nitrogen is unchanged. Oxygen is enhanced by 0.3. Heavier elements are enhanced by 1.0 in the log. Calibration yields 1.3E-10 ergs/sq cm/s/nm for each U1 Copernicus count at 130 nm.

Kurucz, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

A mechanism for the abundance enhancements of heavy nuclei in solar flare particle events

A mechanism is proposed to account for the recently reported abundance enhancements of heavy nuclei in solar flares. The mechanism requires two acceleration stages for its operation: First, fully stripped ions are accelerated to suprathermal energies, and subsequently, a fraction of these ions are Fermi accelerated to higher energies. It is shown that because injection into Fermi acceleration is rigidity dependent and the ions may pick up electrons during transport to the Fermi acceleration region, an enhancement of the abundances of heavy nuclei can occur. The degree of the enhancement depends on a number of factors particular to each flare, so that the degree of enhancement may be variable from flare to flare, or may be a function of time within a given flare. In some flares, conditions may be such that no enhancement would be expected.

Cartwright, B. G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Ultra-heavy cosmic rays: Theoretical implications of recent observations

Extreme ultraheavy cosmic ray observations (Z greater or equal 70) are compared with r-process models. A detailed cosmic ray propagation calculation is used to transform the calculated source distributions to those observed at the earth. The r-process production abundances are calculated using different mass formulae and beta-rate formulae; an empirical estimate based on the observed solar system abundances is used also. There is the continued strong indication of an r-process dominance in the extreme ultra-heavy cosmic rays. However it is shown that the observed high actinide/Pt ratio in the cosmic rays cannot be fit with the same r-process calculation which also fits the solar system material. This result suggests that the cosmic rays probably undergo some preferential acceleration in addition to the apparent general enrichment in heavy (r-process) material. As estimate also is made of the expected relative abundance of superheavy elements in the cosmic rays if the anomalous heavy xenon in carbonaceous chondrites is due to a fissioning superheavy element.

Blake, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Spacecraft measurements of the elemental and isotopic composition of solar energetic particles

Within the past few years, instruments flown on satellites and space probes have made significant progress in measuring the elemental and isotopic composition of energetic heavy nuclei accelerated in solar flares. These new observations are discussed, focusing on: (1) the energy dependence of the elemental composition at energies not greater than 1 MeV/nucleon; (2) flare to flare variations in the composition; and (3) comparisons of the average solar particle abundances (Z not less than 2 and not greater than 28) with other measures of the solar composition, including photospheric, coronal, and solar wind observations. These comparisons have led to the suggestion that solar flares sample the composition of the corona. Isotopic measurements of heavy solar flare nuclei have recently added a new dimension to these studies. In particular, the isotopic composition of solar flare neon has been found to be significantly different from that measured in the solar wind, but consistent with the meteoritic component neon-A.

Mewaldt, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Ultraheavy cosmic rays - Theoretical implications of recent observations

The recent extreme ultraheavy cosmic-ray observations (Z greater than or equal to 70) are compared with r-process models. A detailed cosmic ray propagation calculation is used to transform the calculated source distributions to those observed at the earth. The r-process production abundances are calculated using different mass formulae and beta-rate formulae; an empirical estimate based on the observed solar-system abundances is also used. There is the continued strong indication of an r-process dominance in the extreme ultraheavy cosmic rays. It is shown that the observed high actinide/Pt ratio in the cosmic rays cannot be fitted with the same r-process calculation which also fits the solar-system material. This result suggests that the cosmic rays probably undergo some preferential acceleration in addition to the apparent general enrichment in heavy (r-process) material. An estimate is also made of the expected relative abundance of superheavy elements in the cosmic rays if the anomalous heavy xenon in carbonaceous chondrites is due to a fissioning superheavy element.

Blake, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Photochemistry of the atmosphere of Uranus

A detailed one-dimensional photochemical model incorporating vertical transport by eddy and molecular diffusion is used to study the importance of chemical and physical processes that control the hydrocarbon abundances in the stratosphere of Uranus. The study includes updated photochemical reaction rates and photolysis branching ratios; explicit calculation of the condensation rate of condensing species; and appropriate boundary conditions at the tropopause. It is found that the basic photochemical process generally produces low net conversion efficiencies of methane to higher hydrocarbons. However, even with these low efficiencies, the total condensation rate, which represents the net rate of conversion of methane to hydrocarbons, is roughly 2 x 10 to the -16th g/cm sec, in agreement with the upper range of the low condensation rate for the production of the stratospheric aerosol layer as determined by Pollack et al. (1987). Furthermore, a range of vertical transport rates is required to separately match the observational constraints on hydrocarbon abundances. The solar reflection data refer to the sunlit polar region of Uranus and require an eddy diffusion coefficient of K approx. = 50 sq cm/sec for globally averaged insolation or K approx = 1500 (Nh/N) exp 1/2 for overhead sun. The Voyager 2 Utraviolet Spectrometer solar occultation data refer to the equatorial regions, thus implying a large latitudinal gradient in stratospheric hydrocarbon abundance.

Summers, Michael E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The composition of Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles

The progress made by U.S. researchers during 1983-1986 in studies on the composition of the Galactic cosmic-ray source (GCRS) and solar energetic particles (SEP) is reviewed. New information concerning element abundances in GCRS (obtained from HEAO-3 data) and SEP composition in large flares and (He-3)-rich events (from data obtained by the Voyager and ISEE spacecraft) was used to obtain direct correlation between the GCRS and SEP compositions. For elements heavier than He, the linear correlation coefficient beween the points was 0.96, and the slope of the least-squares fit line was found to be 1.01 + or - 0.01. Hydrogen and helium are more abundant in the SEP than in the GCRS. The close resemblance between the SEP composition and the GCRS composition means that the ratio of SEP abundances to solar-system abundances shows a correlation with the first ionization potential.

Mason, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The helium abundance of Uranus from Voyager measurements

Voyager radio-occultation and IR spectroscopy measurements are combined to infer an He mole fraction in the upper troposphere of Uranus of 0.152 + or - 0.033; the corresponding mass fraction is Y = 0.262 + or - 0.048. This value is in agreement with recent estimates of the solar He abundance, suggesting that He differentiation has not occurred on Uranus. Comparisons with values previously obtained for Jupiter and Saturn imply that migration of He toward the core began long ago on Saturn and may also have recently begun on Jupiter. The protosolar He abundance inferred from the Uranus measurements and from recent solar evolutionary models is used along with an assumed primordial He mass fraction of 0.23-0.24 to estimate a 3-4-percent enrichment of He in the interstellar medium between the big bang and the origin of the solar system. The result is in agreement with galactic chemical evolution models which include a substantial decrease in D during the evolutionary process.

Conrath, B.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Gas in galaxy clusters

X-ray, radio, and optical evidence for the existence of a hot intracluster gas in clusters of galaxies is reviewed. X-ray observations of the 6.7-keV emission feature identified with Fe XXV and Fe XXIV line emission are emphasized, and it is noted that the iron abundance in at least three cluster sources is similar and generally within a factor of seven of the solar iron abundance. The interaction of tailed radio galaxies with intracluster gas is examined along with correlations between X-ray luminosity, on the one hand, and cluster morphological type, cluster richness, fraction of spirals, and velocity dispersion, on the other. Implications of the observations for cluster evolution are discussed, and the possibility that galaxies may undergo strong mutual interactions when clusters form is considered together with the notion of coeval galaxy formation.

Silk, J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

High resolution measurements of solar flare isotopes

The individual isotopes of C, N and O are measured in the large solar particle event of August 1978. Limits are placed on mass dependent selection effects occurring in the solar flare by fitting a simple mass fractionation law to measurements of the C, N, O and Mg isotopes, to relate the SEP composition more directly to the composition of the sun. The individual isotopes are found to be consistent with solar system abundances, and the absence of any observable fractionation for C, O and Mg leads to the conclusion that solar neon is most likely neon-A with Ne-22/Ne-20 equals 0.12.

Mewaldt, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The isotopic composition of cosmic-ray B, C, N, and O - Evidence for an overabundance of O-18

New observations of galactic cosmic rays at higher energies (about 400-780 MeV/nucleon) than obtained in previous direct mass measurements have resulted in determinations of the isotopic composition of B, C, N, and O. The derived cosmic-ray source abundances provide evidence for an enhancement of O-18/O-16 by a factor of 5.6 +/- 1.9 over the solar system value and give a C-13/C-12 ratio consistent with the solar system abundance ratio, but lower than some recent measurements of the local interstellar medium.

Gibner, P. S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Observation of cosmic-ray particles with Z greater than 35.

The results of two flights conducted in Texas in September 1968 are reported, giving attention to experimental details, the charge spectrum, and the primary flux of very very heavy cosmic rays. Considerable interest is attached to the observation of uranium, thorium, and transuranic nuclei in the cosmic radiation. It is found that the relative abundances of the charge groups in the ranges from 35 to 40 and from 41 to 50 deviate significantly from solar system abundances.

Blanford, G. E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Re-evaporation of condensed matter during the formation of the solar system

From the properties of matter the conclusion is derived that the mineral assemblage characteristic of most chondritic meteorites is not at all what is expected to form directly from solar matter. Rather, the major minerals of the ordinary chondrites have chemical compositions indicative of formation from a medium greatly depleted in hydrogen and somewhat deficient in oxygen relative to solar elemental abundance ratios. The re-evaporation of condensed material, after separation from a large fraction of the gaseous components of solar matter, will lead to a medium of the appropriate composition. Such re-evaporation must have occurred at a time prior to the formation of many primitive meteorites.

Herndon, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Abundances of 'secondary' elements among the ultraheavy cosmic rays - Results from HEAO-3

The HEAO-3 Heavy Nuclei Experiment has measured elemental abundances of ultraheavy cosmic rays near earth. The elements with atomic number (Z) in the intervals Z = 44-48 and Z = 62-74 arriving at earth are expected to have significant secondary components. However, their source abundances are unlikely to be low enough to warrant treating them as pure secondaries. The present results are consistent with solar system abundances modified for first ionization potential with possibly some enhancement of the r to s ratio.

Klarmann, J.↗
NASA NTRS1967

Infrared coronal lines. II.

Wavelengths and intensities of IR coronal lines of silicon and magnesium ions from airborne total solar eclipse observations

CORONA↗