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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1972

Compositions and mineralogy of lithic fragments in 1-2 mm soil samples 14002,7 and 14258,33.

The compositional data obtained are combined with existing data from larger rock samples and compared with bulk analyses of soils to determine compositional ranges and dominant igneous rock types present in the regolith and breccias. Criteria are presented for the recognition of three types of igneous fragments in a limited sample of Apollo 14 material. Explanations for the differences between glass and rock compositions are discussed.

Steele, I. M.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Lunar orbital mass spectrometer experiment.

One of the Orbital Science experiments on Apollo 15 was a mass spectrometer designed to measure the composition and distribution of the lunar atmosphere. It operated for nearly 90 hours, producing spectra of an unexpectedly complex nature, indicating that many complex gas molecules exist in the vicinity of the spacecraft. The most plausible explanation is that there was continual vaporization of frozen or liquid drops of water, fuel, or other matter that had been ejected from the spacecraft with small relative velocity so that these particles remained in nearby orbits. The search for naturally occurring gases in these spectra involves a statistical analysis of the data which has not been completed to date. A theoretical prediction regarding the possibilities of detecting lunar volcanism from orbit is included.

Hoffman, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Hypoxia, an adjunct in helium-cold hypothermia - Sparing effect on hepatic and cardiac metabolites.

Investigation of the effect of hypoxia on the depletion of metabolites that occurs in helium-aided induction of hypothermia. Hypoxic slowing of the heart of a hamster while exposed to cold helox is demonstrated. An attempt is made to evaluate the relative importance of cardiac slowing and limitation of thermogenesis in determining the effect of hypoxia. In explanation of the results presented, it is suggested that hypoxia limits the energy expenditure by the heart during induction.

Anderson, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

On the isotropy of the X-ray background radiation.

The spatial fluctuations expected for various models of the X-ray background radiation are examined. The constraints that observations place on the source distribution and radiation mechanisms are then presented. Most models are at present consistent with the lack of observed small scale anisotropy. Future measurements of the beam-to-beam fluctuations could offer a positive test of the inverse Compton explanation for the origin of the X-ray background radiation.

Brecher, K.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Transient characteristics of simple systems to modulated random noise.

Discussed are the mean-square response exceedance characteristics of a single-tuned system to amplitude modulated noise. The results bear on the accuracy of spectral estimates of nonstationary data, and subsequently, relate directly to the design, analysis, and testing of structural systems in environments as gusts, earthquakes, and ignition transients. For noise correlated as an exponentially damped cosine, the nonstationary response may exceed its stationary value by a factor in excess of two. A time-varying shaping filter explanation is offered for this behavior. For white noise, such exceedances do not occur.

Barnoski, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

A model of a Martian Great dust storm.

The great Martian 1971 dust storm is described using Carrier's (1971) model of a terrestrial hurricane with a somewhat modified thermodynamic drive. The model predicts the course of development and the time elapsing in three different phases: growth, maturity, decay. All the predictions correspond reasonably well to the observed phenomena. Explanations are offered for the rarity of the storms and the time of year and location at which they most commonly commence.

Gierasch, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Temperatures of Saturn's rings.

The 20-micron brightness temperatures of the rings were determined using the 224-cm telescope of the Mauna Kea Observatory, and the standard University of Hawaii radiometer with a 17- to 25-micron filter. The observations were made on the nights of Aug. 20 and 21, and Sept. 26 and 27, 1972. The brightness temperatures of the A, B, and C rings are, respectively, 89 plus or minus 3 K, 94 plus or minus 2 K, and 89 plus or minus 4 K. A possible explanation of the relatively high temperature of the C ring is that Saturn has radiation belts and the inner ring is heated by particle bombardment.

Murphy, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Theory of satellite structures on spectral-line profiles.

A systematic comparison with experiment of various explanations for the problem of satellite-band formation on spectral-line profiles was initiated. The experiments were performed under a variety of conditions in an effort to construct a consistent model of entire line shapes. A composite theory is detailed which is the result of the insights of many individuals. The calculations indicate that the main features of the problem, the line, the high-intensity red satellites, and the blue satellite can be described simultaneously. The results also indicate that widely different potentials can lead to very similar line profiles. Ancillary conclusions are presented concerning the role of Lennard-Jones potentials in line-shape calculations.

Atakan, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Solar neutrinos, Martian rivers, and Praesepe.

Some recent papers on solar neutrinos, Martian rivers, and Praesepe stars are reviewed. Possible causes of solar neutrino detection rates being below theoretical expectations are quoted. The widespread presence of sinuous dendritic channels on Mars is noted. The occurrence of earth-like epochs on Mars is indicated as a plausible explanation for many such channels in terms of surface liquid water flows. The roughly uniform distribution of the Praesepe stars through the main sequence width is viewed as the indication that the excursion time off the main sequence is comparable to the time between mixings.

Sagan, C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The end of the iron-core age.

The terrestrial planets aggregated essentially from small particles, to begin as solid cool bodies with the same general compositions, and there is no possibility of an iron-core developing within any of them at any stage. Their differing internal and surface properties receive ready explanation from their different masses which determine whether the pressures within are sufficient to bring about phase-changes. The claim that the terrestrial core can be identified by means of shock-wave data as nickel-iron is based on theoretical misconception, whereas the actual seismic data establish an uncompressed-density value much lower than any such mixture could have. The onset of the Ramsey phase-change in the earth takes the form of a rapid initial collapse to produce a large core in metallic state which thereafter continues to grow secularly as a result of radioactive heating and leads to reduction of surface-area at long last adequate to account for folded and thrusted mountain-building.

Lyttleton, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Aluminum-26 in meteorites. VII - Ureilites, their unique radiation history.

Cosmogenic Al-26 activities have been measured by gamma-gamma coincidence counting in the three ureilites which had not previously been studied. The values in dpm/kg are: Dingo Pup Donga, 38.4 plus or minus 2.4; North Haig, 39.3 plus or minus 4.8; Dyalpur, 55.8 plus or minus 4.8. Five of the six known ureilites thus have lower Al-26 contents, 63 per cent to 77 per cent, than the calculated saturation values, in marked contrast to most other stony meteorites. This cannot be attributed to short cosmic ray exposure ages. The most likely explanation is that the ureilites had much smaller or much larger orbits than all other stony meteorites.

Wilkening, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Nature and origin of layered deposits of the Martian polar regions.

Layered deposits in the polar regions of Mars may be formed from fine dust ultimately derived from the canyons and other eroded terrains of the equatorial regions. An analysis of dust deposition in the area of annual frost cover predicts the formation of vast featureless domed plateaus underlaid by layered deposits of dust. Television observations suggest that these plateaus once existed, but they have now been dissected and stripped from most of the area of annual frost cover. A possible explanation is that a major secular change has occurred in the erosional environment of the Martian polar regions. Estimates of depositional rates of dust under current atmospheric conditions place the time span represented by the accumulation of layered deposits at about 500 m.y. Because of erosion, the present surface appears very young and lacks any impact craters. The present rate of water ice accumulation in the area of perennial frost is comparable to that of dust, and thus it is suggested that large quantities of water ice may be trapped with dust beneath the perennial frost caps.

Cutts, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

White dwarfs as infrared sources in the galactic centre.

It is shown that quantized magnetic bremsstrahlung radiation in intense magnetic fields from the surface layers of white dwarfs could serve as one of the possible explanations for the infrared emission from the center of the galaxy that has been detected by Hoffmann et al. (1971). It is assumed, in particular, that the infrared radiation is from clusters of white dwarfs.

Chow, T. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Knudsen effects in a Scott effect experiment.

A thermal torque sometimes observed in Scott effect measurements has been studied experimentally and an explanation for the thermal torque proposed. The magnitude of the thermal torque can be comparable to the Scott torque depending on geometrical and thermal anisotropies. The thermal torque is predicted to decrease with application of an axial magnetic field.

Wells, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The wavelength dependence of the albedos of Uranus and Neptune from 0.3 to 1.1 micron.

Narrow-band photoelectric photometry was made of Uranus and Neptune over a wavelength interval from 0.3 to 1.1 micron. The wavelength dependence of the geometric albedo was determined for these planets. Evidence is given that the comparison star used resembles the sun very closely in its energy distribution. It is shown that, apart from methane, another opacity source seems to be necessary in the atmospheres of these planets to explain the observed wavelength dependence of the geometric albedo for the two planets simultaneously. Radiative transfer calculations were made to determine if the previously suggested pressure-induced dipole absorptions of H2 result in a self-consistent explanation. This seems to be the case. The H2 abundance in this case is limited for both planets between 350 km amagat less than or equal to N(H2) less than 800 km amagat. This agrees with a previous determination of the H2 abundance for Uranus.

Wamsteker, W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

An interpretation of the WC stars.

The difference in separation that is characteristic of WN and WC binaries is shown to provide an explanation for the observation that spectra of WC stars are apparently unaffected by the presence of a companion, whereas the spectra of WN stars in binary systems appear to be significantly different from those of single stars with a comparable degree of excitation. WC binaries are sufficiently widely separated for the WC atmosphere to remain unperturbed by the presence of the companion, while the companions of WN stars are closer and gravitational perturbation, reflection effects, and limitations of the atmosphere's extent by the Roche lobe may each have an effect.

Smith, L. F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

The 25-km discontinuity - Implications for lunar history.

The lunar velocity profile and laboratory data on terrestrial and lunar rocks are constraints on models of lunar history. They show that shock-induced microcracks are absent from the rocks present in the moon today at depths of 25 to 60 kilometers. All possible causes of this observation are examined, and the most likely explanations are that either the rocks at depths of 25 to 60 kilometers formed after the major impacts ceased or the microcracks have annealed at temperatures of about 600 C over geologically long times.

Simmons, G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Radiative instability of a cloudy planetary atmosphere.

A cloudy planetary atmosphere at rest is shown to be unstable to disturbances of large horizontal scale. The energy source for the instability is the change in radiative heat flux associated with vertical displacement near the emitting level. A simple model is described in which the net heating rate in the cloud is proportional to the vertical displacement of the cloud. The constant of proportionality may be either positive or negative. Disturbances may take the form of either quasi-steady geostrophic motions or amplified inertia-gravity waves. The model is applied to Jupiter's zonal winds and to motions near the Venus cloud tops, and provides a possible explanation for many important features of these two flows.

Gierasch, P. J.↗