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At least 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

La/Sm ratios in mare basalts as a consequence of mafic cumulate fractionation from an initial lunar magma

A model is constructed for the La/Sm ratio and the abundance of chrondrite-normalized La in different proportions of partial melts of a mafic cumulate source that might have settled to the bottom of an initial lunar magma ocean prior to any plagioclase separation. It is proposed that La/Sm ratios and chrondrite-normalized La abundances of common mare basalts are found in partial melts only if: the mafic cumulate consists mostly of clinopyroxene, a very low fraction of the cumulate melts, and the cumulate represents a moderate to high proportion of the crystallization of the initial magma ocean. Only if the partitioning of clinopyroxene is forced to mimic plagioclase (DLa is greater than DSm) do the present modeling results become compatible with the scenario for producing appropriate parent melts of mare basalts from mafic cumulates. It is found unlikely that parent melts of mare basalts were produced from mafic cumulates of an initial lunar magma ocean that had not had any plagioclase crystallization.

Shaffer, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Performance consequences of parity placement in disk arrays

The performance of a variety of parity placement schemes are defined and investigated to demonstrate that, at relatively large request sizes of hundreds of kilobytes, the choice of parity placement significantly affects performance (20 to 30 percent for the disk array configurations that are common today). It is shown that the left-symmetric, extended-left-symmetric and flat-left-symmetric are the best RAID level 5 parity placements. The placement with the highest read performance, flat-left-symmetric, has the lowest write performance, while the placement with the lowest read performance, left-symmetric, has the highest write performance. Suggestions for optimizing parity placements are included.

Lee, Edward K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Consequences of wave-particle interactions on chaotic acceleration

The recent model of Ashour-Abdalla et al. (1991) has proposed that the earth's plasma sheet can be formed by chaotic acceleration in a magnetotail-like field configuration. The ion velocity distributions created by chaotic acceleration have unstable features and represent robust free energy sources for kinetic plasma waves that can modify the original distributions. In the plasma sheet boundary layer, field-aligned ion beamlets are formed which drive a host of instabilities creating a broadbanded noise spectrum and cause thermal spreading of the beamlets. In addition, there is strong heating of any cold background plasma that may be present. In the central plasma sheet, ion antiloss cone distributions are created which are unstable to very low frequency waves that saturate by filling the antiloss cone.

Schriver, David↗
NASA NTRS1991

The global consequences of increasing tropospheric ozone concentrations

Recent analyses of long-term records of tropospheric ozone measurements in the Northern Hemisphere suggest that it is increasing at a rate of 1 to 2 percent per year. Because of this, it is argued that the amount of atmospheric warming due to increasing tropospheric ozone is comparable to, or possibly even greater than, the amount of warming due to the increase of carbon dioxide. Unlike all other climatically important trace gases, ozone is toxic, and increases in its concentration will result in serious environmental damage, as well as impairment of human health.

Fishman, Jack↗
NASA NTRS1991

Corrosion consequences of microfouling in water reclamation systems

This paper examines the potential fouling and corrosion problems associated with microbial film formation throughout the water reclamation system (WRS) designed for the Space Station Freedom. It is shown that the use of advanced metal sputtering techiques combined with image analysis and FTIR spectroscopy will present realistic solutions for investigating the formation and function of biofilm on different alloys, the subsequent corrosion, and the efficiency of different treatments. These techniques, used in combination with electrochemical measurements of corrosion, will provide a powerful approach to examinations of materials considered for use in the WRS.

Ford, Tim↗
NASA NTRS1992

The formation of the wall region - Consequences in the near earth magnetotail

This paper discusses important new findings obtained from global kinetic simulations of magnetotail plasma. A region of strongly nonadiabatic ion acceleration (known as the wall region) exists in the near earth tail and demarcates two very different regimes of ion motion: adiabatic and quasi-adiabatic. A strong enhancement of the cross-tail current occurs on the tailward side of the wall. A comparison of numerical and adiabatic pressure profiles indicates that nonadiabatic processes operating in this region may contribute significantly to a pressure balance relief in the course of quasi-steady magnetospheric convection.

Ashour-Abdalla, Maha↗
NASA NTRS1992

Chemical differentiation of a convecting planetary interior: Consequences for a one-plate planet such as Venus

Chemically depleted mantle forming a buoyant, refractory layer at the top of the mantle can have important implications for the evolution of the interior and surface. On Venus, the large apparent depths of compensation for surface topographic features might be explained if surface topography were supported by variations in the thickness of a 100-200 km thick chemically buoyant mantle layer or by partial melting in the mantle at the base of such a layer. Long volcanic flows seen on the surface may be explained by deep melting that generates low-viscosity MgO-rich magmas. The presence of a shallow refractory mantle layer may also explain the lack of volcanism associated with rifting. As the depleted layer thickens and cools, it becomes denser than the convecting interior and the portion of it that is hot enough to flow can mix with the convecting mantle. Time dependence of the thickness of a depleted layer may create episodic resurfacing events as needed to explain the observed distribution of impact craters on the venusian surface. We consider a planetary structure consisting of a crust, depleted mantle layer, and a thermally and chemically well-mixed convecting mantle. The thermal evolution of the convecting spherical planetary interior is calculated using energy conservation: the time rate of change of thermal energy in the interior is equated to the difference in the rate of radioactive heat production and the rate of heat transfer across the thermal boundary layer. Heat transfer across the thermal boundary layer is parameterized using a standard Nusselt number-Rayleigh number relationship. The radioactive heat production decreases with time corresponding to decay times for the U, Th, and K. The planetary interior cools by the advection of hot mantle at temperature T interior into the thermal boundary layer where it cools conductively. The crust and depleted mantle layers do not convect in our model so that a linear conductive equilibrium temperature distribution is assumed. The rate of melt production is calculated as the product of the volume flux of mantle into the thermal boundary layer and the degree of melting that this mantle undergoes. The volume flux of mantle into the thermal boundary layer is simply the heat flux divided by amount of heat lost in cooling mantle to the average temperature in the thermal boundary layer. The degree of melting is calculated as the temperature difference above the solidus, divided by the latent heat of melting. A maximum degree of melting is prescribed corresponding to the maximum amount of basaltic melt that the mantle can initially generate. As the crust thickens, the pressure at the base of the crust becomes high enough and the temperature remains low enough for basalt to transform to dense eclogite.

Parmentier, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Volcanism by melt-driven Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities and possible consequences of melting for admittance ratios on Venus

A large number of volcanic features exist on Venus, ranging from tens of thousands of small domes to large shields and coronae. It is difficult to reconcile all these with an explanation involving deep mantle plumes, since a number of separate arguments lead to the conclusion that deep mantle plumes reaching the base of the lithosphere must exceed a certain size. In addition, the fraction of basal heating in Venus' mantle may be significantly lower than in Earth's mantle reducing the number of strong plumes from the core-mantle boundary. In three-dimensional convection simulations with mainly internal heating, weak, distributed upwellings are usually observed. We present an alternative mechanism for such volcanism, originally proposed for the Earth and for Venus, involving Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities driven by melt buoyancy, occurring spontaneously in partially or incipiently molten regions.

Tackley, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

On the consequences of bi-Maxwellian plasma distributions for parallel electric fields

The objective is to use the measurements of the equatorial particle distributions to obtain the parallel electric field structure and the evolution of the plasma distribution function along the field line. Appropriate uses of kinetic theory allows us to use the measured ( and inferred) particle distributions to obtain the electric field, and hence the variation on plasma density along the magnetic field line. The approach, here, is to utilize the adiabatic invariants, and assume the plasma distributions are in equilibrium.

Olsen, Richard C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of interplanetary magnetic field changes at 1 AU as a consequence of simulated solar flares

In order to study the relationship between different forms of activity and transient variations of the north-south component, B(sub z), of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), at 1 AU, a three dimensional numerical simulation code was employed to study several aspects of this problem. One form of solar activity, the flare, is simulated by using a pressure pulse at different locations near the solar surface and observing the simulated IMF evolution of B(sub theta)(-B(sub z)) at 1 AU. It was found, for a given pressure pulse, that the orientation of the corresponding transient variation of B(sub z) has a strong relationship with the location of the pressure pulse and the initial condition of IMF.

Wu, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Evidence for endohedral muonium in K(x) C60 and consequences for electronic structure

Positive muons injected into solid C60, K4C60, and K6C60 form vacuumlike muonium with a (6-12) percent probability. Observation of coherent spin precession of muonium establishes that all three materials are nonmagnetic and nonconducting at low temperatures. From the temperature dependence of the signals we estimate the electronic band gaps in K4C60 and K6C60 to be considerably smaller than in C60. The similarity of the muonium centers supports a model in which a muonium atom is caged inside the C60 molecule in pure C60 or the C60 exp -x molecular ion in K(x)C60.

Kiefl, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Absolute intensity measurements of impurity emissions in a shock tunnel and their consequences for laser-induced fluorescence experiments

Absolute intensity measurements of impurity emissions in a shock tunnel nozzle flow are presented. The impurity emission intensities were measured with a photomultiplier and optical multichannel analyzer and calibrated against an intensity standard. The various metallic contaminants were identified and their intensities measured in the spectral regions 290 to 330 nm and 375 to 385 nm. A comparison with calculated fluorescence intensities for predissociated laser-induced fluorescence signals is made. It is found that the emission background is negligible for most fluorescence experiments.

Palma, P. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Was Martian mantle wet? A possible consequence of rapid core formation

Degassing of H2O in the planetary interior possibly plays an important role in the evolution of surface environment as well as geologic activity on the terrestrial planets. Mars may be such a planet that well preserves the materials and the geologic features directly related to early evolution of H2O. H2O content in the interior of proto-Mars during accretion and also core formation were investigated. Geodetic data shows that Mars has a dense core. The existence of iron-rich core on Mars may be also supported by the depletion of siderophile elements in SNC meteorites assuming that these samples came from Mars. Isotope systematics of these meteorites indicate that the core formation occurred very early, probably concurrently with Mars formation. Considering the kinetics of metal segregation from silicate, the melting of silicate is likely to precede the core formation. Once the core formation occurs, substantial amount of gravitational energy is released and thus the planetary interior is heated. This energy may be large enough to keep the silicate material in partially molten state along with the accretional heating. Under such circumstances, the silicate melt probably migrates to the surface. Early crustal formation, therefore, is also likely to be associated with the core formation.

Kuramoto, Kiyoshi↗
NASA NTRS1993

Hydrological consequences of ponded water on Mars

Although geomorphological evidence for ancient highly active water cycling has long been obvious for Mars, geochemical analyses have only recently been found to be consistent with this fact. One approach to understanding the geomorphological evidence has been to estimate the total volume of the Martian hydrosphere. I will discuss an approach focused on the history of changing water processes on the planet, and on the understanding of those processes in a global sense.

Baker, V. R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Microbial biofilm formation and its consequences for the CELSS program

A major goal of the Controlled Ecology Life Support System (CELSS) program is to provide reliable and efficient life support systems for long-duration space flights. A principal focus of the program is on the growth of higher plants in growth chambers. These crops should be grown without the risk of damage from microbial contamination. While it is unlikely that plant pathogens will pose a risk, there are serious hazards associated with microorganisms carried in the nutrient delivery systems and in the atmosphere of the growth chamber. Our experience in surface microbiology showed that colonization of surfaces with microorganisms is extremely rapid even when the inoculum is small. After initial colonization extensive biofilms accumulate on moist surfaces. These microbial films metabolize actively and slough off continuously to the air and water. During plant growth in the CELSS program, microbial biofilms have the potential to foul sensors and to plug nutrient delivery systems. In addition both metabolic products of microbial growth and degradation products of materials being considered for use as nutrient reservoirs and for delivery are likely sources of chemicals known to adversly affect plant growth.

Mitchell, R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Consequences of impacts of small asteroids and comets with Earth

The fragmentation of a small asteroid in the atmosphere greatly increases its cross sections for aerodynamic braking and energy dissipation. At a typical impact velocity of 22 km/s, the atmosphere absorbs more than half the kinetic energy of stony meteoroids with diameters, D(sub m), less than 220 m and iron meteoroids with D(sub m) less than 80 m. The corresponding diameter for comets with impact velocity 50 km/s is D(sub m) less than 1600 m. Most of the atmospheric energy dissipation occurs in a fraction of a scale height, so large meteors appear to 'explode' or 'flare' at the end of their visible paths. This dissipation of energy in the atmosphere protects the earth from direct impact damage (e.g., craters), but it produces a blast wave that can do considerable damage. The area of destruction around the impact point in which the over-pressure in the blast wave exceeds 4 lb/sq in = 2.8 x 10(exp 5) dynes/cu cm, which is enough to knock over trees and destroy buildings, increases rapidly from zero for chondritic meteoroids less than 56 m in diameter (15 megatons) to about 200 sq km for those 80 m in diameter (48 megatons); the probable diameter of the tunguska impactor of 1908 is about 80 m. Crater formation and earthquakes are not significant in land impacts by stony asteroids less than about 200 m in diameter because of the air protection. A tsunami is probably the most devastating type of damage for asteroids 200 m to 1 km in diameter. An impact by an asteroid this size anywhere in the Atlantic would devastate coastal areas on both sides of the ocean. An asteroid a few kilometers across would produce a tsunami that would reach the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the upper half of the East Coast of the United States. Most of Florida is protected from a tsunami by the gradual slope of the ocean off its coast, which causes most of the tsunami energy to be reflected back into the Atlantic. The atmosphere plume produced by asteroids with diameters exceeding about 120 m cannot be contained by the atmosphere, so this bubble of high-temperature gas forms a new layer on top of the atmosphere. The dust entrapped in this hot gas is likely to have optical depths exceeding tau = 10 for asteroids with diameters exceeding about 0.5 to 1 km. The optical flux from asteroids 60 m or more in diameter is enough to ignite pine forests. However, the blast wave from an impacting asteroid goes beyond the radius in which the fire starts. The blast wave tends to blow out the fire, so it is likely that the impact will char the forest, as at Tunguska, but the impact will not produce a sustained fire. Because comets dissipate their energy much higher in the atmosphere than asteroids, they illuminate a much larger region and their blast wave is weaker. So they are much more effective in producing large fires. This suggests that the KT impactor was a comet rather than an asteroid.

Hills, J. G.↗