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NASA NTRS1994

Physical and optical properties of the Pinatubo volcanic aerosol: Aircraft observations with impactors and a Sun-tracking photometer

As determined in situ by impactor samplers flown on an ER-2 at 16.5- to 20.7-km pressure altitude and on a DC-8 at 9.5- to 12.6-km pressure altitudes, the 1991 Pinatubo volcanic eruption increased the particle surface area of stratospheric aerosols up to 50-fold and the particle volume up to 2 orders of magnitude. Particle composition was typical of a sulfuric acid-water mixture at ER-2 altitudes. Ash particles coated with sulfuric acid comprised a significant fraction of aerosol at DC-8 altitudes. Mie-computed light extinction increased up to 20-fold at midvisible and greater than 100-fold at near-IR wavelengths. The optical thickness measured through the aerosol layer by an autotracking Sun photometer aboard a DC-8 aircraft at 10.7- to 11.3-km pressure altitudes shows a spectral shape that is similar to the Mie-calculated spectral extinction at ER-2 altitudes. Surface area distributions calculated by inversion of spectral optical depth measurements show characteristics that are similar to the mean surface area distribution resulting from 35 in situ measurements.

Pueschel, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS1991

STS-44 Mission Highlights Resource Tape. Part 1 of 2

The STS-44 mission is highlighted in this first part of a two part video set. The flight crew consisted of: Cmdr. Fred Gregory; Pilot Tom Hendricks; Payload Specialist Tom Hennen; and Mission Specialists Story Musgrave, Jim Voss, and Mario Runco. The primary space shuttle mission objective was the deployment of the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite. Secondary payload and spaceborne experiments consisted of a microbial air sampler, the Terra Scout PADVOS system, an M88-1 camera demonstration, a lower body negative pressure test, the Visual Function Tester, and a bioreactor demonstration. A tour of the flight deck, mid-deck, bathroom, and flight compartments with explanations of the equipment found in each area was conducted, a trash compactor was demonstrated, and footage of the crew together for their Thanksgiving dinner was shown. Earth views include several oceans, cloud cover, typhoon Yuri, northeast Australia, and the Barrier Reef Islands. The actor John Patrick Stewart (Commander Pickard of the show 'Star Trek: The Next Generation') performed the wake-up call for the astronauts. This flight was shortened due to an inertial measurement unit failure on the sixth day of the mission.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1997

NASA DC-8 Airborne Scanning Lidar Cloud and Contrail Observations

An angular scanning backscatter lidar has been developed and operated from the NASA DC-8 aircraft; the lidar viewing direction could be scanned from vertically upward to forward in the direction of aircraft travel to vertically downward. The scanning lidar was used to generate real-time video displays of clouds and contrails above, below, and ahead of the aircraft to aid in positioning the aircraft for achieving optimum cloud/contrail sampling by onboard in situ samplers. Data examples show that the lidar provides unique information for the interpretation of the other data records and that combined data analyses provides enhanced evaluations of contrail/cloud structure, dynamics, composition, and optical/radiative properties.

Uthe, Edward E.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Aerosol Transport Over Equatorial Africa

Long-range and inter-hemispheric transport of atmospheric aerosols over equatorial Africa has received little attention so far. Most aerosol studies in the region have focussed on emissions from rain forest and savanna (both natural and biomass burning) and were carried out in the framework of programs such as DECAFE (Dynamique et Chimie Atmospherique en Foret Equatoriale) and FOS (Fires of Savanna). Considering the importance of this topic, aerosols samples were measured in different seasons at 4420 meters on Mt Kenya and on the equator. The study is based on continuous aerosol sampling on a two stage (fine and coarse) streaker sampler and elemental analysis by Particle Induced X-ray Emission. Continuous samples were collected for two seasons coinciding with late austral winter and early austral spring of 1997 and austral summer of 1998. Source area identification is by trajectory analysis and sources types by statistical techniques. Major meridional transports of material are observed with fine-fraction silicon (31 to 68 %) in aeolian dust and anthropogenic sulfur (9 to 18 %) being the major constituents of the total aerosol loading for the two seasons. Marine aerosol chlorine (4 to 6 %), potassium (3 to 5 %) and iron (1 to 2 %) make up the important components of the total material transport over Kenya. Minimum sulfur fluxes are associated with recirculation of sulfur-free air over equatorial Africa, while maximum sulfur concentrations are observed following passage over the industrial heartland of South Africa or transport over the Zambian/Congo Copperbelt. Chlorine is advected from the ocean and is accompanied by aeolian dust recirculating back to land from mid-oceanic regions. Biomass burning products are transported from the horn of Africa. Mineral dust from the Sahara is transported towards the Far East and then transported back within equatorial easterlies to Mt Kenya. This was observed during austral summer and coincided with the dying phase of 1997/98 El Nino.

Gatebe, C. K.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Black Carbon (Soot) Aerosol in the Lower Stratosphere and Upper Troposphere

We have used two approaches to measure BCA in the stratosphere. The first method consists of collecting aerosols by impaction on quartz rods, upon which are mounted strips of polystyrene filter material. Each 25 mm by 0.5 mm filter strip is alternately masked and exposed in 5 mm long sections. After sampling, the optical density of the exposed sections is measured and compared with the optical density of the masked (unexposed) sections. The filter strip is a Lambertian collector, the scattering property of which is not affected by the deposition of liquid sulfuric acid droplets which dominate the stratospheric aerosol. Hence, all attenuation greater in the exposed than in the non-exposed sections is due to absorption by BCA or rare opaque materials such as meteoritic iron. In a second approach we expose carbon-coated gold or palladium wires to air outside the aircraft boundary layer [Farlow et al., 1979; Pueschel et al., 1989]. With a field emission scanning electron microscope we are able to characterize BCA particles in addition to the dominant sulfuric acid droplets. Typically, soot is comprised of 20 nm diameter spheres linked together as branching chains or loosely packed aggregates (Figure 1a). The microscope has a lateral image resolution of 1.5 nm and can clearly resolve individual spheres making up BCA aggregates. Their morphology is uniquely different from that of the liquid sulfuric acid-water aerosol (Figure 1b). We approximate the size of each BCA particle by that of a sphere of equivalent volume and fit a lognormal size distribution to both the BCA and H2SO4/H2O aerosols. Both sampler types have been mounted on NASA's ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft (altitude ceiling of 70,000 feet), and on NASA's DC-8 (40,000 feet ceiling) aircraft to sample aerosols from a significant portion of the atmosphere.

Pueschel, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS2000

The AGN Content of the Micron all Sky Survey

The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) began routine operations from its northern facility on Mt. Hopkins, AZ in June of 1997, and from its southern facility on Cerro Tololo, Chile in March of 1998. At each site, highly automated 1.3 m telescopes equipped with identical 3-channel cameras, are systematically imaging the sky in three near infrared wavelength bands, J (1.25 um), H (1.65 um) and K-s (2.17 um). The Survey will ultimately produce an Image Atlas containing nearly two million 512 x 1024 pixel images (1 arcsec/pix) in the three colors, a highly complete and reliable catalog containing approx. 300 million point sources having SNR greater than 10 photometry at J less or = 15.8, H less or = 15.1 and K-s less or = 14.3 mag. and an astrometric accuracy greater than 0.511 RMS, and a catalog of 1-2 million resolved sources, primarily galaxies, having SNR greater than 10 photometric accuracy at J less than or = 15.5, H less than or = 14.8 and K-s less than or = 13.5 mag. The 2MASS Sampler, an introductory set of data, was released to the community in December of 1998 (see http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/2mass/). We review the near IR and optical/IR properties of "conventional" QSOs from UV and optical samples, and estimate the number that will be detected by 2MASS. We also discuss 2MASS's ability to test for for new populations of extremely red AGN that have been missed by UV and Visual surveys, as suggested by from IRAS and radio studies. Results of spectroscopic follow-up of 2MASS-selected new AGN candidates will also be presented.

Cutri, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Indicator Devices for Detection of Trace Gaseous Hydrazines

The relatively recent decrease in the acceptable time-weighted-average for hydrazines from 100 parts-per-billion (ppb) to 10 ppb rendered many trace hydrazine detectors either insensitive or inaccurate. Development of a rapid detection method for hydrazines at the new 10-ppb concentration was necessary so that test area personnel could reliably assess airborne hydrazines concentrations of a potentially contaminated area prior to entry. The reduction of Au(III) to Au(0) by hydrazines is a well characterized reaction and application of the corresponding yellow to purple color change was selected as a potentially useful means for detection of trace hydrazines in air. Tests with small quantities of KAuCl4 deposited on a variety of substrates were conducted using verified sources of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, methylhydrazine, and hydrazine at approximately 10 ppb in air. Substrates tested were glass fiber filter paper, glass beads, anion exchange resin (AuCl4- form), and diatomaceous earth. The most successful of these substrates were glass fiber filter paper and diatomaceous earth. The KAuC14 impregnated glass fiber filter paper appeared to be somewhat light sensitive so further tests were conducted using the diatomaceous earth substrate. KAuCl4 concentration, substrate particle size, and sampler configuration were evaluated. Based on these tests, the device selected for further evaluation was a 5mm OD by 50mm glass tube containing 0.02-0.03g of 45/60 mesh diatomaceous earth coated with 2 percent KAuCl4. When connected to a sampling pump, response of the device to changes in relative humidity, ambient light, and high levels of other fluids, which might also be found in a propellant test area, was evaluated. False positive responses were not detected for exposures to relative humidity changes from 10 to 80 percent, sunlight for greater than 10 minutes, or percent levels of ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, nitrogen dioxide, and hydrogen. In addition, body emissions did not produce a false positive response in view of potential application for use inside protective clothing. The device was shown to reliably detect less than 10 ppb of the hydrazines tested using a 10 to 20L sample followed by a 2 to 5 minute color development time. Some field tests were conducted in parallel with conventional acidic firebrick sorbent tubes. There was generally very good agreement between the devices and firebrick sorbent tubes when greater than 10 ppb of a hydrazine was present.

Dee, Lou A.↗

NASA NTRS2000

BOREAS HYD-3 Snow Measurements

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Hydrology (HYD)-3 team collected several data sets related to the hydrology of forested areas. This data set contains measurements of snow depth, snow density in three cm intervals, an integrated snow pack density and snow water equivalent (SWE), and snow pack physical properties from snow pit evaluation taken in 1994 and 1996. The data were collected from several sites in both the southern study area (SSA) and the northern study area (NSA). A variety of standard tools were used to measure the snow pack properties, including a meter stick (snow depth), a 100 cc snow density cutter, a dial stem thermometer, and the Canadian snow sampler as used by HYD-4 to obtain a snow pack-integrated measure of SWE. This study was undertaken to predict spatial distributions of snow properties important to the hydrology, remote sensing signatures, and the transmissivity of gases through the snow. The data are available in tabular ASCII files. The snow measurement data are available from the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884).

Hardy, Janet P.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Long Term Dynamic Stream Nitrate and Phosphate Changes Following Watershed Wildfires

During and following the 1988 Yellowstone National Park wildfires, airborne remotely sensed data were collected in order to characterize various vegetative components, fire front movements and bum intensities. ER-2 derived Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) data were used in conjunction with water sampling and chemistry analysis to determine fire intensities in various watersheds and aquatic system condition changes. The airborne Daedalus multispectral TMS data allowed the characterization of various bum intensities in watersheds. Stream sampling was then conducted in those various burned watersheds to determine nitrate and phosphate concentration changes. Six stream watersheds were monitored for five years (1989-1993) during non-snow periods (May/June through September): Cache Creek (intensely burned), Blacktail Deer Creek (intensely burned), Snake River (moderately burned), Lamar River (mixed burning), Soda Butte Creek (lightly burned), and Amphitheatre Creek (unburned). One litre samples were collected from those streams with ISCO water samplers every 12 hours. The samples were removed every 14 days .(28 Samples), and water chemistry analysis was performed. Chemistry analysis indicated that nitrate and phosphate concentrations were elevated in moderately burned watersheds and significantly elevated in severely burned watersheds. The results during the five year study indicate that bum intensities regulate stream water nitrate and phosphate concentrations, and that remotely sensed data can be used effectively to predict watershed chemical changes which will affect aquatic conditions.

Ambrosia, Vincent G.↗

NASA NTRS2001

An Assessment of the Ability of Potential Space-Borne Instruments to Resolve Spatial and Temporal Variability of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Mounting concern regarding the possibility that increasing carbon dioxide concentrations will initiate climate change has stimulated interest in the feasibility of measuring CO2 mixing ratios from satellites. Currently, the most comprehensive set of atmospheric CO2 data is from the NOAA CMDL cooperative air sampling network, consisting of more than 40 sites where flasks of air are collected approximately weekly. Sporadic observations in the troposphere and stratosphere from airborne in situ and flask samplers are also available. Although the surface network is extensive, there is a dearth of data in the Southern Hemisphere and most of the stations were intentionally placed in remote areas, far from major sources. Sufficiently precise satellite observations with adequate spatial and temporal resolution would substantially increase our knowledge of the atmospheric CO2 distribution and would undoubtedly lead to improved understanding of the global carbon budget. We use a 3-D chemical transport model to investigate the ability of potential satellite instruments with a variety of orbits, horizontal resolution and vertical weighting functions to capture the variation in the modeled CO2 fields. The model is driven by analyzed winds from the Goddard Data Assimilation Office. Simulated CO2 fields are compared with existing surface and aircraft data, and the effects of the model convection scheme and representation of the planetary boundary layer are considered.

Andrews, Arlyn E.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Wide-Band Data Transmission System Expected in the Next Generation Space VLBI Mission: VSOP-2

Following the success of the VLBI Space Observatory Program (VSOP), a next generation space VLBI mission (VSOP-2) is currently being planned. We expect the data rate of more than 1 Gbps to get more sensitivity. Here we will present: (1) How to sample the data (on board), including the radiation test results which show we can have the 10 Gbps sampler LSI which can use in space; (2) Possibility of the bit rate more than 1 Gbps to downlink the VLBI data. We studied the link budget for the wide band data transmission, and discussed the various ideas which can get more than 1 Gbps; and (3) What kind of VLBI tracking station and recording system will be expected for the VSOP-2 mission? We will present the idea of using normal radio telescopes as a tracking station, and also review the possibility of recording and processing at the tracking stations and correlators.

Murata, Yasuhiro↗

NASA NTRS2001

An Assessment of the Ability of Potential Spaceborne Instruments to Resolve Spatial and Temporal Variability of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Andrews, Arlyn E.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Multisorbent tubes for collecting volatile organic compounds in spacecraft air

The sampling capability of Tenax-TA tubes, used in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's solid sorbent air sampler to trap and concentrate contaminants from air aboard spacecraft, was improved by incorporating two sorbents within the tubes. Existing tubes containing only Tenax-TA allowed highly volatile compounds to "break through" during collection of a 1.5 L air sample. First the carbon molecular sieve-type sorbents Carboxen 569 and Carbosieve S-III were tested for their ability to quantitatively trap the highly volatile compounds. Breakthrough volumes were determined with the direct method, whereby low ppm levels of methanol or Freon 12 in nitrogen were flowed through the sorbent tubes at 30 mL/min, and breakthrough was detected by gas chromatography. Breakthrough volumes for methanol were about 9 L/g on Carboxen 569 and 11 L/g on Carbosieve S-III; breakthrough volumes for Freon 12 were about 7 L/g on Carboxen 569 and > 26 L/g on Carbosieve S-III. Next, dual-bed tubes containing either Tenax-TA/Carbosieve S-III, Tenax-TA/Carboxen 569, or Carbotrap/Carboxen 569 to a 10-component gas mixture were exposed, in dry and in humidified air (50% relative humidity), and percentage recoveries of each compound were determined. The Tenax-TA/Carboxen 569 combination gave the best overall recoveries (75-114% for the 10 compounds). Acetaldehyde had the lowest recovery (75%) of the 10 compounds, but this value was still an improvement over either the other two sorbent combinations or the original single-sorbent tubes.

NASA Center JSC↗

NASA NTRS2002

Quantification of Surface Suspended Sediments along a River Dominated Coast with NOAA AVHRR and SeaWiFS Measurements: Louisiana, USA

The ability to quantify suspended sediment concentrations accurately over both time and space using satellite data has been a goal of many environmental researchers over the past few decades This study utilizes data acquired by the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and the Orbview-2 Sea-viewing wide field-of-view (SeaWiFS) ocean colour sensor, coupled with field measurements to develop statistical models for the estimation of near-surface suspended sediment and suspended solids "Ground truth" water samples were obtained via helicopter, small boat and automatic water sampler within a few hours of satellite overpasses The NOAA AVHRR atmospheric correction was modified for the high levels of turbidity along the Louisiana coast. Models were developed based on the field measurements and reflectance/radiance measurements in the visible and near infrared Channels of NOAA-14 and Orbview-2 SeaWiFS. The best models for predicting surface suspended sediment concentrations were obtained with a NOAA AVHRR Channel 1 (580-680nm) cubic model, Channel 2 (725-1100 nm) linear mod$ and SeaWiFs Channel 6 (660-68Onm) power modeL The suspended sediment models developed using SeaWiFS Channel 5 (545-565 nm) were inferior, a result that we attribute mainly to the atmospheric correction technique, the shallow depth of the water samples and absorption effects from non-sediment water constituents.

Myint, S. W.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Evaluation of various cleaning methods to remove bacillus spores from spacecraft hardware materials

A detailed study was made of the biological cleaning effectiveness, defined in terms of the ability to remove bacterial spores, of a number of methods used to clean hardware surfaces. Aluminum (Al 6061) and titanium (Ti 6Al-4V) were chosen for the study as they were deemed the two materials most likely to be used in spacecraft extraterrestrial sampler construction. Metal coupons (1 cm x 2.5 cm) were precleaned and inoculated with 5.8 x 10(3) cultivable Bacillus subtilis spores, which are commonly found on spacecraft surfaces and in the assembly environments. The inoculated coupons were subsequently cleaned using: (1) 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe; (2) water wipe; (3) multiple-solvent flight-hardware cleaning procedures used at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); (4) Johnson Space Center-developed ultrapure water rinse; and (5) a commercial, semi-aqueous, multiple-solvent (SAMS) cleaning process. The biological cleaning effectiveness was measured by agar plate assay, sterility test (growing in liquid media), and epifluorescent microscopy. None of the cleaning protocols tested completely removed viable spores from the surface of the aluminum. In contrast, titanium was capable of being cleaned to sterility by two methods, the JPL standard and the commercial SAMS cleaning process. Further investigation showed that the passivation step employed in the JPL standard method is an effective surface sterilant on both metals but not compatible with aluminum. It is recommended that titanium (Ti 6Al-4V) be considered superior to aluminum (Al 6061) for use in spacecraft sampling hardware, both for its potential to be cleaned to sterilization and for its ability to withstand the most effective cleaning protocols.

Spores, Bacterial/metabolism↗

NASA NTRS2004

Medusa Sea Floor Monitoring System

The objective of the research described in this poster presentation is to develop technologies to enable fundamental research into understanding the potential for and limits to chemolithoautotrophic life. The Medusa Isosampler (isobaric sampler), for sampling fluids eminating from deep sea hydrothermal vents and cold seep sites analogous to extraterrestrial environments, is described by the presentation. The following instruments are integrated with the isosampler, and also described: in situ flow-through chemical sensor, intrinsic fluorescent-based microbial detector, isotope ratio spectral detector.

Flynn, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2005

Surface Sampling System for Low-Gravity Missions

SpaceWorks has identified several sampling missions that could benefit from the technology developed under this project. Requirements were established for the surface sampling system. SpaceWorks teamed with Virginia Tech to identify and select a baseline adhesive suitable for the surface sampling system. SpaceWorks identified Solimide foam as the baseline substrate material. SpaceWorks conducted extensive testing to characterize the performance of the substrate/adhesive combination. A prototype version of the sampler head was designed and built by SpaceWorks.

Preble, Jeffrey C.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Flight Data Update on Long-Term Compound Stability in Dual Sorbent Tubes

Dual Sorbent Tubes (DSTs) are currently the primary method for collecting volatile organic compounds in the cabin air of the International Space Station (ISS). Data from groundbased analysis of these archival air samplers provide a major component of the assessment of ISS air quality by the NASA toxicologist. At the 2005 ICES conference data from the positive control DSTs, returned on Soyuz 7S and 8S, were presented. Positive control tubes are dosed, preflight, with known concentrations of representative contaminant compounds and they are launched to ISS in the DST kit as trip controls. Upon return of the DST kit to the ground, results from analysis of the trip (positive) and laboratory control tubes are used to determine the recoveries: concentration of dosed compounds retained in the tube. Results from positive controls, returned on 7S and 8S showed substantial losses of some compounds dosed into the tubes 156 to 240 days prior to the analysis. Low recoveries are expected for spacecraft air contaminants with similar properties to the poorly recovered dosed compounds. It was shown that compound losses in the control tubes were consistent, which led to the generation of acceptable correction factors for spacecraft air contaminants. Correction factors decrease the accuracy of derived compound concentrations and substantial error could arise under some conditions. An investigation into the mechanism for compound loss is necessary before design modifications can be implemented to improve the DST performance. This paper will update results from the DSTs returned on Soyuz 9S and 10S missions during the latter part of 2005. The data acquired from these returned DSTs will be compared to the 7S and 8S data presented last year. Discussion will focus on the reliability of correction factors and identify any trends in the data. This paper will describe the experimental design and plans to identify the compound loss mechanism.

James, John T.↗