Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “CaP”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 487 records · Page 27

The role of solar local time in polar cap magnetic variations

The role of the earth's main field in controlling the morphology of magnetic disturbance is usually accounted for by use of invariant latitude and MLT (magnetic local time) as a coordinate system. Magnetic disturbance from ionospheric currents is also controlled by ionospheric conductivity. At high latitudes, where SLT (solar local time) can be very different from MLT, the use of only MLT can give misleading results. In particular, those diurnal magnetic variations in the polar cap that change characteristics between interplanetary magnetic sectors have a tendency to peak near noon SLT rather than noon MLT at Alert, where noon MLT and noon SLT differ by more than 10 hours. Because of the sparsity of magnetic observatories it is not possible to completely separate SLT and MLT effects.

Langel, R. A.↗

Mars - The case against permanent CO2 frost caps

Leighton and Murray (1966) have argued that there is a polar reservoir of solid CO2 on Mars that lasts throughout the year and whose vapor pressure determines the mean partial pressure of CO2 in the atmosphere. This model is discussed in the light of recent data, and several difficulties emerge. First, such a system might be unstable, owing to the tendency of poleward heat transport to increase with atmospheric pressure. Second, the annual retreat of the CO2 frost cover would be slower according to the model than that observed. Moreover, the observations seem to indicate that the residual polar cap that lasts throughout the year is composed of water ice rather than CO2. Finally, observations of water vapor in the atmosphere appear to be inconsistent with a permanent CO2 cold trap in continuous existence for many years. These difficulties hold also for a CO2 reservoir buried by water ice and for a hydrated CO2 clathrate.

Ingersoll, A. P.↗

Low-energy electron intensities at large distances over the earth's polar cap

The results of the character and temporal fluctuations study of electron intensities in the energy range of hundreds of electron volts, are reported which were measured at high latitudes and altitudes on geomagnetic field lines corresponding to those of the polar cap and magnetotail lobes. It is concluded that such electron intensities are diminutive relative to those found in other regions of the magnetosphere. Severe variations of intensities were found and the magnitudes of electron intensities appear to be strongly coupled to the directions of the interplanetary magnetic fields.

Yeager, D. M.↗

de Sitter's theory 'melts' Europa's polar cap

In photoelectric observations of a series of occultations of the Jovian satellite Europa by the Jovian satellite Io it was observed that increasingly larger fractions of the north polar region of the former were covered at mid-event with each successive occultation. One of the possible explanations of the observed phenomena involves the existence of a bright north polar cap for Europa. The reported investigation shows that a second explanation may be more plausible. This explanation is related to the possibility that at mid-event the projected minimum distance between the centers of the satellites was smaller than predicted by Sampson's theory.

Aksnes, K.↗

High-latitude troughs and the polar cap boundary

OGO 6 observations of troughs in the thermal plasma densities in the topside ionosphere are discussed. Ion mass spectrometer measurements were correlated with energetic electron detector and electric field measurements. It is shown that the variation of ion composition at high latitudes is complex and frequently characterized by mid-latitude and high-latitude density depression. Prominent high-latitude troughs in the atomic ion (H, He, O) distributions were seen to lie frequently near the polar cap boundary. This indicates that these troughs are unrelated to the plasmapause which is found on closed magnetic field lines away from the trapping boundary. The production of the high-latitude troughs is shown to be related to enhancements in the soft electron flux and/or to the convection electric field.

Grebowsky, J. M.↗

Rocket-borne wave, field, and plasma observations in unstable polar cap E-region

This paper presents initial results from the first comprehensively instrumented rocket flown through a Farley-unstable polar cap E-region. Ground-based ionosondes and magnetometers at two locations and HF radar backscatter at the launch site were used to determine the presence of a geographically widespread ionospheric plasma instability. The observed wave direction, electric field, and current density fit the predictions of the linear theory of the Farley instability, whereas the gradient-drift instability seems to be excluded by the geometry of the observations.

Olesen, J. K.↗

Accretion magnetosphere stability. II - Polar cap 'drip'

The entry of plasma past the shielding magnetic field of a collapsed object is examined. It is concluded that a plausible entry mode is simply a 'dripping' motion of the polar caps of the magnetopause, owing to radiation of the hot compressed plasma there. The plasma 'drips' would hit the object's surface either near the magnetic poles or in a ring-shaped 'auroral' zone around the poles. Insofar as this entry mode is concerned, no special role is played by finite plasma resistivity since the plasma can reach the stellar object even if the conductivity is infinite.

Michel, F. C.↗

Space fabrication: Graphite composite truss welding and cap forming subsystems

An automated beam builder for the fabrication of space structures is described. The beam builder forms a triangular truss 1.3 meters on a side. Flat strips of preconsolidated graphite fiber fabric in a polysulfone matrix are coiled in a storage canister. Heaters raise the material to forming temperature then the structural cap section is formed by a series of rollers. After cooling, cross members and diagonal tension cords are ultrasonically welded in place to complete the truss. The stability of fabricated structures and composite materials is also examined.

Jenkins, L. M.↗

Effect of transverse shear and material orthotropy in a cracked spherical cap

The elastostatic problem for a relatively thin-walled spherical cap containing a through crack is considered. The problem is formulated for a specially orthotropic material within the confines of a linearized, shallow shell theory. The theory used is equivalent to Reissner's theory of flat plates and hence permits the consideration of all five physical conditions on the shell boundaries separately. The solution of the problem is reduced to that of a pair of singular integral equations and the asymptotic stress state around the crack tips is investigated. The numerical solution of the problem is given for an isotropic shell and for two specially orthotropic shells. The results indicate that the material orthotropy as well as the shell curvature and thickness may have a considerable effect on the stress intensity factors at the crack tips.

Delale, F.↗

The white dwarf companion of the B a 2 star zeta Cap

The Ba II star zeta Cap has a white dwarf companion. Its T (sub eff) is determined to be 22000 K, its mass is approximately one solar mass. The importance of this finding for the explanation of abundance peculiarities is discussed.

Boehm-Vitense, E.↗

Characterization of initial cure reactions in propargyl and nadic end capped model compounds

Imide model compounds containing propargyl and nadic groups were studied to obtain a fundamental understanding of the reaction of these groups attached to imide oligomers. The initial cure reactions were examined by a variety of characterization techniques including high pressure liquid chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analyses, and mass spectroscopy. The initial step in the cure of propargyl end capped model compounds probably involved the formation of a new terminal acetylenic group. Configurational changes involving endo/exo isomerism was found in the nadimide model compounds. Nadimide compounds heated in air and in nitrogen appeared to cure by different mechanisms.

Young, P. R.↗

Sunward convection in both polar caps

The storm of July 29, 1977 was chosen as an object of study for the Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop (CDAW), a part of the International Magnetospheric Study (IMS). The purpose of CDAW was to synthesize many diverse data sets in order to understand as fully as possible the magnetosphere's response to a variety of inputs, including a strong interplanetary shock, a time of strongly southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and a time of strongly northward IMF. The July 29 event was particularly interesting because it contained effects of storm time compressions and of strongly southward and strongly northward IMF'S. The convection data appear to indicate reversed (sunward) convection in the polar cap in both the northern and southern hemispheres, although conjugacy cannot be established because the northern and southern passes were at different locations and different times

Reiff, P. H.↗

Stratigraphic relationships within Martian polar cap deposits

It is found that layered ice and dust deposits accumulate on the smooth and banded terrains of the north and south polar cap deposits of Mars, while erosion exposes these layers on the equator-facing slopes of layered terrain. The stripping of layers occurs in areas of strong and multidirectional wind, forming striped terrain. Also noted is the production of steep scarps with crescentic planform by local wind scour, in frequent association with dune fields positioned immediately downwind. Unconformities, which are common within layered deposits in areas of complex topography at the north pole, indicate that deposition episodes of 5-10 layers alternate with the slight erosion of pole-facing trough walls. It is suggested that poles may migrate poleward, replacing the relief increase by depositional infilling when they near the poles.

Howard, A. D.↗

Photoclinometric determination of the topography of the Martian north polar cap

Photoclinometry is useful for the determination of topography for areas which have a uniform albedo. The technique is applied to early spring Viking images of the Martian north polar cap, taken when the surface was covered by a nearly uniform frost cover. Unlike earlier approaches, the topographic profiling can be used for surfaces with any photometric function, but the strike of the planetary surface relative to the illumination angle must be specified along the profile. The resultant profiles are relatively insensitive to misestimation of the photometric function and slope orientation, but are quite sensitive to the assumed values of the reflectance of an equivalent level surface and the atmospheric opacity (if it is large).

Howard, A. D.↗

Martian south polar cap boundary - 1971 and 1973 data

International Planetary Patrol (IPP) photographs of Mars obtained during the 1971 and 1973 apparitions have been used to produce regression curves for the Martian south polar cap for those years. Useful data span the range in areocentric longitude of 186-261 deg in 1971 and 255-301 deg in 1973. These regression curves are compared to the 1977 regression curve obtained from Viking observations and to the results of 1956 observations. There is remarkable consistency between the 1971 IPP and 1977 Viking data points, and the 1973 regression does not appear to have differed significantly from those of 1971 or 1977.

James, P. B.↗

Composite beam cap fabricator experiment definition study, volume 1

The Composite Beam Cap Fabricator (CBCF), a part of a family of machines that was designed to develop and augment the technology of space fabrication (the automatic production of basic structural members in space is described. The major components of the CBCF are described. The mill weighs approximately 1400 pounds and its size is approximately 6 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. It is a microprocessor under a low cost-of-concept type of contract. Consequently, all components are made of commercially available hardware. Neither weight nor volume constraints were considered during the development of the machine. For example, over 3/4 of the volume enclosed by the controller units is empty.

Source record↗

Ultrastructure of meristem and root cap of pea seedlings under spaceflight conditions

Data of electron microscopic analysis of meristem and root cap of pea seedlings grown aboard the Salyut-6 orbital research station in the Oazis apparatus and in the laboratory are presented. The main morphological and anatomical characteristics of the test and control plants are shown to be similar. At the same time, some differences are found in the structural and functional organization of the experimental cells as compared to the controls. They concern first of all the plastic apparatus, mitochondria and Golgi apparatus. It is assumed that cell function for certain periods of weightlessness on the whole ensures execution of the cytodifferentiation programs genetically determined on the Earth. Biochemical and physiological processes vary rather markedly due to lack of initially rigorous determination.

Sytnyk, K. M.↗

Characteristics of optical emissions and particle precipitation in polar cap arcs

Auroral emission features at high geomagnetic latitudes are identified and characterized using simultaneous optical and particle data from the ISIS-2 satellite. Polar cap arcs are identified from two-dimensional geomagnetic transforms of the optical data along with precipitating electron data for the time at which the satellite is on the field line intersecting the arc. No precipitating protons were detected for any of the arc crossings. The precipitations particle characteristics include: (1) an electron energy spectrum with a peak in the range 350-750 eV superposed on a soft spectrum like that observed in polar rain; (2) a normally isotropic pitch angle dependence, with the exception that field-aligned fluxes are observed in association with an inverted 'v' event; and (3) an energy flux range of approximately 0.8-3 erg/(sq cm s). A possible explanation of the observed precipitating particle characteristics is that parallel electric fields are accelerating polar rain type spectra at an altitude of several thousand km.

Murphree, J. S.↗