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At least 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

Detection of Crystalline Hematite Mineralization on Mars by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer: Evidence for Near-surface Water

The Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission has discovered a remarkable accumulation of crystalline hematite ((alpha-Fe2O3) that covers an area with very sharp boundaries approximately 350 by 350-750 km in size centered near 2 S latitude between 0 and 5 W longitude (Sinus Meridiani). Crystalline hematite is uniquely identified by the presence of fundamental vibrational absorption features centered near 300, 450, and >525/cm, and by the absence of silicate fundamentals in the 1000/cm region. Spectral features resulting from atmospheric CO2, dust, and water ice were removed using a radiative transfer model. The spectral properties unique to Sinus Meridiani were emphasized by removing the average spectrum of the surrounding region. The depth and shape of the hematite fundamental bands show that the hematite is crystalline and relatively coarse grained (>5-10 micron). Diameters up to and greater than 100s of micrometers are permitted within the instrumental noise and natural variability of hematite spectra. Hematite particles <5-10 micron in diameter (either as an unpacked or hard-packed powders) fail to match the TES spectra. The spectrally-derived areal abundance of hematite varies with particle size from approximately 10% for particles >30 micron in diameter to 40-60% for unpacked 10 micron powders. The hematite in Sinus Meridiani is thus distinct from the fine-grained (diameter <5-10 micron), red, crystalline hematite considered, on the basis of visible, near-IR data, to be a minor spectral component in Martian bright regions like Olympus-Amazonis. Sinus Meridiani hematite is closely associated with a smooth, layered, friable surface that is interpreted to be sedimentary in origin. This material may be the uppermost surface in the region, indicating that it could be a late-stage sedimentary unit, or it could be a layered portion of the heavily cratered plains units. We consider five possible mechanisms for the formation of coarse-grained, crystalline hematite. These processes fall into two classes depending on whether they require a significant amount of near-surface water: (1) chemical precipitation that includes origin by (a) precipitation from oxygenated, Fe-rich water (iron formations), (b) hydrothermal extraction and crystal growth.

Christensen, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

X-ray spectra of supernova remnants

The X-ray spectra of supernova remnants are discussed, and their implications for the emission mechanism are considered. A model-fitting procedure for analyzing spectral information is presented, and alternative data presentations are indicated. Model spectra expected from diffuse X-ray sources, in which X-ray transfer effects are minimized, are calculated for the cases of Compton interactions, synchrotron radiation and bremsstrahlung. The emission mechanisms of supernova remnants are then considered, and it is pointed out that whereas it is certain that the X radiation from the Crab pulsar arises from synchrotron emission, the kinetic mechanisms giving rise to X-ray emission in the nonpulsar SNRs are not understood. Results of Einstein Observatory solid state spectrometer measurements of the Cas A, Tycho and Puppis A are then presented which are fit by two-temperature thermal spectra, and the Crab SNR, fit by a power-law model. Spectral trends in the older and younger SNRs are pointed out, and the role of Einstein imaging data in future detailed modeling necessary to convert apparent abundances into true abundances is indicated.

Holt, S. S.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Complete Spectral Catalog of Bright BATSE Gamma-Ray Bursts

We present a systematic spectral analysis of 350 bright Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) observed by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE; approx. 30 keV - 2 MeV; including 17 short GRBs) with high energy and time resolution. Our sample was selected from the complete set of 2704 BATSE GRBs based on their energy fluence or peak photon flux values to assure good statistics. To obtain well-constrained, model-unbiased spectral parameters, a set of various photon models is used to fit each spectrum, and internal characteristics of each model are also investigated. A thorough analysis has been performed on 342 time-integrated and 8459 time-resolved burst spectra, and the effects of integration times in determining the spectral parameters are explored. The analysis results presented here provide the most detailed perspective of spectral aspects of the GRB prompt emission to date. Using the results, we study correlations among spectral parameters and spectral evolutions. The results of all spectral fits are available electronically in FITS format, from the High-Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC).

Kaneko, Yuki↗
NASA NTRS1980

The albedo of snow for partially cloudy skies

The input parameters of the model are atmospheric precipitable water, ozone content, turbidity, cloud optical thickness, size and shape of ice crystal of snow and surface pressure. The model outputs spectral and integrated solar flux snow reflectance as a function of solar elevation and fractional cloudcover. The model is illustrated using representative parameters for the Antarctic coastal regions. The albedo for a clear sky depends inversely on the solar elevation. At high elevation the albedo depends primarily upon the grain size; at low elevation this dependence is on grain size and shape. The gradient of the albedo-elevation curve increases as the grains get larger and faceted. The albedo for a dense overcast is a few percent higher than the clear sky albedo at high elevations. A simple relation between the grain size and the overcast albedo is obtained. For a set of grain size and shape, the albedo matrices (the albedo as a function of solar elevation and fractional cloudcover) are tabulated.

Choudhury, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Determining Mineral Types and Abundances from Reflectance Measurements

Mineral types and their abundances were quantitatively determined from laboratory reflectance spectra using principal components analysis (PCA). PCA reduced the measured spectral dimensionality and allowed testing the uniqueness and validity of spectral mixing models. In addition to interpreting absorption bands, in this new approach we interpreted variations in the overall spectral curves in terms of physical processes, namely changes in mixtures of minerals, in particle size and in illumination geometry. Application of this approach to reflectances of planetary surfaces allows interpretation to be extended to quantitative determinations of mineral types and abundances.

Smith, M. O.↗
NASA NTRS1995

New model of iron spectra in the extreme ultraviolet and application to SERTS and EUV observations: A solar active region and capella

We report new predictions for the EUV spectral emission of FeIX-FeXXIV, based on data now available from the Solar EUV Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) and the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) spectrometers. The iron spectral emission model is the first result of a larger effort to revise the Raymond & Smith model and to update the atomic rates. We present here predicted emissivities for selected densities and temperatures applicable to various astrophysical plasmas. Comparisons of our predicted spectra with two recent observations provide important tests of the atomic data. They also test to some extent some basic assumptions of coronal emission codes: optically thin spectral lines and ionization equilibrium.

Brickhouse, N. S.↗
NASA NTRS2012

HD 172555: Detection of 63 micrometers [OI] Emission in a Debris Disc

Context. HD 172555 is a young A7 star belonging to the Beta Pictoris Moving Group that harbours a debris disc. The Spitzer IRS spectrum of the source showed mid-IR features such as silicates and glassy silica species, indicating the presence of a warm dust component with small grains, which places HD 172555 among the small group of debris discs with such properties. The IRS spectrum also shows a possible emission of SiO gas. Aims. We aim to study the dust distribution in the circumstellar disc of HD 172555 and to asses the presence of gas in the debris disc. Methods. As part of the GASPS Open Time Key Programme, we obtained Herschel-PACS photometric and spectroscopic observations of the source. We analysed PACS observations of HD 172555 and modelled the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) with a modified blackbody and the gas emission with a two-level population model with no collisional de-excitation. Results. We report for the first time the detection of [OI] atomic gas emission at 63.18 micrometers in the HD 172555 circumstellar disc.We detect excesses due to circumstellar dust toward HD 172555 in the three photometric bands of PACS (70, 100, and 160 m). We derive a large dust particle mass of (4.8 plus-minus 0.6)x10(exp -4) Mass compared to Earth and an atomic oxygen mass of 2.5x10(exp -2)R(exp 2) Mass compared to Earth, where R in AU is the separation between the star and the inner disc. Thus, most of the detected mass of the disc is in the gaseous phase.

Riviere-Marichalar, P.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Analyzing gamma-ray burst spectral data

The paper describes an improved method for calculating gamma-ray spectra of gamma-ray bursts. This method is independent of any assumed model for the incident spectrum. In many cases it makes it possible to perform chi-squared model fitting without detailed knowledge of the instrument response functions. The results of extensive calculations using simulated data and realistic response functions are presented; the Backus-Gilbert technique produces model-independent spectral estimates that are quantitatively accurate and easy to calculate.

Loredo, Thomas J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Landsat analysis of tropical forest succession employing a terrain model

Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) data have yielded a dual classification of rain forest and shadow in an analysis of a semi-deciduous forest on Mindonoro Island, Philippines. Both a spatial terrain model, using a fifth side polynomial trend surface analysis for quantitatively estimating the general spatial variation in the data set, and a spectral terrain model, based on the MSS data, have been set up. A discriminant analysis, using both sets of data, has suggested that shadowing effects may be due primarily to local variations in the spectral regions and can therefore be compensated for through the decomposition of the spatial variation in both elevation and MSS data.

Barringer, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Rare Earth Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) Selective Emitters

As a result of their electron structure, rare earth ions in crystals at high temperature emit radiation in several narrow bands rather than in a continuous blackbody manner. This study presents a spectral emittance model for films and cylinders of rare earth doped yttrium aluminum garnets. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical film spectral emittances was found for erbium and holmium aluminum garnets. Spectral emittances of films are sensitive to temperature differences across the film. For operating conditions of interest, the film emitter experiences a linear temperature variation whereas the cylinder emitter has a more advantageous uniform temperature. Emitter efficiency is also a sensitive function of temperature. For holminum aluminum garnet film the efficiency is 0.35 at 1446K but only 0.27 at 1270 K.

Chubb, Donald L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Diagnostic analysis and spectral energetics of a blocking event in the GLAS climate model simulation

A synoptic and spectral analysis of a blocking event is presented, with attention given to the temporal evolution, maintenance, and decay of the block. The GLAS numerical climate model was used to generate a blocking event by the introduction of SST anomalies. Wavenumbers 2 and 3 became stationary around their climatological locations, and their constructive interference produced persistent blocking ridges over the west coast of North America and the other over western Europe. Time variations of the kinetic and potential energies and energy conversions during the blocking were performed. Spectrally filtered Hovmoller diagrams were developed for the winter of 1976-77, and showed that long waves were stationary over most of the interval, which featured severe weather conditions.

Chen, T.-C.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Disk-averaged synthetic spectra of Mars

The principal goal of the NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and European Space Agency's Darwin mission concepts is to directly detect and characterize extrasolar terrestrial (Earthsized) planets. This first generation of instruments is expected to provide disk-averaged spectra with modest spectral resolution and signal-to-noise. Here we use a spatially and spectrally resolved model of a Mars-like planet to study the detectability of a planet's surface and atmospheric properties from disk-averaged spectra. We explore the detectability as a function of spectral resolution and wavelength range, for both the proposed visible coronograph (TPFC) and mid-infrared interferometer (TPF-I/Darwin) architectures. At the core of our model is a spectrum-resolving (line-by-line) atmospheric/surface radiative transfer model. This model uses observational data as input to generate a database of spatially resolved synthetic spectra for a range of illumination conditions and viewing geometries. The model was validated against spectra recorded by the Mars Global Surveyor-Thermal Emission Spectrometer and the Mariner 9-Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer. Results presented here include disk-averaged synthetic spectra, light curves, and the spectral variability at visible and mid-infrared wavelengths for Mars as a function of viewing angle, illumination, and season. We also considered the differences in the spectral appearance of an increasingly ice-covered Mars, as a function of spectral resolution, signal-to-noise and integration time for both TPF-C and TPFI/ Darwin.

Mars↗
NASA NTRS1972

A study of the estuarine and coastal oceanography of Block Island Sound and adjacent New York coastal waters

There are no author-identified significant results in this report. ERTS-1 imagery was received from NASA in both positive and negative form. This imagery was analyzed to determine the hydrologic features of the water mass, including current patterns, particulate in suspension, and the contacts between different water masses, as well as coastal marsh characteristics. A Spectral Data Model 64 multispectral projector/viewer was used for the analysis. Quick look analysis of the second generation negatives indicated that: (1) green spectral band lacked contrast and was overexposed; (2) red spectral had acceptable contrast, but somewhat overexposed; and (3) infrared bands overexposed for land areas, but exposure good for water. Analysis of second generation positives indicated that; (1) green spectral band extremely flat; (2) red spectral band of acceptable contrast, but too dense for projection; and (3) infrared bands lacked detail in both water and land areas. Photographs indicate that it is necessary to expose and process the multispectral imagery for the scene brightness range under consideration.

Yost, E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

High spectral resolution observations and kinematic modeling of the 1667 MHz hyperfine transition of OH in Comets Halley (1982i), Giacobini-Zinner (1984e), Hartley-Good (1985l), Thiele (1985m), and Wilson (1986l)

High-sensitivity, high spectral resolution 18 cm observations of Comets Giacobini-Zinner, Halley, Hartley-Good, Thiele, and Wilson are used here to probe the kinematics of the coma gas of these comets. The day/night outgassing ratio for all these comets is 1.39 (0.13 or - 0.12), independent of gas productivity and heliocentric distance. It is found that the gas productivity of a comet plays a critical role in determining the coma kinematics for bright comets near the sun.

Tacconi-Garman, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Nonthermal pair models reflection and X-ray spectral variability of active galaxies

Standard nonthermal electron-positron pair cascades, including the effects of reflection from an accretion disk, can explain reasonably well the mean spectra of low-luminosity, Seyfert-type active galaxies. We test this model using the spectral variability observed by EXOSAT between 0.05 and 10 keV in five active galaxies: NGC 5548, 3C 120, 3C 273, NGC 7469, and MCG 2-58-22. We find that pair-reflection models fail to reproduce the full range of spectra observed, particularly very hard spectra with a strong soft X-ray excess. Either the pair-reflection model is not an accurate description of the emission process in these objects or extrinsic effects, such as enhancement of the reflection component and/or a partially ionized absorber with a large column density, are responsible for much of the observed spectral variability.

Grandi, P.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Extracting scene feature vectors through modeling, volume 3

The remote estimation of the leaf area index of winter wheat at Finney County, Kansas was studied. The procedure developed consists of three activities: (1) field measurements; (2) model simulations; and (3) response classifications. The first activity is designed to identify model input parameters and develop a model evaluation data set. A stochastic plant canopy reflectance model is employed to simulate reflectance in the LANDSAT bands as a function of leaf area index for two phenological stages. An atmospheric model is used to translate these surface reflectances into simulated satellite radiance. A divergence classifier determines the relative similarity between model derived spectral responses and those of areas with unknown leaf area index. The unknown areas are assigned the index associated with the closest model response. This research demonstrated that the SRVC canopy reflectance model is appropriate for wheat scenes and that broad categories of leaf area index can be inferred from the procedure developed.

Berry, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A study of gamma ray burst continuum properties presnting evidence for two spectral states in bursts

Evidence is presented for the existence of two spectral states contributing simultaneously to the total spectrum observed in many gamma-ray bursts (GRB's). An ensemble of 120 GRB's measured by BATSE were studied, using 4 channel spectral data, to determine in which bursts the spectral states can be most effectively resolved. The technique of summing the low intensity spectra together to get an average spectrum allows for precise characterization of the average low intensity spectral behavior. The 4 and 16 channel spectra obtained by the BATSE Large Area Detectors (LAD's) are analyzed using a model-independent spectral inversion technique. The results of these analyses applied to an individual burst are discussed in detail.

Pendleton, Geoffrey N.↗