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NASA NTRS1993

Comparison of FPS-16 radar/jimsphere and NASA's 50-MHz radar wind profiler turbulence indicators

Measurements of the wind and turbulent regions from the surface to 16 km by the FPS-11 radar/jimsphere system are reported with particular attention given to the use of these turbulence and wind assessments to validate the NASA 50-MHz radar wind profiler. Wind profile statistics were compared at 150-m wavelengths, a wavelength validated from 20 jimspheres, simultaneously tracked by FPS-16 and FPQ-14 radar, and the resulting analysis of auto spectra, cross-spectra, and coherence squared spectra of the wind profiles. Results demonstrate that the NASA prototype wind profiler is an excellent monitoring device illustrating the measurements of the winds within 1/2 hour of launch zero.

Susko, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1992

A quantitative measure of the structure of gamma-ray burst time profiles

A cursory examination of cosmic gamma-ray burst time profiles indicates an inhomogeneous distribution of structure. In the first approximation, there seem to be two types of profiles; smooth ones with little structure and highly variable ones with lots of structure. To put this observation to the test, we have examined the statistical nature of the profile derivative to choose which parameter might best be called the burst 'spikiness'. We have found that a good estimator is given by a count of the number of 'spikes' (defined by a specific numerical recipe) and not by the rms deviations from either a pre-burst background or any type of moving average background. The application of this parameter to 30 burst time histories shows it to be consistent over a wide range of profile types. The analysis also reveals a preferred average time between spikes of approximately 1.5 seconds.

Lestrade, John P.↗
NASA NTRS1944

The flow of a compressible fluid past a circular arc profile

The Ackeret iteration process is utilized to obtain higher approximations than that of Prandtl and Glauert for the flow of a compressible fluid past a circular arc profile. The procedure is to expand the velocity potential in a power series of the camber coefficient. The first two terms of the development correspond to the Prandtl-Glauert approximation and yield the well-known correction to the circulation about the profile. The second approximation, involving the square of the camber coefficient, improves the velocity and pressure fields but yields no new results with regard to the circulation, since the circulation about the profile is an odd function of the camber coefficient. The third approximation, involving the cube of the camber coefficient, permits the use of higher values of the camber coefficient and furthermore yields an improvement to the Prandtl-Glauert rule with regard to the effect of compressibility on the circulation of the circular arc profile. Numerical examples with tables and graphs illustrate the results of the analysis.

Kaplan, Carl↗
NASA NTRS1993

Cosmogenic-radionuclide profiles in Knyahinya: New measurements and models

Cosmic-ray-produced nuclides measured in samples taken from known locations on a big slab of the large (R approximately equals to 45 cm) L5-chondrite Knyahinya provide good depth-vs-concentration profiles to develop and test models for the production of cosmogenic nuclides in meteorites. We report new profiles for Be-10, Al-26, Cl-36 in metallic and non-magnetic phases of 8 documented samples from Knyahinya and for C-14 in bulk samples from 7 Knyahinya samples. These new measured profiles are very similar to profiles calculated with particle fluxes from the LAHET Monte Carlo production and transport code system and with cross sections for major reactions.

Reedy, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Development and evaluation of a profile negotiation process for integrating aircraft and air traffic control automation

The development and evaluation of the profile negotiation process (PNP), an interactive process between an aircraft and air traffic control (ATC) that integrates airborne and ground-based automation capabilities to determine conflict-free trajectories that are as close to an aircraft's preference as possible, are described. The PNP was evaluated in a real-time simulation experiment conducted jointly by NASA's Ames and Langley Research Centers. The Ames Center/TRACON Automation System (CTAS) was used to support the ATC environment, and the Langley Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV) piloted cab was used to simulate a 4D Flight Management System (FMS) capable aircraft. Both systems were connected in real time by way of voice and data lines; digital datalink communications capability was developed and evaluated as a means of supporting the air/ground exchange of trajectory data. The controllers were able to consistently and effectively negotiate nominally conflict-free vertical profiles with the 4D-equipped aircraft. The actual profiles flown were substantially closer to the aircraft's preference than would have been possible without the PNP. However, there was a strong consensus among the pilots and controllers that the level of automation of the PNP should be increased to make the process more transparent. The experiment demonstrated the importance of an aircraft's ability to accurately execute a negotiated profile as well as the need for digital datalink to support advanced air/ground data communications. The concept of trajectory space is proposed as a comprehensive approach for coupling the processes of trajectory planning and tracking to allow maximum pilot discretion in meeting ATC constraints.

Green, Steven M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Normalized vertical ice mass flux profiles from vertically pointing 8-mm-wavelength Doppler radar

During the FIRE 2 (First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project Regional Experiment) project, NOAA's Wave Propagation Laboratory (WPL) operated its 8-mm wavelength Doppler radar extensively in the vertically pointing mode. This allowed for the calculation of a number of important cirrus cloud parameters, including cloud boundary statistics, cloud particle characteristic sizes and concentrations, and ice mass content (imc). The flux of imc, or, alternatively, ice mass flux (imf), is also an important parameter of a cirrus cloud system. Ice mass flux is important in the vertical redistribution of water substance and thus, in part, determines the cloud evolution. It is important for the development of cloud parameterizations to be able to define the essential physical characteristics of large populations of clouds in the simplest possible way. One method would be to normalize profiles of observed cloud properties, such as those mentioned above, in ways similar to those used in the convective boundary layer. The height then scales from 0.0 at cloud base to 1.0 at cloud top, and the measured cloud parameter scales by its maximum value so that all normalized profiles have 1.0 as their maximum value. The goal is that there will be a 'universal' shape to profiles of the normalized data. This idea was applied to estimates of imf calculated from data obtained by the WPL cloud radar during FIRE II. Other quantities such as median particle diameter, concentration, and ice mass content can also be estimated with this radar, and we expect to also examine normalized profiles of these quantities in time for the 1993 FIRE II meeting.

Orr, Brad W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The effects of profiles on supersonic jet noise

The effect of velocity profiles on supersonic jet noise are studied by using stability calculations made for a shock-free coannular jet, with both the inner and outer flows supersonic. The Mach wave emission process is modeled as the noise generated by the large scale turbulent structures or the instability waves in the mixing region. Both the vortex-sheet and the realistic finite thickness shear layer models are considered. The stability calculations were performed for both inverted and normal velocity profiles. Comparisons are made with the results for an equivalent single jet, based on equal thrust, mass flow rate and exit area to that of the coannular jet. The advantages and disadvantages of these velocity profiles as far as noise radiation is concerned are discussed. It is shown that the Rayleigh's model prediction of the merits and demerits of different velocity profiles are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Tiwari, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ozone profile retrievals from the ESA GOME instrument

The potential of the ESA Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) to produce ozone profile information has been examined by carrying out two sample retrievals using simulated GOME data. The first retrieval examines the potential of the GOME instrument to produce stratospheric ozone profiles using the traditional back-scatter ultraviolet technique, while the second examines the possibility of obtaining tropospheric profile information, and improving the quality of the stratospheric profile retrievals, by exploiting the temperature dependence of the ozone Huggins bands.

Munro, Rosemary↗
NASA NTRS1994

Injection profiles of solar energetic particles as functions of coronal mass ejection heights

Previous studies with Skylab and Solwind coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have shown that nearly all large E greater than 10 MeV solar energetic particle (SEP) events are associated with fast (v greater than 400 km/sec) CMEs. We compare heights of CMEs observed on the SMM spacecraft with the flux-time profiles of five associated SEP events observed by the GOES spacecraft, including three events observed as ground-level events (GLEs) by neutron monitors. The SEP injection profiles as functions of the CME heights are estimated from the 'solar release times' and the effects of interplanetary scattering. We find that the peaks of the 470 MeV to 4 GeV injection profiles of the GLEs occur when CME heights reach 5 to 15 R(sub 0) or greater and that the onsets occur no earlier than the maxima of the flare impulsive phases. In those events SEP injection appears to result only from a single CME-driven shock and not from the flare impulsive phase or from separate coronal and interplanetary shocks. In one small SEP event an impulsive flux-time profile is consistent with injection during the flare impulsive phase but could also be due to injection from a coronal shock over a limited time.

Kahler, S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Aerosol effect on Umkehr ozone profiles using Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II measurements

This study examines 1211 cases of coincident ozone profiles derived from 1164 Umkehrs and 928 Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) profiles within 1000 km and 12 hours between October 1984 and April 1989 to study the stratospheric-aerosol effect on Umkehr ozone profiles. Because of the close correspondence of stratospheric aerosol optical depth at the SAGE II-measured 0.525-micrometer wavelength and the extrapolated 0.32 Umkehr wavelength determined in this study we use the 0.525-micrometer data to determine the aerosol effect on Umkehr profiles. At the 95% confidence level, we find the following errors to the Umkehr ozone amounts: in Umkehr layer 9 (-2.9 +/- 2.1), layer 8 (-2.3 +/- 1.1), layer 7 (0.1 +/- 1.1), layer 6 (2.2 +/- 1.0), layer 5 (-1.5 +/- 0.8), and layer 4 (-2.4 +/- 1.7) in percent ozone amount per 0.01 stratospheric aerosol optical depth. These results agree with previous theoretical and empirical studies within their respective error bounds in layers 9, 8, and 7. The results in layers 6, 5, and 4 differ significantly from those in previous works. Using only those eight stations with more than 47 coincidences results in mean aerosol effects that are not significantly different from the 14-station results. Because SAGE II and Umkehr produce different ozone retrievals in layer 9 and because the intralayer correlation of SAGE II ozone and aerosol in layer 9 is nonzero, one must exercise some caution in attributing the entire SAGE II-Umkehr difference in this layer to an aerosol effect.

Newchurch, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Aluminum 26, Be-10 and Cl-36 depth profiles in the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite

We have measured activities of the long-lived cosmogenic radionuclides Al-26, Be-10, and Cl-36 in 12 fragments of the iron meteorite Canyon Diablo and have constructed production rate-versus-depth profiles of those radionuclides. Profiles determined using differential particle fluxes calculated with the LAHET code system are in good agreement with Al-26, Be-10, and Cl-36 experimental data, but the agreement for Cl-36 was obtained only after neutron-induced cross sections were modified. Profiles calculated with lunar particle fluxes are much lower than experimental Canyon Diablo profiles. The cosmic ray exposure ages of most samples are near 540 m.y.

Michlovich, E. S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Evidence for a disk in the wind of HD 93521: UV line profiles from an axisymmetric model

Recently it has been suggested (Massa 1992; Howarth & Reid 1993), from the C IV ultraviolet resonance line profile of HD 93521, that there is a high-speed component in the polar outflow from the star as well as a low-speed component in the equatorial regions. In this paper we present theoretical calculations of the line profiles that would be produced by such a model. We find from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) observations of HD 93521 that the observed C IV profile can be produced if the star has an inclination angle very close to 90 deg and if the star is surrounded by a thin disk, whose half-width is approximately 3 deg in latitude. The geometry of this disk is similar to what one would expect from the wind-compressed disk model of Bjorkman & Cassinelli, so this star may provide an ideal observational test of that model. In addition to the C IV resonance line, we examine both the Si IV and N V resonance lines. The Si IV line exhibits low-velocity absorption that is similar to that seen in the C IV line, but the emission is much weaker. On the other hand, the N V line has weaker absorption and much stronger emission than the C IV line. N V is a higher ionization state than C IV, so it is likely that N V is one stage above the dominant state, N IV. Apart from fitting individual line profiles, we also examine the differences between the two Hubble Space Telescope observations of HD 93521. We find evidence for a pair of narrow absorption components, seen at low velocity, as well as evidence for a discrete emission feature in the blueshifted absorption cores of the lines. This blueshifted emission at low velocity can cause what instead appears to be an interstella absorption line. Without multiple observations that can reveal the temporary emission, one must be very careful when determining interstellar column densities to stars like HD 93521.

Bjorkman, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Observations and analysis of O(1D) and NH2 line profiles for the coma of comet P/Halley

A set of high-resolution Fabry-Perot measurements of the coma of comet P/Halley was acquired in the (O I) 6300 A and NH2 6298.62 A emission lines. These high-resolution measurements provide the first optical observations capable of studying directly the photochemical kinetics and dynamic outflow of the coma. The observations were analyzed by a Monte Carlo Particle Trajectory Model. The agreement of the model and observed line profiles was excellent and verified the underlying dynamics, exothermic photodissociative chemistry, and collisional thermalization in the coma. The somewhat wider intrinsic line profile width for the O(1D) emission in 1986 January compared to 1986 May, is, for example, produced by the larger outflow speeds and gas temperatures nearer perihelion in January. The January O(1D) profile, which is wider than the January NH2 profile, is indicative of the photochemical kinetics in the dissociation of the parent molecules H2O and OH in the coma. The absolute calibration of the observations in 1986 January allowed the production rates for H2O and the NH2-parent molecules to be determined. The average daily water production rates derived from the O(1D) emission data for January 16 and 17 are presented. These very large water production rates are consistent with the extrapolated (and 7.6 day time variable) water production rates determined from the analysis of lower spectral resolution observations for O(1D) and H-alpha emissions that covered the time period up to January 13. The large production rates on January 16 and 17 establish that the maximum water production rate for comet Halley accurred pre-perihelion in January. Implications drawn from comparison with 18 cm radio emission data in January suggest that the peak water production rate was even larger. The average production rate for NH3 determined from the NH2 emission data for January 17 was (1.48 +/- 0.10) x 10(exp 28) molecules/s, yielding an NH3/H2O production rate ratio of 0.55%.

Smyth, William H.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The proximity profile of intergalactic He II resonance absorption toward high-redshift QSOs

The Gunn-Peterson effect predicts that an absorption trough should be associated with any resonance line arising in the intergalactic medium (IGM), extending blueward of the line in the QSO's rest frame. We show that such an absorption trough will not generally have a sharp edge at the QSO's redshift but should develop gradually toward shorter wavelengths. This proximity profile of the Gunn-Peterson trough arises because diffuse intergalactic gas in the vicinity of the QSO is more highly ionized than the general IGM. We consider the case of a uniform IGM in approximate photoionization equilibrium with a metagalactic UV background and investigate the proximity profile of He II lambda 304, which might be observable in QSOs with Z(sub Q) approximately 3. Assuming the QSO continuum extends beyond the He II ionization edge, the proximity profile has a characteristic width of delta z(sub p) = delta lambda/304 is approximately 0.1 f is the QSO Lyman limit luminosity in units of 10(exp 31) ergs/s/Hz averaged over the past approximately 10(exp 7) yr, omega(sub I) is the IGM density near (is less than or equal to 10 Mpc) the QSO, omega(sub b) is the normalized baryon density predicted by standard big band necleosynthesis, and f is a factor of order unity which depends weakly on several other factors. Application of this result to the reported detection of the He II Gunn-Peterson effect in Q0302-003 (Jakobsen et al. 1994) suggests that omega(sub I) is approximately equal to omega(sub b), some three orders of magnitude larger than the minimum density that may be inferred from application of the ordinary Gunn-Peterson effect to this QSO. Future observations of the He II proximity profile at higher resolution and signal-to-noise ratio in serveral ASOs should provide the means to measure the IGM density accurately.

Zheng, Wei↗
NASA NTRS1994

Plains tectonism on Venus: Inferences from canali longitudinal profiles

Canali-type channels on Venus show inverted profile segments; that is, large portions of the channels trend uphill. The original gradients for these channels were not horizontal, but must have progressively trended downhill. Therefore, undulation patterns imposed on the profiles have to be the result of tectonism occurring since channel formation. This implies that some of the uppermost geological units of the plains, which are coincident with canali, experienced significant postemplacement tectonic deformation. The pattern of deformation is hierarchical. Within observational limits, at least two scales of deformation are indicated. The longer scale deformation (thousands of kilometers) corresponds to large-scale basins; the shorter scale deformation (hundreds of kilometers) corresponds to ridge belts or to small-scale domes/basins. The latter features, at scales up to a few hundred kilometers, extensively deform some plain areas. Although not appearing in the topographic profiles because of resolution limitations, deformation scales of tens of kilometers or less, which mostly reflect wrinkle ridges, also overlap the longer deformation scales. The channels probably formed relatively quickly in comparison to the time scale of deformation. Canali formation is closely related to the genesis of plains, and canali profile deformation reflects tectonic processes operating at multiple scales. The lower limit rates of large-scale tectonic warping are comparable to epeirogenetic deformation rates for Earth's intraplate continental interiors.

Komatsu, Goro↗
NASA NTRS1995

Low profile antennas for MSAT applications

For MSAT applications, a number of different antennas have been designed and investigated. They include low gain omnidirectional antennas and medium gain to high gain directional antennas. The latter include both portable and vehicular antennas. While portable units are desirable to be low profile and low cost, the vehicular antennas have proved to be the most challenging antenna types for the mobile satellite application. The results of our efforts in design of such antennas are described briefly. Low profile designs are emphasized in most cases, and microstrip type radiators are therefore selected. The single radiator provides low gain omnidirectional patterns and is optimized for low cost applications. It provides low gains around 2-6 dBic and is useful mostly for the data transmission. Medium to high gain antennas are developed as arrays of omnidirectional elements. Again, different designs are optimized to meet the needs of different applications. For portable units, the array configuration can be flexible and is optimized for maximum broadside gains. For vehicular units, however the configurations are desirable to be low profile, or compact, and have means for scanning the antenna beam. For simplicity, fixed beam antennas with mechanical beam scan are selected. For these antennas, as well, different designs, having low profile or compact size, are selected and optimized to meet the MSAT gain and G/T requirements.

Shafai, L.↗
NASA NTRS1997

PROFILE: Airfoil Geometry Manipulation and Display

This report provides user information for program PROFILE, an aerodynamics design utility for plotting, tabulating, and manipulating airfoil profiles. A dozen main functions are available. The theory and implementation details for two of the more complex options are also presented. These are the REFINE option, for smoothing curvature in selected regions while retaining or seeking some specified thickness ratio, and the OPTIMIZE option, which seeks a specified curvature distribution. Use of programs QPLOT and BPLOT is also described, since all of the plots provided by PROFILE (airfoil coordinates, curvature distributions, pressure distributions)) are achieved via the general-purpose QPLOT utility. BPLOT illustrates (again, via QPLOT) the shape functions used by two of PROFILE's options. These three utilities should be distributed as one package. They were designed and implemented for the Applied Aerodynamics Branch at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. They are all written in FORTRAN 77 and run on DEC and SGI systems under OpenVMS and IRIX.

Collins, Leslie↗
NASA NTRS1998

CART and GSFC raman lidar measurements of atmospheric aerosol backscattering and extinction profiles for EOS validation and ARM radiation studies

The aerosol retrieval algorithms used by the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) sensors on the Earth Observing Satellite (EOS) AM-1 platform operate by comparing measured radiances with tabulated radiances that have been computed for specific aerosol models. These aerosol models are based almost entirely on surface and/or column averaged measurements and so may not accurately represent the ambient aerosol properties. Therefore, to validate these EOS algorithms and to determine the effects of aerosols on the clear-sky radiative flux, we have begun to evaluate the vertical variability of ambient aerosol properties using the aerosol backscattering and extinction profiles measured by the Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Raman Lidars. Using the procedures developed for the GSFC Scanning Raman Lidar (SRL), we have developed and have begun to implement algorithms for the CART Raman Lidar to routinely provide profiles of aerosol extinction and backscattering during both nighttime and ,daytime operations. Aerosol backscattering and extinction profiles are computed for both lidar systems using data acquired during the 1996 and 1997 Water Vapor Intensive Operating Periods (IOPs). By integrating these aerosol extinction profiles, we derive measurements of aerosol optical thickness and compare these with coincident sun photometer measurements. We also use these measurements to measure the aerosol extinction/backscatter ratio S(sub a) (i.e. 'lidar ratio'). Furthermore, we use the simultaneous water vapor measurements acquired by these Raman lidars to investigate the effects of water vapor on aerosol optical properties.

Ferrare, R. A.↗