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At least 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Structure of a slow mode shock observed in the plasma sheet boundary layer

A detailed study of the plasma parameters and magnetic field measured using instrumentation aboard ISEE 2 during the recovery phase of a substorm on Apr. 24, 1979, is presented. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and structure of the lobe-plasma sheet boundary layer. The analysis shows that the lobeward edge of the boundary is consistent with a freestanding slow mode shock. This shock is followed by a slow compression wave containing a trailing ion cyclotron wave which also stands in the flow. Measurement of the cross-tail current in the shock and the current system within the wave gives a shock thickness and wavelength comparable to but larger than both the upstream ion inertial length and the downstream proton gyroradius. Equality of the shock thickness with the standing ion cyclotron wavelength suggests that the steepness of the front is limited by dispersion rather than current-driven anomalous resistivity.

Feldman, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Plasma and energetic particle structure upstream of a quasi-parallel interplanetary shock

ISEE 1, 2 and 3 data from 1978 on interplanetary magnetic fields, shock waves and particle energetics are examined to characterize a quasi-parallel shock. The intense shock studied exhibited a 640 km/sec velocity. The data covered 1-147 keV protons and electrons and ions with energies exceeding 30 keV in regions both upstream and downstream of the shock, and also the magnitudes of ion-acoustic and MHD waves. The energetic particles and MHD waves began being detected 5 hr before the shock. Intense halo electron fluxes appeared ahead of the shock. A closed magnetic field structure was produced with a front end 700 earth radii from the shock. The energetic protons were cut off from the interior of the magnetic bubble, which contained a markedly increased density of 2-6 keV protons as well as the shock itself.

Kennel, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The importance of momentum transfer in collision-induced breakups in low Earth orbit

Although there is adequate information on larger objects in low Earth orbit, specifically those objects larger than about 10 cm in diameter, there is little direct information on objects from this size down to 1 mm. Yet, this is the sized regime where objects acting as projectiles represent the ability to seriously damage or destroy a functioning spacecraft if they collide with it. The observed consequences of known collisional breakups in orbit indicates no significant momentum transfer in the resulting debris cloud. The position taken in this paper is that this is an observational selection effect: what is seen in these events is an explosion-like breakup of the target structure arising from shock waves introduced into the structure by the collision, but one that occurs significantly after the collision processes are completed; the collision cloud, in which there is momentum transfer, consists of small, unobserved fragments. Preliminary computations of the contribution of one known collisional breakup, Solwind at 500 km in 1985, and Cosmos 1275 in 1981, assume no momentum transfer on breakup and indicate that these two events are the dominant contributors to the current millimeter and centimeter population. A different story would emerge if momentum transfer was taken into account. The topics covered include: (1) observation of on-orbit collisional breakups; (2) a model for momentum transfer; and (3) velocity space representation of breakup clouds.

Reynolds, Robert C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

How to bet on the location of the termination shock - A summary overview of the Symposium

This paper loosely summarizes the Symposium in the context of estimating the distance to the solar wind termination shock. Thus the major constituents of the heliosphere are first reviewed including the solar wind and its shocks, magnetic structure and stream structure, the interstellar neutral gas and its daughters, the interstellar pickup ions and the cosmic ray anomalous component, and the galactic cosmic rays. Then a direct calculation of the distance to the termination shock is presented, which yields 80 AU but with large error bars. Finally information carried by messengers from the termination shock and heliosheath (the kHz radio bursts observed by Voyager, galactic cosmic rays, the cosmic ray anomalous component, and the interstellar neutral gas and backscattered photons) is assessed and interpreted. The paper concludes that 80 AU is the best bet.

Lee, Martin A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The plasma structure of the north-east rim of the Cygnus Loop as observed with ASCA

We present the first results from Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCAS) observations of the Cygnus Loop. A 22 min square of the north-east rim was observed. The imaging capability of ASCA permits clear indentification of the shock front structure. The energy resolving power of ASCA in the energy band between 0.5 keV to 10 keV reveals several emission lines from oxygen to silicon. The intensity ratio between the O VIII and O VII emission lines demonstrates that the plasma has not reached collisional ionization equilibrium. A nonequilibrium ionization model is applied to determine the gradients both in electron temperature T(sub e), and in electron density n(sub e). T(sub e) ranges from 0.22 keV at the shock front to 0.30 keV at 17 min inside the shock front. n(sub e) can be represented as a power law function of radius with an index of about 6 at an ambient gas density of 0.5 cm(exp -3). The plasma parameter n(sub e)t is about 2 x 10(exp 11) cm(exp -3), resulting in an age of about 20000 yr for the Loop.

Miyata, Emi↗
NASA NTRS1989

A linear shock cell model for jets of arbitrary exit geometry

The shock cell structures of single supersonic non-ideally expanded jets with arbitrary exit geometry are studied. Both vortex sheets and realistic mean profiles are considered for the jet shear layer. The boundary element method is used to predict the shock spacing and screech tones in a vortex sheet model of a single jet. This formulation enables the calculations to be performed only on the vortex sheet. This permits the efficient and convenient study of complicated jet geometries. Results are given for circular, elliptic and rectangular jets and the results are compared with analysis and experiment. The agreement between the predictions and measurements is very good but depends on the assumptions made to predict the geometry of the fully expanded jet. A finite diffference technique is used to examine the effect of finite mixing layer thickness for a single jet. The finite thickness of the mixing layer is found to decrease the shock spacing by approximately 20 percent over the length of the jet potential core.

Morris, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Study of relation between Pc 3 micropulsations and magnetosheath fluctuations, and multisatellite investigation of earth's bow shock

The validity is investigated of a suggested model according to which Pc 3 and/or Pc 4 micropulsations are excited by magnetosheath field (and plasma) fluctuations arising in the quasi-parallel structure of the subsolar bow shock. The influence of solar wind plasma parameters on local shock structure and on the configuration of the entire bow shock system is included. Simultaneous data from two or more spacecraft and from multiple diagnostics is used to evaluate the geometrical factor, field-to-shock normal angle, or its B-X equivalent, and the principal plasma parameters. Results are presented and discussed.

Greenstadt, E. W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Theoretical aspects of supersonic jet noise

The topics covered include the following: the three components of supersonic jet noise; shock cell structure of imperfectly expanded jets; large turbulence structures/instability waves; supersonic jet noise theory; generation of turbulent mixing noise; comparisons between predicted peak noise frequency and direction of radiation with measurements; Strouhal number of maximum SPL of hot supersonic jets; near field sound pressure level contours; generation of broadband shock associated noise; calculated and measured far field shock noise spectra; generation of screech tones; and calculated and measured Strouhal number of screech tones.

Tam, Christopher K. W.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Density, Velocity and Ionization Structure in Accretion-Disc Winds

This was a project to exploit the unique capabilities of FUSE to monitor variations in the wind- formed spectral lines of the luminous, low-inclination, cataclysmic variables(CV) -- RW Sex. (The original proposal contained two additional objects but these were not approved.) These observations were intended to allow us to determine the relative roles of density and ionization state changes in the outflow and to search for spectroscopic signatures of stochastic small-scale structure and shocked gas. By monitoring the temporal behavior of blue-ward extended absorption lines with a wide range of ionization potentials and excitation energies, we proposed to track the changing physical conditions in the outflow. We planned to use a new Monte Carlo code to calculate the ionization structure of and radiative transfer through the CV wind. The analysis therefore was intended to establish the wind geometry, kinematics and ionization state, both in a time-averaged sense and as a function of time.

Sonneborn, George↗
NASA NTRS1991

Broadband shock-associated noise from supersonic jets in flight

The stochastic model theory of broadband shock-associated noise from supersonic jets, developed earlier (Tam, 1987, 1990), is extended to jets in flight. Forward flight affects broadband shock-associated noise generation through noise source modification. It also affects the intensity and characteristics of the noise radiated in a given direction through the mean flow convection effect. Noise source modification arises when the external flow associated with forward flight alters the mean velocity profile and shock cell structure of the jet. The mean flow convection effect arises because the radiated sound waves now have to propagate through a moving medium to reach the observation point. The present theory suggests that both the noise source modification effect and the mean flow convection effect would produce narrower broadband shock-associated noise spectral peaks with lower peak frequencies. The theory is further extended to the case of a supersonic jet embedded in an open wind tunnel bounded by a vortex sheet. Detalied comparisons between the calculated results and the measurements of Norum and Shearin (1984, 1986) are reported here. Very good agreements are found over a broad range of jet Mach numbers and wind tunnel Mach numbers.

Tam, C. K. W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A preliminary study of extended magnetic field structures in the ionosphere

Several plasma phenomena which are to be expected around a magnet in LEO were identified and analyzed qualitatively. The ASTROMAG cusp magnet will create an extended field whose strength drops to the ambient level over a scale length of approx. 15 m; the combined field has a complex topology with ring nulls and open and closed field lines. The entire configuration is moving through the partially ionized F-layer of the ionosphere at a speed slow compared to the local Alfven speed but fast compared to the ion sound speed. The ambient plasma crosses the extended field structure in a time short compared to the ion Larmor period yet long relative to the electron Larmor period. Thus, electrons behave as a magnetized fluid while ions move ballistically until reflected from higher fields near the cusp. Since the Debye length is short compared to the field scale length, an electrostatic shock-like structure forms to equilibrate the flows and achieve quasi-neutrality. The ambient plasma will be excluded from a cavity near the magnet. The size and nature of the strong interaction region in which the magnet significantly perturbs the ambient flow were determined by studying ion orbits numerically. Lecture viewgraphs summarizing these results are presented.

Sullivan, James D.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Wind Tunnel Model Design for the Study of Plume Effects on Sonic Boom for Isolated Exhaust Nozzles

A low cost test capability was developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center 1- by 1-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT), with a goal to reduce the disturbance caused by supersonic aircraft flight over populated areas. This work focused on the shock wave structure caused by the exhaust nozzle plume. Analysis and design was performed on a new rig to test exhaust nozzle plume effects on sonic boom signature. Test capability included a baseline nozzle test article and a wind tunnel model consisting of a strut, a nosecone and an upper plenum. Analysis was performed on the external and internal aerodynamic configuration, including the shock reflections from the wind tunnel walls caused by the presence of the model nosecone. This wind tunnel model was designed to operate from Mach 1.4 to Mach 3.0 with nozzle pressure ratios from 6 to 12 and altitudes from 30,000 ft (4.36 psia) to 50,000 ft (1.68 psia). The model design was based on a 1 in. outer diameter, was 9 in. in overall length, and was mounted in the wind tunnel on a 3/8 in. wide support strut. For test conditions at 50,000 ft the strut was built to supply 90 psia of pressure, and to achieve 20 psia at the nozzle inlet with a maximum nozzle pressure of 52 psia. Instrumentation was developed to measure nozzle pressure ratio, and an external static pressure probe was designed to survey near field static pressure profiles at one nozzle diameter above the rig centerline. Model layout placed test nozzles between two transparent sidewalls in the 1 1 SWT for Schlieren photography and comparison to CFD analysis.

Castner, Raynold S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Magnetic field studies of the solar wind interaction with Venus from the Galileo flyby

During the February 10, 1990 flyby of Venus, the Galileo spacecraft skimmed the downnstream flank of the planetary bow shock. This provided an opportunity to examine both the global and the local structure of the shock in an interval during which conditions in the solar wind plasma were quite steady. The data show that the cross section of the shock in planes transverse to the flow is smaller in directions aligned with the projection of the interplanetary magnetic field than in directions not so aligned. Ultralow-frequency waves were present in the unshocked solar wind, and their amplitude peaked when the spacecraft was downstream of the foreshock. At large distances down the tail, the Mach number of the flow normal to the shock is low, thus providing the opportunity to study repeated crossings of the collisionless shock in an interesting parameter regime. Some of the shock crossings reveal structure that comes close to the theoretically predicted form of intermediate shocks, whose existence in collisionless plasmas has not been confirmed.

Kivelson, M. G.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Wind Tunnel Model Design for the Study of Plume Effects on Sonic Boom for Isolated Exhaust Nozzles

A low cost test capability was developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center 1- by 1-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT), with a goal to reduce the disturbance caused by supersonic aircraft flight over populated areas. This work focused on the shock wave structure caused by the exhaust nozzle plume. Analysis and design was performed on a new rig to test exhaust nozzle plume effects on sonic boom signature. Test capability included a baseline nozzle test article and a wind tunnel model consisting of a strut, a nose cone and an upper plenum. Analysis was performed on the external and internal aerodynamic configuration, including the shock reflections from the wind tunnel walls caused by the presence of the model nosecone. This wind tunnel model was designed to operate from Mach 1.4 to Mach 3.0 with nozzle pressure ratios from 6 to 12 and altitudes from 30,000 ft (4.36 psia) to 50,000 ft (1.68 psia). The model design was based on a 1 in. outer diameter, was 9 in. in overall length, and was mounted in the wind tunnel on a 3/8 in. wide support strut. For test conditions at 50,000 ft the strut was built to supply 90 psia of pressure, and to achieve 20 psia at the nozzle inlet with a maximum nozzle pressure of 52 psia. Instrumentation was developed to measure nozzle pressure ratio, and an external static pressure probe was designed to survey near field static pressure profiles at one nozzle diameter above the rig centerline. Model layout placed test nozzles between two transparent sidewalls in the 1x1 SWT for Schlieren photography and comparison to CFD analysis.

Castner, Raymond S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Efficient Low Dissipative High Order Schemes for Multiscale MHD Flows

Accurate numerical simulations of complex multiscale compressible viscous flows, especially high speed turbulence combustion and acoustics, demand high order schemes with adaptive numerical dissipation controls. Standard high resolution shock-capturing methods are too dissipative to capture the small scales and/or long-time wave propagations without extreme grid refinements and small time steps. An integrated approach for the control of numerical dissipation in high order schemes for the compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations has been developed and verified by the authors and collaborators. These schemes are suitable for the problems in question. Basically, the scheme consists of sixth-order or higher non-dissipative spatial difference operators as the base scheme. To control the amount of numerical dissipation, multiresolution wavelets are used as sensors to adaptively limit the amount and to aid the selection and/or blending of the appropriate types of numerical dissipation to be used. Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) waves play a key role in drag reduction in highly maneuverable high speed combat aircraft, in space weather forecasting, and in the understanding of the dynamics of the evolution of our solar system and the main sequence stars. Although there exist a few well-studied second and third-order high-resolution shock-capturing schemes for the MHD in the literature, these schemes are too diffusive and not practical for turbulence/combustion MHD flows. On the other hand, extension of higher than third-order high-resolution schemes to the MHD system of equations is not straightforward. Unlike the hydrodynamic equations, the inviscid MHD system is non-strictly hyperbolic with non-convex fluxes. The wave structures and shock types are different from their hydrodynamic counterparts. Many of the non-traditional hydrodynamic shocks are not fully understood. Consequently, reliable and highly accurate numerical schemes for multiscale MHD equations pose a great challenge to algorithm development. In addition, controlling the numerical error of the divergence free condition of the magnetic fields for high order methods has been a stumbling block. Lower order methods are not practical for the astrophysical problems in question. We propose to extend our hydrodynamics schemes to the MHD equations with several desired properties over commonly used MHD schemes.

Sjoegreen, Bjoern↗
NASA NTRS2020

SN 2018fif: The Explosion of a Large Red Supergiant Discovered in its Infancy by the Zwicky Transient Facility

High-cadence transient surveys are able to capture supernovae closer to their first light than ever before. Applying analytical models to such early emission, we can constrain the progenitor stars' properties. In this paper, we present observations of SN 2018fif (ZTF 18abokyfk). The supernova was discovered close to first light and monitored by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Early spectroscopic observations suggest that the progenitor of SN 2018fif was surrounded by relatively small amounts of circumstellar material compared to all previous cases. This particularity, coupled with the high-cadence multiple-band coverage, makes it a good candidate to investigate using shock-cooling models. We employ the SOPRANOS code, an implementation of the model by Sapir & Waxman and its extension to early times by Morag et al. Compared with previous implementations, SOPRANOS has the advantage of including a careful account of the limited temporal validity domain of the shock-cooling model as well as allowing usage of the entirety of the early UV data. We find that the progenitor of SN 2018fif was a large red supergiant with a radius of R = 744.0 (sup +183.0) (sub -128.0) R⨀ and an ejected mass of M(sub ej) = 9.3 (sup +0.4)(sub -5.8) M⨀. Our model also gives information on the explosion epoch, the progenitor's inner structure, the shock velocity, and the extinction. The distribution of radii is double-peaked, with smaller radii corresponding to lower values of the extinction, earlier recombination times, and a better match to the early UV data. If these correlations persist in future objects, denser spectroscopic monitoring constraining the time of recombination, as well as accurate UV observations (e.g., with ULTRASAT), will help break the extinction/radius degeneracy and independently determine both.

Supernovae↗
NASA NTRS1995

The Solar Mass Ejection Imager

We are designing a Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) capable of observing the Thomson-scattered signal from transient density features in the heliosphere from a spacecraft situated near AU. The imager is designed to trace these features, which include coronal mass ejections. corotating structures and shock waves, to elongations greater than 90 deg from the Sun. The instrument may be regarded as a progeny of the heliospheric imaging capability shown possible by the zodiacal-light photometers of the HELIOS spacecraft. The instrument we are designing would make more effective use of in-situ solar wind data from spacecraft in the vicinity of the imager by extending these observations to the surrounding environment. The observations from the instrument should allow deconvolution of these structures from the perspective views obtained as they pass the spacecraft. An imager at Earth could allow up to three days warning of the arrival of a mass ejection from the Sun .

Jackson, B. V.↗