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NASA NTRS1987

Multiple planetary flow regimes in the Southern Hemisphere

Low-frequency variations in the general circulation of the Southern Hemisphere during 1983 were studied using daily geopotential height and temperature analyses for 12 pressure levels from 1000 mb up to 50 mb, performed by the National Meteorological Center of Japan. Results disclosed the presence, in the Southern Hemisphere troposphere, of an irregular fluctuation of two zonal mean geostrophic wind patterns (named single-jet and double-jet regimes) during wintertime. The fluctuation is characterized by the persistence of one geostrophic wind regime, with characteristic duration of a month, followed by a rather rapid transition to another regime.

Yoden, Shigeo↗

NASA NTRS1987

Origin and evolution of fluctuations in the solar wind - Helios observations and Helios-Voyager comparisons

Hour-averaged data from the Helios and Voyager spacecraft are used here to investigate the origin and evolution of low-frequency interplanetary fluctuations from 0.3 to 20 AU. The previously observed evolution toward a less purely Alfvenic state with increasing heliocentric distance is shown to occur more rapidly in the inner heliosphere and in low-speed as well as high-speed streams. It is concluded that outward-traveling flucutations are predominantly generated by the sun, but that in situ turbulence, most likely due to stream shear, generates fluctuations with both inward and outward senses of correlation.

Roberts, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Proton beam generation of whistler waves in the earth's foreshock

It is shown that proton beams, often observed upstream of the earth's bow shock and associated with the generation of low-frequency hydromagnetic fluctuations, are also capable of generating whistler waves. The waves can be excited by an instability driven by two-temperature streaming Maxwellian proton distributions which have T (perpendicular)/T(parallel) much greater than 1. It can also be excited by gyrating proton beam distributions. These distributions generate whistler waves with frequencies ranging from 10 to 100 times the proton cyclotron frequency (in the solar wind reference frame) and provide another mechanism for generating the '1-Hz' waves often seen in the earth's foreshock.

Wong, H. K.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Spacelab-2 plasma depletion experiments for ionospheric and radio astronomical studies

The Spacelab-2 Plasma Depletion Experiments were a series of studies to examine Shuttle-induced perturbations in the ionosphere and their application to ground-based radio astronomy. The Space Shuttle Challenger fired its orbital maneuvering subsystem engines, releasing large amounts of exhaust molecules that caused the electrons and ions in earth's upper atmosphere to chemically recombine, thereby creating so-called 'ionospheric holes'. Two burns conducted over New England produced ionospheric peak depletions ranging from 25 to 50 percent, affected the ionosphere over a 200-kilometer altitude range, and covered 1 to 2 deg of latitude. Optical emissions associated with the hole spanned an area of several hundred thousand square kilometers. A third burn was conducted over a low-frequency radio observatory in Hobart, Australia, to create an 'artificial window' for ground-based observations at frequencies normally below the natural ionospheric cutoff (penetration) frequency. The Hobart experiment succeeded in making high-resolution observations at 1.7 megahertz through the induced ionospheric hole.

Mendillo, M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The phase reversal phenomenon at flow separation and reattachment

Tests were conducted on two different airfoils, one of them in a low-turbulence tunnel, to detect laminar separation and turbulent reattachment locations. A 'nonintrusive' multielement sensor consisting of a large number of closely spaced individual nickel films was vacuum deposited on a thin substrate and bonded to the airfoil model surface. Each sensor element was a part of an independent constant temperature anemometer system. Time history as well as spectral analysis of signals from surface film gauges were used to determine the surface shear flow characteristics. A major breakthrough was achieved with the discovery of phase reversal in low-frequency dynamic shear stress signals across regions of flow separation and reattachment.

Stack, J. Pete↗

NASA NTRS1987

A kinetic study of solar wind mass loading and cometary bow shocks

The kinetic processes associated with solar wind mass loading due to pickup of cometary ions, and the formation of cometary bow shocks were investigated numerically using a hybrid simulation code described by Leroy et al. (1981), in which solar wind protons and heavy cometary ions are treated kinetically, but the electrons are treated as a massless fluid. It was found that the solar wind decelaration and pickup of cometary ions take place through both the macroscopic electromagnetic fields embedded in the solar wind and the microscopic field associated with low-frequency electromagnetic waves that are generated by the unstable velocity distribution function of the cometary ions. The results of the main simulation runs at various cone angles are described and compared with the recent observations of comets Giacobini-Zinner and Halley.

Omidi, N.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Large-scale fluctuations between 13 AU and 25 AU and their effects on cosmic rays

The reasons for the temporal and latitudinal large-scale fluctuations in the magnetic-field strength observed between 13 and 25 AU by Voyagers 1 and 2 in 1984-1985, and their effect on the cosmic ray intensity profile are investigated. The study of low-frequency and intermediate-frequency fluctuations determined from magnetic-field-intensity profile suggests the presence of discontinuities near the equator during both years. The intensity of cosmic ray nuclei of greater than 75 MeV during 1984 was found to fluctuate about a constant value, because the decreases of intensity caused by the passage of large merged interaction regions balanced the increases of intensity associated with rarefied regions. The intensity of cosmic ray nuclei above 75 MeV increased during 1985 because there were few large interactions then. The cosmic ray intensity increased more rapidly at low than at high latitudes. The model of Burlaga et al. (1985) was found to provide good first-order fits to the cosmic ray intensity profiles.

Burlaga, L. F.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Shock overshoots revisited

The ISEE 1 and 2 magnetometer and solar wind data for about 65 quasi-perpendicular bow shocks were used to investigate the role played by low-frequency turbulence in the determination of magnetic field overshoots in collisionless shock waves. Overshoots calculated from both high-resolution data and data averaged to eliminate the effects of turbulence exhibited similar behavior, but the overshoots calculated from the averaged data were generally lower by a factor of 2. Moreover, the size of overshoots calculated from the high-resolution data increased much more strongly with Mach number than that of overshoots calculated from averaged data. The difference between overshoots measured by the two sets of data was generally consistent with the presence of a component of overshoot magnitude due to low-frequecy turbulence.

Mellott, M. M.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A scattering model for perfectly conducting random surfaces. I - Model development. II - Range of validity

The surface current on a perfectly conducting randomly rough surface is estimated by solving iteratively a standard integral equation, and the estimate is then used to compute the far-zone scattered fields and the backscattering coefficients for vertical, horizontal and cross polarizations. The model developed here yields a simple backscattering coefficient expression in terms of the surface parameters. The expression reduces analytically to the Kirchhoff and the first-order small-perturbation model in the high- and low-frequency regions, respectively. The range of validity of the model is determined.

Fung, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Resonant interactions between cometary ions and low frequency electromagnetic waves

The conditions for resonant wave amplification in a plasma with a ring-beam distribution which is intended to model pick-up ions in a cometary environment are investigated. The inclination between the interplanetary field and the solar wind is found to play a crucial role in governing both the resonant frequency and the growth rate of any unstable mode. It is suggested that the low-frequency MHD mode should experience the most rapid amplification for intermediate inclination. In the frame of the solar wind, such waves should propagate along the field in the direction upstream toward the sun with a phase speed lower than the beaming velocity of the pick-up ions. This mechanism may account for the presence of the interior MHD waves noted by satellites over a region surrounding comets Giacobini-Zinner and Halley.

Thorne, Richard M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The nonlinear behavior of a passive zero-spring-rate suspension system

Various concepts for advanced syspension systems have been proposed for counteracting gravity loads in ground vibration testing of large space structures. Approximating the flight modes of a low-frequency flexible structure in a ground test requires a very soft suspension system. The dynamic behavior of a passive zero-spring-rate mechanism, sometimes used for such ground testing, is analyzed. This mechanism reduces the stiffness inherent in suspending a test specimen by cables. However, the mechanism is shown to be sensitive to imperfections. Imperfections can initiate nonlinear behavior which becomes more pronounced at lower operating frequencies. Furthermore, large pendular motion of the suspension system couples with the vertical motion, producing additional nonlinearity.

Woodard, Stanley E.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Simulation of electrostatic turbulence in the plasma sheet boundary layer with electron currents and bean-shaped ion beams

Plasma data from ISEE-1 show the presence of electron currents as well as energetic ion beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer. Broadband electrostatic noise and low-frequency electromagnetic bursts are detected in the plasma sheet boundary layer, especially in the presence of strong ion flows, currents, and steep spacial gradients in the fluxes of few-keV electrons and ions. Particle simulations have been performed to investigate electrostatic turbulence driven by a cold electron beam and/or ion beams with a bean-shaped velocity distribution. The simulation results show that the counterstreaming ion beams as well as the counterstreaming of the cold electron beam and the ion beam excite ion acoustic waves with a given Doppler-shifted real frequency. However, the effect of the bean-shaped ion velocity distributions reduces the growth rates of ion acoustic instability. The simulation results also show that the slowing down of the ion bean is larger at the larger perpendicular velocity. The wave spectra of the electric fields at some points of the simulations show turbulence generated by growing waves.

Nishikawa, K.-I.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Ionospheric wave and irregularity measurements using passive radio astronomy techniques

The observation of midlatitude structures using passive radio astronomy techniques is discussed, with particular attention being given to the low-frequency radio telescope at the Clark Lake Radio Observatory. The present telescope operates in the 10-125-MHz frequency range. Observations of the ionosphere at separations of a few kilometers to a few hundreds of kilometers by the lines of sight to sources are possible, allowing the determination of the amplitude, wavelength, direction of propagation, and propagation speed of ionospheric waves. Data are considered on large-scale ionospheric gradients and the two-dimensional shapes and sizes of ionospheric irregularities.

Erickson, W. C.↗

NASA NTRS1987

On the generation of broadband electrostatic noise

Linear theory analysis and particle simulation studies were carried out to understand the mechanisms generating broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) and the effects of BEN on particles as well as the nonlinear saturation level in the geomagnetic tail region. Streaming ion beams as well as warm ions and electrons are used to model the plasma-sheet particle population. When the beam ion temperature is comparable to the temperature of the warm plasma-sheet particles, electrostatic ion cyclotron instabilities become unstable, giving rise to low-frequency noise at omega less than about n(Omega i), where Omega i is the ion gyrofrequency.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Shuttle-derived densities in the middle atmosphere

NASA Space Shuttle flights have furnished a basis for the derivation of middle-atmosphere densities with unprecedented vertical resolution; an archival data base is now available that furnishes extensive information for the evaluation of existing model estimates for latitudinal and seasonal effects, as well as the improvement of mean monthly predictions. The High Resolution Accelerometry Package results yield extensive large-amplitude, low-frequency density variations throughout the thermosphere. The Inertial Measurement Unit results show abrupt density shifts at all latitudes, with visible shears being observed that can be correlated to summer activity.

Gamble, Joe D.↗

NASA NTRS1988

On the dynamics of intraseasonal oscillations and ENSO

This paper investigates some basic properties of low-frequency phenomena in the tropical atmosphere and the coupled ocean-atmosphere system, with an aim of seeking a unified dynamical framework for studies of the mechanisms of intraseasonal oscillations and the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The role of specific processes leading to intraseasonal oscillations and to ENSO, both separately and collectively, are considered, using a simple shallow-water system. The results demonstrated the effect of including a time-dependent moist atmosphere in studies of the coupled atmosphere-ocean system. It is suggested that the interaction of several atmospheric processes and oceanic processes through evaporation-SST feedback and wind stress at the atmosphere-ocean interface may be important for the onset and evolution of an ENSO event.

Lau, K.-M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Efficient vibration mode analysis of aircraft with multiple external store configurations

A coupling method for efficient vibration mode analysis of aircraft with multiple external store configurations is presented. A set of low-frequency vibration modes, including rigid-body modes, represent the aircraft. Each external store is represented by its vibration modes with clamped boundary conditions, and by its rigid-body inertial properties. The aircraft modes are obtained from a finite-element model loaded by dummy rigid external stores with fictitious masses. The coupling procedure unloads the dummy stores and loads the actual stores instead. The analytical development is presented, the effects of the fictitious mass magnitudes are discussed, and a numerical example is given for a combat aircraft with external wing stores. Comparison with vibration modes obtained by a direct (full-size) eigensolution shows very accurate coupling results. Once the aircraft and stores data bases are constructed, the computer time for analyzing any external store configuration is two to three orders of magnitude less than that of a direct solution.

Karpel, M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Investigation of difficult component effects on FEM vibration prediction for the AH-1G helicopter

Under the NASA-sponsored Design Analysis Methods for Vibrations program, a series of ground vibration tests and NASTRAN finite element model correlations were conducted on the Bell AH-1G helicopter gunship to investigate the effects of difficult components on the vibration response of the airframe. Secondary structure and damping were found to have significant effects on the frequency response of the airframe above 15 Hz. The nonlinear effects of thrust stiffening and elastomeric mounts on the low-frequency pylon modes below the main rotor were also significant.

Dompka, Robert V.↗