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At least 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

The cores of elliptical galaxies

An analysis of the apparent core radii and seeing profiles of seeing-deconvolved high resolution CCD surface photometry profiles for 42 nearby elliptical galaxies indicates that 14 galaxies have resolvable cores between 1.5 and 5.0 arcsec. Half of the resolved galaxies match the core profile of M87 over an extended radial change, indicating the possible existence of massive nuclear black holes or radially anisotropic velocity fields in these objects. The remaining half show even larger deviations from isothermality. These and other results presented support the formation of elliptical galaxies from photogalactic gas clouds, rather than as products of a dissipationless merger hierarchy or repeated cannibalization of less massive stellar systems.

Lauer, T. R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Stellar evolution at high mass with convective core overshooting

The transition from stellar evolution models with no convective core overshooting (CCO) at all to models in which homogeneous mixing due to CCO reaches far beyond the formal convective core boundary is systematically explored. Overshooting is parameterized in terms of the ratio d/H(p), where d is the distance of convective overshoot beyond the formal convective core boundary and H(p) is the local pressure scale height. It is concluded that CCO in very massive main sequence stars produces a great expansion of the stellar envelope if d/H(p) is large but not excessively large. CCO does not entirely suppress convective instability above the overshoot zone in the envelopes of main sequence stars more massive than about 15 solar masses. A general comparison of theoretically constructed isochrones for young stars with observed main sequence turnups indicates that the observed turnups are longer, brighter, and cooler at the tip than those expected on thfe basis of standard evolutionary theory.

Stothers, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Oscillator strengths of some Ba lines - A treatment including core-valence correlation and relativistic effects

Theoretical calculations of selected excitation energies and oscillator strengths for Ba are presented that overcome the difficulties of previous theoretical treatments. A relativistic effective-core potential treatment is used to account for the relativistic core contraction, but the outermost ten electrons are treated explicitly. Core-valence correlation can be included in this procedure in a rigorous and systematic way through a configuration-interaction calculation. Insight is gained into the importance of relativistic effects by repeating many of the calculations using an all-electron nonrelativistic treatment employing an extended Slater basis set. It is found that the intensity of the intercombination line 3P1-1S0 is accurately determined by accounting for the deviation from LS coupling through spin-orbit mixing with the 1P1 state, and that deviations from the Lande interval rule provide an accurate measure of the degree of mixing.

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Upper-ocean velocity structure of Gulf Stream warm-core ring 82B

Acoustic-Doppler current profiling of warm-core ring (WCR) 82B revealed changes in the velocity structure over much of the ring's 7-month lifespan. As ring diameter decreased, peak speeds in the high-velocity region decreased from 0.8 m/s in April 1982 to 0.5 m/s in August 1982. Azimuthally averaged velocities revealed the core of WCR 82B to be in near solid-body rotation, with little measurable horizontal divergence at 100 m. In addition, potential vorticity was conserved in the ring core despite interactions with the Gulf Stream and large changes in ring size. Deviations from symmetry in WCR 82B were caused by superposition with the shelf-slope front, small cyclonic eddies, and upper-layer mean flow.

Joyce, T. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary

Models of the geomagnetic field are, in general, produced from a least-squares fit of the coefficients in a truncated spherical harmonic expansion to the available data. Downward continuation of such models to the core-mantle boundary (CMB) is an unstable process: the results are found to be critically dependent on the choice of truncation level. Modern techniques allow this fundamental difficulty to be circumvented. The method of stochastic inversion is applied to modeling the geomagnetic field. Prior information is introduced by requiring that the spectrum of spherical harmonic coefficients to fall-off in a particular manner which is consistent with the Ohmic heating in the core having a finite lower bound. This results in models with finite errors in the radial field at the CMB. Curves of zero radial field can then be determined and integrals of the radial field over patches on the CMB bounded by these null-flux curves calculated. With the assumption of negligible magnetic diffusion in the core; frozen-flux hypothesis, these integrals are time-invariant.

Bloxham, J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Some anticipated contributions to core fluid dynamics from the GRM

It is broadly maintained that the secular variation (SV) of the large scale geomagnetic field contains information on the fluid dynamics of Earth's electrically conducting outer core. The electromagnetic theory appropriate to a simple Earth model has recently been combined with reduced geomagnetic data in order to extract some of this information and ascertain its significance. The simple Earth model consists of a rigid, electrically insulating mantle surrounding a spherical, inviscid, and perfectly conducting liquid outer core. This model was tested against seismology by using truncated spherical harmonic models of the observed geomagnetic field to locate Earth's core-mantle boundary, CMB. Further electromagnetic theory has been developed and applied to the problem of estimating the horizontal fluid motion just beneath CMB. Of particular geophysical interest are the hypotheses that these motions: (1) include appreciable surface divergence indicative of vertical motion at depth, and (2) are steady for time intervals of a decade or more. In addition to the extended testing of the basic Earth model, the proposed GRM provides a unique opportunity to test these dynamical hypotheses.

Vanvorhies, C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A search for post-collapse cores

Preliminary results of a surface photometry survey of globular cluster cores are reported. Two new cores with post-collapse morphology have been found, and two possible candidates. The estimated fraction of clusters with this core morphology in the Galaxy is only a few percent. Most clusters do not show a morphology similar to the predictions of the central black hole models.

Djorgovski, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A preliminary survey of collapsed cores in globular clusters

This is a preliminary report on surface photometry of the major fraction of known globular clusters, to see which of them show the signs of a collapsed core. More than 20 examples, or one-fifth of the total, are found. Core classifications are given for all clusters examined. The fraction of collapsed-core clusters may be an index of how long a cluster takes to reexpand after collapse.

Djorgovski, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The core of the W3 molecular cloud

The center of the W3 molecular cloud was studied by using emission from the J = 2 - 1 transition of (C-12)(O-16) and (C-12)(O-18). In agreement with some earlier results, it is found that the velocity gradients, with the exception of small-scale high-velocity outflow, are quite modest. One part of the star-forming core appears to be moving independently of most of the source. Using emission from (C-12)(O-18) to estimate the mass distribution, it is found that the core of the W3 cloud is dominated by an east-west ridge of high column density. A core mass of 5000 solar masses is estimated, which compares with a stellar mass of about 3000 solar masses. The most luminous exciting stars are localized by mapping the (C-12)(O-16) excitation temperature. A simple formula is derived for estimating volume densities by using the observed dust temperature variation.

Thronson, H. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Methods for computing comet core temperatures

The temperature profile within the comet nucleus provides the key to an understanding of the history of the volatiles within a comet. Certain difficulties arise in connection with current cometary temperature models. It is shown that the constraint of zero net heat flow can be used to derive general analytical expressions which will allow for the determination of comet core temperature for a spherically symmetric comet, taking into account information about the surface temperature and the thermal conductivity. The obtained results are compared with the expression for comet core temperatures considered by Klinger (1981). Attention is given to analytical results, an example case, and numerical models. The formalization developed makes it possible to determine the core temperature on the basis of the numerical models of the surface temperature.

Mckay, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Candidate solar-type protostars in nearby molecular cloud cores

IRAS data have been used to examine the vicinity of nearly 100 dense clumps of molecular gas observed in lines of CO and NH3. More than one-third of these molecular cloud 'cores' contain infrared sources that appear to be newly formed, or forming, low mass stars. While about one-third of the infrared sources are associated with visible stars and have properties that resemble T Tauri stars, the remainder of the infrared sources have no optical counterparts and are probably embedded within the molecular cloud itself. These invisible sources lie close to the molecular cloud peaks and have cold, massive shells of material around them. Some of the cores without infrared sources have gas properties similar to those with embedded sources and so may be on the verge of gravitational collapse. The selection of the IRAS sample and its properties are described. The spectral energy distributions of the sources and their nature are discussed along with their physical properties, the properties of cores with and without infrared sources, and the time scale for the evolution of the sources.

Beichman, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Steady surficial core motions - An alternate method

A new method for deriving steady surficial core motions from geomagnetic field models is presented and applied. The original method determines the steady velocity field at the top of a frozen-flux core which best fits, in both the spatial and temporal linear least squares sense, a model of the large scale geomagnetic secular variation (SV) at the base of a source-free mantle (Voorhies, 1986). New method is based upon the same physical assumptions, but fits SV at earth's surface instead of the core-mantle boundary (CMB). The newly derived flow differs somewhat from prior solutions, and shows but slight westward drift; however, other key global properties are virtually unchanged. Over a 15 year interval the new method provides a better fit to the time-varying geomagnetic field at earth's surface than does the old.

Voorhies, Coerte V.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Photoemission studies of core level shifts in HgCdTe, CdMnTe, and HgZnTe

The results of photoemission studies of core level shifts in the Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te, Cd(1-x)Mn(x)Te, and Hg(1-x)Zn(x)Te alloys are discussed. In Hg(0.7)Cd(0.3)Te, the Hg 5d level is found to shift to lower binding energy by 0.1 eV, and the Cd 4d level to shift to higher binding energy by 0.25 eV upon alloying (relative to their binaries). The Born-Haber cycle is used to determine core level binding energies relative to the valence-band maximum in the context of tight-binding theory, and calculated core level shifts upon alloying in HgCdTe are shown to be too small to account for the observed values. A natural valence-band offset between HgTe and CdTe of 0.35 eV is found.

Shih, C. K.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The dynamical regime of fluid flow at the core surface

An alternative method for determining the fluid motion immediately beneath the core-mantle boundary is presented which is based on solving the full nonlinear core motions problem. This method is used to examine three dynamical hypotheses about the flow: (1) the steady motions hypothesis; (2) the geostrophic hypothesis; and (3) the toroidal flow hypothesis. Better fits to the field are obtained with the toroidal flows than with geostrophic flows, casting considerable doubt on the validity of the geostrophic hypothesis. Additionally, some indication is found that failure of the frozen-flux approximation, a concomitant assumption, may be a serious obstacle to obtaining reliable maps of the core fluid flow.

Bloxham, Jeremy↗
NASA NTRS1988

Numerical simulations of thermal-chemical instabilities at the core-mantle boundary

Numerical simulations of thermal-chemical instabilities in the D-double-prime layer at the core-mantle boundary are presented which show that strong lateral heterogeneities in the composition and density fields can be initiated and maintained dynamically if there is continuous replenishment of material from subduced slabs coming from the upper mantle. These chemical instabilities have a tendency to migrate laterally and may help to support core-mantle boundary topography with short and long wavelengths. The thermal-chemical flows produce a relatively stagnant D-double-prime layer with strong lateral and temporal variations in basal heat flux, which gives rise to thermal core-mantle interactions influencing the geodynamo.

Hansen, Ulrich↗
NASA NTRS1989

Advanced core technology: Key to subsonic propulsion benefits

A study was conducted to identify the potential performance benefits and key technology drivers associated with advanced cores for subsonic high bypass turbofan engines. Investigated first were the individual sensitivities of varying compressor efficiency, pressure ratio and bleed (turbine cooling); combustor pressure recovery; and turbine efficiency and inlet temperature on thermal efficiency and core specific power output. Then, engine cycle and mission performance benefits were determined for systems incorporating all potentially achievable technology advancements. The individual thermodynamic sensitivities are shown over a range of turbine temperatures (at cruise) from 2900 to 3500 R and for both constant (current technology) and optimum (maximum thermal efficiency) overall pressure ratios. It is seen that no single parameter alone will provide a large increase in core thermal efficiency, which is the thermodynamic parameter of most concern for transport propulsion. However, when all potentially achievable advancements are considered, there occurs a synergism that produces significant cycle and mission performance benefits. The nature of these benefits are presented along with the technology challenges.

Glassman, Arthur J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Cosmic-ray-produced Kr in St. Severin core AIII

Kr isotopic abundances in 10 samples from core AIII of the St. Severin chondrite are reported, and the variation with depth of cosmic-ray produced Kr is discussed. It is shown that the ratio (Kr-78/Kr-83)c changes with depth and can be used as an irradiation hardness monitor. Cosmic-ray-produced Kr and Ne in the St. Severin core are compared with ratios observed in bulk chondrites. A linear correlation between (Ne-22/Ne-21)c and (Kr-78/Kr-83)c exists for bulk samples of chondrites of varying preatmospheric size, but does not exist in the St. Severin core. The calculated Kr-83 production rates, P83, are similar in H, L, and LL chondrites for samples of comparable shielding conditions. However, P83 rates increase by a factor of about 2 with shielding depth. The maximum observed P83 values correspond to (Kr-78/Kr-83)c factor of about 2 with shielding depth. The maximum observed P83 values correspond to (Kr-78/Kr-83)c less than about 0.14.

Lavielle, B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

High frequency, high temperature specific core loss and dynamic B-H hysteresis loop characteristics of soft magnetic alloys

Limited experimental data exists for the specific core loss and dynamic B-H loops for soft magnetic materials for the combined conditions of high frequency and high temperature. This experimental study investigates the specific core loss and dynamic B-H loop characteristics of Supermalloy and Metglas 2605SC over the frequency range of 1 to 50 kHz and temperature range of 23 to 300 C under sinusoidal voltage excitation. The experimental setup used to conduct the investigation is described. The effects of the maximum magnetic flux density, frequency, and temperature on the specific core loss and on the size and shape of the B-H loops are examined.

Wieserman, W. R.↗