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NASA NTRS1993

An experimental investigation of fatigue damage in aluminum 2024-T3 alloys

Aluminum alloys are finding increasing use in the aerospace and automobile industries due to their attractive low density-high modulus and low density-high strength characteristics. Unfortunately, cyclic stress-strain deformation alters the microstructure of the material. These structural changes can lead to fatigue damage and ultimately service failure. Therefore, in order to assess the integrity of the alloy, a correlation between fatigue damage and a measurable microstructural property is needed. Aluminum 2024-T3, a commonly used commercial alloy, contains many grains (individual crystals) of various orientations. The sizes and orientations of these grains are known to affect the strength, hardness, and magnetic permeability of polycrystalline alloys and metals; therefore, perhaps a relationship between a grain property and the fatigue state can be established. Tension-compression cycling in aluminum alloys can also induce changes in their dislocation densities. These changes can be studied from measurements of the electrical resistivities of the materials. Consequently, the goals of this investigation were: to study the grain orientation of aluminum 2024-T3 and to seek a correlation between the grain orientation and the fatigue state of the material; and to measure the electrical resistivities of fatigued samples of aluminum 2024-T3 and to interpret the findings.

Ferguson, Milton W.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Molecular Dynamic Simulations of Interaction of an AFM Probe with the Surface of an SCN Sample

Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations is conducted in order to estimate forces of probe-substrate interaction in the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). First a review of available molecular dynamic techniques is given. Implementation of MD simulation is based on an object-oriented code developed at the University of Delft. Modeling of the sample material - succinonitrile (SCN) - is based on the Lennard-Jones potentials. For the polystyrene probe an atomic interaction potential is used. Due to object-oriented structure of the code modification of an atomic interaction potential is straight forward. Calculation of melting temperature is used for validation of the code and of the interaction potentials. Various fitting parameters of the probe-substrate interaction potentials are considered, as potentials fitted to certain properties and temperature ranges may not be reliable for the others. This research provides theoretical foundation for an interpretation of actual measurements of an interaction forces using AFM.

Bune, Adris↗

NASA NTRS1995

Fractional Step and Pseudocompressibility Methods for the Solution of Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations

The fractional step and the pseudocompressibility methods for the solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are outlined. The fractional step method is based on finite-volume formulation and uses the pressure and the volume fluxes across the faces of each cell as dependent variables. The momentum equations are solved implicitly and the Poisson equation for the pressure is solved by using the multigrid method. The pseudocompressibility approach uses an implicit-higher-order-upwind differencing scheme for the convective terms together with the Gauss-Seidel line relaxation method. The dependent variables in the pseudocompressibility approach are the pressure and the cartesian velocity components in unstaggered mesh orientation. The 90-degree square duct flow, the wing-tip vortex wake flow and unsteady turbulent flows over an oscillating NACA 0015 airfoil are computed using both the fractional step and the pseudocompressibility methods. The results obtained from two different schemes are compared against experimental measurements.

Kiris, Cetin↗

NASA NTRS1985

Magnetic fields on the sun and the north-south component of transient variations of the interplanetary magnetic field at 1 AU

In order to study the relationship between solar magnetic fields and the transient variations of the north-south component B(Z) of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at 1 AU, flares from unusual north-south oriented active regions, large IMF B(Z) events, and large flares with comprehensive flare index higher than 12 were collected. The associated IMF B(Z) changes or the magnetic field of the initiating flares are investigated. For those cases where an association between a transient B(Z) variation and an initiating flare is plausible, it is found that, for a given flare field, the orientation of the corresponding transient variation of B(Z) may be in agreement with the flare field, opposite to it, or more often, fluctuating in both magnitude and direction. Conversely, an IMF B(Z) event may originate in a flare field in the same magnetic orientation, opposite to it, or in the east-west orientation.

Tang, F.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Environmental processes and spectral reflectance characteristics associated with soil erosion in desert fringe regions

Two Thematic Mapper (TM) scenes were acquired. A scene was acquired for the Bahariya, Egypt field area, and one was acquired covering the Okavango Delta site. Investigations at the northwest Botswana study sites have concentrated upon a system of large linear (alab) dunes possessing an average wavelength of 2 kilometers and an east-west orientation. These dunes exist to the north and west of the Okavango Swamp, the pseudodeltaic end-sink of the internal Okavango-Cubango-Cuito drainage network. One archival scene and two TM acquisitions are on order, but at present no TM data were acquired for the Tombouctou/Azaouad Dunes, Mali. The three areas taken together comprise an environmental series ranging from hyperarid to semi-arid, with desertization processes operational or incipient in each. The long range goal is to predict normal seasonal variations, so that aperiodic spectral changes resulting from soil erosion, vegetation damage, and associated surface processes would be distinguishable as departures from the norm.

Jacobberger, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Configuration trade and code validation study on a conical hypersonic vehicle

A study has been conducted on a generic wing-cone transatmospheric vehicle at Mach numbers form 2.5 to 4.5. The objectives of the study were to experimentally define the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle and evaluate several computational aerodynamic prediction methods through comparison with the experimental results. The baseline wing-cone configuration fuselage consisted of a 5 deg half-angle cone forebody, cylindrical midbody, and 9 deg truncated cone afterbody. The 4-percent-thick diamond airfoil wing had an aspect ratio of 1. Several configuration variables were investigated to provide trade information on canard, wing-position and incidence, vertical tail, and nose bluntness effects. Results of the study show that wing-position and wing-incidence effects on the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics can be significantly influenced by wing-body interference. The use of positive wing incidence to provide favorable forebody orientation for possible inlet performance improvement is accompanied by trim drag and lift-drag ratio penalties. The lateral-directional stability characteristics were strongly influenced by the location of the vertical tails. The higher-order full-potential method provided better estimates of the aerodynamic characteristics than either the linearized supersonic potential method or the tangent-cone/tangent-wedge/shock-expansion on method.

Covell, Peter F.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Advanced teleoperation - Progress and problems

A dual-arm Advanced Teleoperation System (ATOPS) was developed at JPL to demonstrate and evaluate performance capabilities of computer and sensing aided teleoperation. This paper gives a brief overview of the system and briefly describes some of the generic and application-oriented performance experiments together with the major results. A major conclusion is that the new advanced technical features of the system should be properly integrated with or interfaced to the natural features of human operations in order to produce an improved overall system and task performance capability.

Bejczy, Antal K.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Analysis of coseismic surface displacement gradients using radar interferometry: New insights into the Landers earthquake

The map of the coseismic displacement field generated by interferometric processing of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images taken before and after the June 28, 1992, Landers earthquake sequence brings new insights into the nature of deformation caused by these earthquakes. We use the interferometric map generated by Massonnet et al. (1993) to analyze the surface displacement field in the vicinity of the fault trace. Complexities in the fringe pattern near the fault reflect short-wavelength variations of the surface rupture and slip distribution, and attest to large displacement gradients. Along two sections of the fault, characteristic fringe patterns can be recognized, contrasting in density and direction with patterns observed away from the rupture. In order to understand the observed fringe patterns, we compute synthetic interferograms in three simple cases: (1) rigid-body rotations about a vertical axis, (2) about a horizontal axis (tilt), and (3) distributed, simple shear. The orientation and spatial separation of interferometric fringes predicted by these models help constrain near-field deformation and rupture parameters. Where the Kickapoo fault connects with the Homestead Valley fault, the interferogram shows a clear pattern of parallel N20 deg W fringes separated by about 160 m. This pattern and vertical offsets measured along the Kickapoo fault suggest that the block between this fault and the Johnson Valley fault may have been tilted, down to the west. A 5-km block lifted by 1 m on one side would be tilted by an angle of 0.01 deg (190 microrad), producing fringes separated by about 160 m, parallel to the tilt axis. Such a tilt, parallel to a N20 deg W direction, would account for the gradual, northward increase of the vertical slip component observed along the Kickapoo fault. This tilt may also explain the 1 m of reverse slip observed along the 'slip gap' section of the Homestead Valley break. Between the southern end of the Johnson Valley fault and the Eureka Peak fault, where no surface rupture has been mapped, the dense pattern of fringes implies distributed shear, probably resulting from fault slip at depth. The density and direction of the fringes in the gap are consistent with a right-lateral slip of 1.2-3.8 m on a blind fault locked above the depth of 1.5-2 km. Such observations of small wavelength features in the SAR interferogram bring new insights into the near-field displacement gradient and thus on response of the uppermost crust to seismic rupture.

Peltzer, Gilles↗

NASA NTRS2004

Developing Glassy Magnets from Simulated Composition of Martian Soil for Exploration Applications

The long-term exploration goals of NASA include developing human habitation on Mars and conducting scientific investigations on Mars and other planetary bodies. In situ resource processing is a key objective in this area We focus OR the possibility of making magnetic glasses in situ for potential applications development. The paper will focus on ongoing work at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center on making magnetic glass h m Mars soil simulants and its characterization. Analysis of the glass morphology, strength, chemistry and resulting magnetic properties will provide a fi.mdamenta1 understanding ofthe synthesized materiai that can be used for pomtiai appiications cieveiopment. In an effort to characterize the magnetic properbes of the Mars glasses, a series of tests were performed at NASA MSFC. Preliminary tests indicated that the glasses were attracted to a magnet and also had a small amount of residual magnetism. They were opaque (almost black in color). As the first step, a sample of Mars 1 glass (-lm x lmm x 5 mm length) was machined, weighed and its hysteresis curve was measured using a Vibration Sample Magnetometer 0. Next, a small furnace was designed and built and the sample was baked in a graphite (reducing agent) crucible at 800 C in an Argon atmosphere for 3 hours in the presence of a uniform, transverse (transverse to the 5mm length of the sample) magnetic field of 0.37 Tesla. The treated sample showed reddening on the outside and showed substantially increased residual magnetism. This sample was again analyzed in the VSM. The data clearly showed that some chemical change occurred during the heat treatment (color change) and that both the glasses have useful magnetic properties. Although no orientation effects of the magnetic field were considered, the data showed the following: 1. Both glass samples are primarily soft magnets and display ferromagnetic behavior (hysteresis, saturation, etc.) 2. The treated glass has improved saturation magnetism (order of magnitude increase), retentivity (factor of 6 increase) and susceptibility (order of magnitude increase) compared to the untreated glass 3. The untreated sample has higher coercivity (-50% that of Nickel) than the treated sample

Ramachandran, Narayanan↗

NASA NTRS2004

Developing Glassy Magnets from Simulated Composition of Martian Soil for Exploration Applications

The long-term exploration goals of NASA include developing human habitation on Mars and conducting scientific investigations on Mars and other planetary bodies. In situ resource processing is a key objective in this area. We focus on the possibility of making magnetic glasses in situ for potential applications development. The paper will focus on ongoing work at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center on making magnetic glass from Mars soil simulants and its characterization. Analysis of the glass morphology, strength, chemistry and resulting magnetic properties will provide a fundamental understanding of the synthesized material that can be used for potential applications development. in an effort to characterize the magnetic properties of the Mars glasses, a series of tests were performed at NASA MSFC. Preliminary tests indicated that the glasses were attracted to a magnet and also had a small amount of residual magnetism. They were opaque (almost black in color). As the first step, a sample of Mars 1 glass (approx.1 mm x 1 mm x 5 mm length) was machined, weighed and its hysteresis curve was measured using a Vibration Sample Magnetometer (VSM). Next, a small furnace was designed and built and the sample was baked in a graphite (reducing agent) crucible at 800 C in an Argon atmosphere for 3 hours in the presence of a uniform, transverse (transverse to the 5mm length of the sample) magnetic field of 0.37 Tesla. The treated sample showed reddening on the outside and showed substantially increased residual magnetism. This sample was again analyzed in the VSM. The data clearly showed that some chemical change occurred during the heat treatment (color change) and that both the glasses have useful magnetic properties. Although no orientation effects of the magnetic field were considered, the data showed the following: 1. Both glass samples are primarily soft magnets and display ferromagnetic behavior (hysteresis, saturation, etc.) 2. The treated glass has improved saturation magnetism (order of magnitude increase), retentivity (factor of 6 increase) and susceptibility (order of magnitude increase) compared to the untreated glass 3. The untreated sample has higher coercivity (approx.50% that of Nickel) than the treated sample 4. Both samples have similar energy density. Results from a systematic study to quantify the effects of processing conditions such as heat treatment, atmosphere, containerless processing (by electrostatic levitation), and applications of external magnetic fields of different strengths will be discussed. Efforts on optimizing the magnetic properties of the product and the feasibility of using it for a couple of specific magnetic applications such as heat generation using an ac field and for electro forming will also be covered. The latter is an in situ manufacturing technique being studied for in-space fabrication applications at MSFC.

Ramachandran, N.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Visualization of Flow Separation Around an Atmospheric Entry Capsule at Low-Subsonic Mach Number Using Background-Oriented Schlieren (BOS)

This paper presents the results of visualization of separated flow around a generic entry capsule that resembles the Apollo Command Module (CM) and the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). The model was tested at flow speeds up to Mach 0.4 at a single angle of attack of 28 degrees. For manned spacecraft using capsule-shaped vehicles, certain flight operations such as emergency abort maneuvers soon after launch and flight just prior to parachute deployment during the final stages of entry, the command module may fly at low Mach number. Under these flow conditions, the separated flow generated from the heat-shield surface on both windward and leeward sides of the capsule dominates the wake flow downstream of the capsule. In this paper, flow visualization of the separated flow was conducted using the background-oriented schlieren (BOS) method, which has the capability of visualizing significantly separated wake flows without the particle seeding required by other techniques. Experimental results herein show that BOS has detection capability of density changes on the order of 10(sup-5).

Mizukaki, Toshiharu↗

NASA NTRS1982

The structure of 110 tilt boundaries in large area solar silicon

The models of Hornstra and their connection to the repeating group description of grain boundaries (7-10) are discussed. A model for the Sigma = 27 boundary containing a zig-zag arrangement of dislocations is constructed and it is shown that zig-zag models can account for the contrast features observed in high resolution transmission electron micrographs of second and third order twin boundaries in silicon. The boundaries discussed are symmetric with a 110 tilt axis and a (110) boundary plane in the median lattice (the median plane). The median lattice is identical in structure and halfway in orientation between the crystal lattices either side of the boundary.

Ast, D. G.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Development of a residual acceleration data reduction and dissemination plan

A major obstacle in evaluating the residual acceleration environment in an orbiting space laboratory is the amount of data collected during a given mission: gigabytes of data will be available as SAMS units begin to fly regularly. Investigators taking advantage of the reduced gravity conditions of space should not be overwhelmed by the accelerometer data which describe these conditions. We are therefore developing a data reduction and analysis plan that will allow principal investigators of low-g experiments to create experiment-specific residual acceleration data bases for post-flight analysis. The basic aspects of the plan can also be used to characterize the acceleration environment of earth orbiting laboratories. Our development of the reduction plan is based on the following program of research: the identification of experiment sensitivities by order of magnitude estimates and numerical modelling; evaluation of various signal processing techniques appropriate for the reduction, supplementation, and dissemination of residual acceleration data; and testing and implementation of the plan on existing acceleration data bases. The orientation of the residual acceleration vector with respect to some set of coordinate axes is important for experiments with known directional sensitivity. Orientation information can be obtained from the evaluation of direction cosines. Fourier analysis is commonly used to transform time history data into the frequency domain. Common spectral representations are the amplitude spectrum which gives the average of the components of the time series at each frequency and the power spectral density which indicates the power or energy present in the series per unit frequency interval. The data reduction and analysis scheme developed involves a two tiered structure to: (1) identify experiment characteristics and mission events that can be used to limit the amount of accelerator data an investigator should be interested in; and (2) process the data in a way that will be meaningful to the experiment objectives. A general outline of the plan is given.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Flow-induced birefringence measurement system using dual-crystal transverse electro-optic modulator for microgravity fluid physics applications

We have developed a new instrument that can measure fast transient birefringence and polymer chain orientation angle in complex fluids. The instrument uses a dual-crystal transverse electro-optic modulator with the second crystal's modulation voltage applied 180 deg out of phase from that of the first crystal. In this manner, the second crystal compensates for the intrinsic static birefringence of the first crystal, and it doubles the modulation depth. By incorporating a transverse electro-optic modulator with two lithium-niobate (LiNbO3) crystals oriented orthogonal to each other with a custom-designed optical system, we have produced a very small robust instrument capable of fast transient retardation measurements. By measuring the sample thickness or optical path length through the sample, we can calculate the transient birefringence. This system can also measure dichroism. We have compared the calibration results and retardation and orientation angle measurements of this instrument with those of a photoelastic modulator (PEM) based system using a quarter wave plate and a high-precision 1/16-wave plate to simulate a birefringent sample. Transient birefringence measurements on the order of 10(exp -9) can be measured using either modulator.

Mackey, Jeffrey R.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Development of a User Interface for a Regression Analysis Software Tool

An easy-to -use user interface was implemented in a highly automated regression analysis tool. The user interface was developed from the start to run on computers that use the Windows, Macintosh, Linux, or UNIX operating system. Many user interface features were specifically designed such that a novice or inexperienced user can apply the regression analysis tool with confidence. Therefore, the user interface s design minimizes interactive input from the user. In addition, reasonable default combinations are assigned to those analysis settings that influence the outcome of the regression analysis. These default combinations will lead to a successful regression analysis result for most experimental data sets. The user interface comes in two versions. The text user interface version is used for the ongoing development of the regression analysis tool. The official release of the regression analysis tool, on the other hand, has a graphical user interface that is more efficient to use. This graphical user interface displays all input file names, output file names, and analysis settings for a specific software application mode on a single screen which makes it easier to generate reliable analysis results and to perform input parameter studies. An object-oriented approach was used for the development of the graphical user interface. This choice keeps future software maintenance costs to a reasonable limit. Examples of both the text user interface and graphical user interface are discussed in order to illustrate the user interface s overall design approach.

Ulbrich, Norbert Manfred↗

NASA NTRS2019

Common Habitat for Long Duration Transit and Surface Operations

This concept is based on the Skylab II concept, which proposes using a SLS propellant tank as the primary structure of a habitat. Common Habitat takes this a step further, proposing an interior architecture that is equally viable as a lunar surface hab, transit hab, and Mars surface hab, thus enabling a single development to support all three long duration habitat roles. Common Habitat has been pursued by the PI and co-investigators at MSFC and other centers in a spare time / funding available basis, often with heavy student intern support. Student resources have developed preliminary concepts, but these models must be refined to reflect accurate vehicle subsystems, utilities, stowage, workstations, and other crew systems. This investigation applies NASA civil servant and contractor expertise to correct errors in the most recent student concepts in order to prepare them for future human-in-the-loop evaluations to determine the most viable configuration for a Common Habitat. In prior studies there was never an opportunity to trade both crew size and internal orientation. Prior work has been a series of point designs with inconsistent design constraints, making apples to apples comparisons impossible. The most recent student work produced CAD models of four habitat variants for future use in a trade study, but the student products contain model construction and geometry errors, inaccurate subsystems design and placement, and unrealistic structural elements and outfitting. These must be corrected before the models can be moved into a VR environment for humanin- the-loop testing. Through consultation with SMEs throughout the Agency, the fidelity of these designs will be upgraded to a level of quality sufficient to make a comparative analysis of crew size sensitivity and internal orientation. The product of this activity is four upgraded CAD models, each reflecting a different configuration of the Common Habitat. One is a horizontal configuration using the full length of the SLS LOX tank. One is a vertical configuration using the same tank dimensions. The third is a horizontal configuration using a truncated SLS LOX tank (half the barrel length). The fourth is a vertical configuration of the half-length SLS LOX tank.

Howard, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Improved Phase-Mask Fabrication of Fiber Bragg Gratings

An improved method of fabrication of Bragg gratings in optical fibers combines the best features of two prior methods: one that involves the use of a phase mask and one that involves interference between the two coherent laser beams. The improved method affords flexibility for tailoring Bragg wavelengths and bandwidths over wide ranges. A Bragg grating in an optical fiber is a periodic longitudinal variation in the index of refraction of the fiber core. The spatial period (Bragg wavelength) is chosen to obtain enhanced reflection of light of a given wavelength that would otherwise propagate relatively unimpeded along the core. Optionally, the spatial period of the index modulation can be made to vary gradually along the grating (such a grating is said to be chirped ) in order to obtain enhanced reflection across a wavelength band, the width of which is determined by the difference between the maximum and minimum Bragg wavelengths. In the present method as in both prior methods, a Bragg grating is formed by exposing an optical fiber to an ultraviolet-light interference field. The Bragg grating coincides with the pattern of exposure of the fiber core to ultraviolet light; in other words, the Bragg grating coincides with the interference fringes. Hence, the problem of tailoring the Bragg wavelength and bandwidth is largely one of tailoring the interference pattern and the placement of the fiber in the interference pattern. In the prior two-beam interferometric method, a single laser beam is split into two beams, which are subsequently recombined to produce an interference pattern at the location of an optical fiber. In the prior phase-mask method, a phase mask is used to diffract a laser beam mainly into two first orders, the interference between which creates the pattern to which an optical fiber is exposed. The prior two-beam interferometric method offers the advantage that the period of the interference pattern can be adjusted to produce gratings over a wide range of Bragg wavelengths, but offers the disadvantage that success depends on precise alignment and high mechanical stability. The prior phase-mask method affords the advantages of compactness of equipment and relative insensitivity to both misalignment and vibration, but does not afford adjustability of the Bragg wavelength. The present method affords both the flexibility of the prior two-beam interferometric method and the compactness and stability of the prior phase-mask method. In this method (see figure), a laser beam propagating along the x axis is normally incident on a phase mask that lies in the (y,z) plane. The phase of light propagating through the mask is modulated with a spatial periodicity, p, along the y axis chosen to diffract the laser light primarily to first order at the angle . (The zero-order laser light propagating along the x axis can be used for alignment and thereafter suppressed during exposure of the fiber.) The diffracted light passes through a concave cylindrical lens, which converts the flat diffracted wave fronts to cylindrical ones, as though the light emanated from a line source. Then two parallel flat mirrors recombine the diffracted beams to form an interference field equivalent to that of two coherent line sources at positions A and B (virtual sources). The interference pattern is a known function of the parameters of the apparatus and of position (x,y) in the interference field. Hence, the tilt, wavelength, and chirp of the Bragg grating can be chosen through suitable adjustments of the apparatus and/or of the position and orientation of the optical fiber. In particular, the Bragg wavelength can be adjusted by moving the fiber along the x axis, and the bandwidth can be modified over a wide range by changing the fiber tilt angle or by moving the phase mask and/or the fiber. Alignment is easy because the zero-order beam defines the x axis. The interference is relatively stable and insensitive to the mechanical vibration because of the gh symmetry and compactness of the apparatus, the fixed positions of the mirrors and lens, and the consequent fixed positions of the two virtual line sources, which are independent of the translations of the phase mask and the laser relative to the lens.

Grant, Joseph↗

NASA NTRS1994

Double vision: Remote sensing of a flux transfer event with ISEE 1 and 2

A flux transfer event recorded by the International Sun-Earth Explorers (ISEE) 1 and 2 spacecraft in the northern hemisphere near local noon is examined using analysis techniques developed recently for determination from single satellite magnetometer data of the orientation and cross-sectional shape of a two-dimensional disturbance moving along the magnetopause. The analysis is performed independently on the magnetic field data recorded by each satellite, enabling us to check the consistency of the results and thus to benchmark the method. The analysis is also extended to utilize the dual magnetometer measurements for determination of the event speed and size (which for a single spacecraft requires use of three-dimensional plasma velocity data to obtain a deHoffmann-Teller frame velocity) and for accommodating acceleration of the magnetopause normal to itself, which results in a curved spacecraft trajectory in the frame of reference moving with the disturbance. The analysis of the disturbance reveals that while its overall size is about 34,000 km in a direction parallel to the magnetopause but perpendicular to the event axis, the actual size of the bulge causing the field disturbance may have been as small as 9000 km with a dimension perpendicular to the magnetopause of the order of 1200 km. The bulge is found to be traveling at a speed of about 140 km/s toward the northern dawn quadrant of the dayside magnetopause. While plasma data from ISEE 2 provides evidence of plasma jetting, which suggests the event may be associated with reconnection, the orientation of the flux tube axis obtained from analysis is significantly different from the expected reconnection line direction. A discussion of possible interpretations of this bulge orientation and motion is provided.

Walthour, D. W.↗