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Studies conducted outside the effect of the earth's magnetic field during the revolution period by the Prognoz satellite are examined. In particular, the unperturbed solar wind, the flux of charged particles continually given off the sun is studied. Solar activity and its effects on various natural phenomena are discussed.
The radiative transfer techniques of Huang have been further extended in an attempt to construct a specific thermal dust-emission model of eta Carinae which fits the observations of both the spectral and the spatial distribution of the infrared radiation. The model which best fits the observations requires infrared emissivities considerably higher than those of normal-size nonsilicate grains. Evidence is presented that the high infrared emissivities are caused by large particles rather than a heavy concentration of infrared-active silicates. The possibility that synchrotron radiation is responsible for some of the infrared continuum is discussed.
Small quantities of solid rocket motor propellant, of the type to launch the Space Shuttle, were burned at ambient pressure in the laboratory to provide aerosol samples for characterization. A portion of each sample was injected into an isothermal cloud chamber and the remainder into a 770-liter holding tank. Portable ice nucleus (IN) counters, filter devices for IN determinations and a cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) counter sampled from the tank. The measurements show that particles resulting from the combustion of the propellant are active IN (3.3 times 10 to the 8th to 1.5 times 10 to the 11th/g active at 20 C). The portable counters and filters detected significantly fewer IN than the isothermal cloud chamber. The propellant aerosol is a prolific source of CCN that swamped the instrument.
A computer code is described which simulates the interaction of the space environment with a satellite at geosynchronous altitude. Employing finite elements, a three-dimensional satellite model has been constructed with more than 1000 surface cells and 15 different surface materials. Free space around the satellite is modeled by nesting grids within grids. Applications of this NASA Spacecraft Charging Analyzer Program (NASCAP) code to the study of a satellite photosheath and the differential charging of the SCATHA (satellite charging at high altitudes) satellite in eclipse and in sunlight are discussed. In order to understand detector response when the satellite is charged, the code is used to trace the trajectories of particles reaching the SCATHA detectors. Particle trajectories from positive and negative emitters on SCATHA also are traced to determine the location of returning particles, to estimate the escaping flux, and to simulate active control of satellite potentials.
Sets of amino acids containing sufficient trifunctional monomer are thermally polymerized at temperatures such as 65 deg; the amino acids order themselves. Various polymers have diverse catalytic activities. The polymers aggregate, in aqueous solution, to cell-like structures having those activities plus emergent properties, e.g. proliferatability. Polyamino acids containing sufficient lysine catalyze conversion of free amino acids, by ATP, to small peptides and a high molecular weight fraction. The lysine-rich proteinoid is active in solution, within suspensions of cell-like particles, or in other particles composed of lysine-rich proteinoid and homopolyribonucleotide. Selectivities are observed. An archaic polyamino acid prelude to coded protein synthesis is indicated.
An investigation is conducted of the temporal and spatial structures of UV and hard X-ray bursts in a disk and a limb flare observed with instruments on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. Attention is given to the transient UV brightening before the flare, the impulsive enhancement of UV continuum emission, the relationship between emission source region and particle acceleration region, and large scale excitations. The most active part of the active region appears to be the most flare-productive region. These regions exhibit high UV activities with numerous UV transient bursts occurring in many small kernels.
The magnetosphere and magnetic field of Uranus are analyzed using Voyager 2 data. It is observed that the magnetic axis of Uranus is tilted 60 deg from its rotation axis; the magnetic dipole center is displaced almost 7700 km from the center of the planet; the magnetic field intensity varies over its surface between 24,000-69,000 gammas; and the rotation rate of the planet is 17.24 hours. The dynamo generation of the planetary magnetic field is examined. Consideration is given to the auroral activity, magnetic tails, moons, and radiation belts of charged particles of Uranus. The significance of the large tilt and offset magnetic axis for the interior of Uranus is discussed.
The particle populations that are expected to inflict the most damage on thin film materials grown on the vacuum Wake Shield Facility (WSF) are ions and energetic neutral atoms with energies in the range of 100 eV to 20 keV. The production of films that have an order of magnitude fewer defects than are now available requires that the 1-keV particle flux be kept lower than 1000 particles/(sq cm s sr keV) (assuming a reasonable spectral shape). WSF will be flown on orbits with an inclination of 28 deg at altitudes of 300-700 km. Because of the background counting rate produced by the about 100 MeV trapped protons in the inner belt, obtaining accurate measurements of the particles of interest is very difficult. The quiet-time background fluxes of the relevant particles are not presently known. At times of magnetic activity, fluxes of 0.1-17 keV O(+) ions as great as 10 million ions/(sq cm s sr keV) have been observed flowing out of the ionosphere at these latitudes. It appears that instrumentation for detailed assessment is essential for the proof-of-concept flight(s) and that real-time monitoring of low-energy ion and energetic neutral radiation will be required for the production flights.
The effect of the matrix on the reflectivity spectra of nanophase (superparamagnetic) hematite (np-Hm) dispersed within the matrix was investigated in four series of powder samples containing np-Hm dispersed within discrete powder particles (of two size ranges) of silica gel and activated alumina. The spectral data show that matrix effects are large. Samples with the same Fe2O3 content can have np-Hm absorption edges characterized by very different positions and curvature and slope indices, while samples with equivalent absorption edges can have very different Fe2O3 concentrations. Thus, quantitative relationships between the positions of ferric absorption edges and Fe2O3 concentrations are unreliable without knowledge of matrix properties of the system. It is shown that it was possible to match the Fe2O3 concentration, magnetic properties, and spectral data for Martian surface material with a laboratory mixture whose only ferric-bearing phase was hematite.
The presence of high neutral densities at low altitudes and/or during thruster firings is known to modify the spacecraft potential during active electron beam injection. Two-dimensional (three velocity) particle simulations are used to investigate the ionization processes including the neutral density required, the modification of the spacecraft potential, beam profile and spatial distribution of the return current into the spacecraft. Three processes are identified: (1) beam-induced ionization, (2) vehicle-induced ionization, and (3) beam plasma discharge. Only in the first two cases does the beam propagate away with little distortion.
The present characterization of the Venus ionosphere gives attention to features observed by the Pioneer Venus orbiter in situ ionospheric particle measuring instrument over an entire cycle of solar activity. A striking change is noted in the typical ionospheric morphology from solar maximum to minimum. The principal source of ionization in the dayside ionosphere during both solar maximum and minimum is solar EUV radiation, while that in the nightside is a downward flux of O(+) ions that originate in the dayside ionosphere and are transported across the nightside hemisphere by a supersonic ion wind. The dayside ionosphere contains fluxes of suprathermal electrons whose energy spectra are consistent with fluxes originating in EUV photo production.
On the ATLAS 1 mission (STS-45, launched March 24, 1992) two experiments, AEPI (Atmospheric Emissions Photometric Imaging) and SEPAC (Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators) performed the first of a series of active experiments intended to probe the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere with electron beams. The luminous artificial aurora generated by the electron beam interaction was detected and measured by AEPI both in white light and in a narrow wavelength band at 427.8 nm (peak intensity 5 kR). Modelling calculation showed that there was a significant contribution from emissions originating near the spacecraft. The spatial intensity distribution of the observed auroral patch is consistent with emission contribution from both high and low altitude regions. An extended tail in the direction of the shuttle wake was observed in the 427.8 nm channel, consistent with a decay time associated with the dissipation of the hot electron plasma.
The special energy requirements of a coronal hole combined with current knowledge of the limited dissipation of Alfven and fast mode MHD waves in the solar corona suggest a unique source of heat for the coronal hole. The near coronal hole requires approximately 3 - 4 x 10 exp 5 ergs/sq cm s, which can come only from the fluid jets, fast particles, and short period MHD waves from the network activity. The high speed streams of solar wind from coronal holes show that there is substantial heating, of 1 - 2 x 10 exp 5 ergs/sq cm s, beyond the sonic point in the wind, which can come only from the dissipation by thermal conduction of long period (approximately equal or greater than 100 sec) MHD waves from subphotospheric convection. Although the Alfven wave flux from the photosphere is generally taken for granted in the literature, we point out that it is a crucial phenomenon that has yet to be established on either a theoretical or observational scientific basis.
The development of high linear energy transfer (LET), passive radiation dosimetry and spectrometry is needed for the purpose of accurate determination of equivalent doses and assessment of health risks to astronauts on long duration missions. Progress in the following research areas is summerized: intercomparisons of cosmic ray equivalent dose and LET spectra measurements between STS missions and between astronauts; increases LET spectra measurement accuracy with ATAS; space radiation measurements for intercomparisons of passive (PNTD, TLD, TRND, Emulsion) and active (TEPC, RME-111) dosimeters; interaction of cosmic ray particles with nuclei in matter; radiation measurements after long duration space exposures; ground based dosimeter calibrations; neutron detector calibrations; radiation measurements on Soviet/Russian spacecraft; space radiation measurements under thin shielding; and space radiation.
We have compared the AUREOL 3 (A3) observations of auroral ion precipitation, particularly ion beams, with the results from the global kinetic model of magnetotail plasma of Ashour-Abdalla et al. (1993). We have identified 101 energetic keV H(+) velocity dispersed precipitating ion structures (VDIS) with fluxes above 10(exp -3) ergs./sq cm./s in the A3 record between the end of 1981 and mid-1984. These beams display a systematic increase in energy with increasing latitude and were observed in a narrow region within less than 1 deg in latitude of the polar cap boundary. The VDIS are the most distinctive feature in the auroral zone of the plasma sheet boundary layer. We report first on a statistical analysis of the possible ralationships between magnetic activity or substorm phase and the VDIS properties. Our particle simulations of the precipitating ions have been extended by using a series of modified versions of the Tsyganenko (1989) magnetic field model and by varying the cross-magnetosphere electric field. In the simulations, plasma from a mantle source is subject to strong nonlinear acceleration, forming beams which flow along the PSBL. Only 3 to 4% of these beams precipitate into the ionosphere to form the VDIS while the majority return to the equatorial plane after mirroring and form the thermalized central plasma sheet. The final energy and the dispersion of the beams in the model depend on the amplitude of the cross-tail electric field. Two unsual observations of low-energy (less than 5 keV) O(+) VDIS, shifted by 4 deg 5 deg in invariant latitude equatorward of H(+) VDIS are analyzed in detail. The sparsity of such O(+) events and the absence of the changes in the flux and frequency of occurrence indicate a solar wind origin for the plasma. Finally, large-scale kinetic modeling, even with its simplifications and assumptions (e.g., static magnetic field, solar wind source), reproduces low-altitude auroral ion features fairly well; it may therefore be presented as an appropriate framework into which data on energization and transport of the hot plasma, obtained in the equatorial plane, could be inserted in the near future.
The "Photochemical Phenomenology Model for the New Millennium" project tackles the issue of reengineering and extension of validated physics-based modeling capabilities ("legacy" computer codes) to application-oriented software for use in science and science-support activities. While the design and architecture layouts are in terms of general particle distributions involved in scattering, impact, and reactive interactions, initial Photochemical Phenomenology Modeling Tool (PPMT) implementations are aimed at construction and evaluation of photochemical transport models with rapid execution for use in remote sensing data analysis activities in distributed systems. Current focus is on the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) data acquired during the CASSINI flyby of Jupiter. Overall, the project has stayed on the development track outlined in the Year 1 annual report and most Year 2 goals have been met. The issues that have required the most attention are: implementation of the core photochemistry algorithms; implementation of a functional Java Graphical User Interface; completion of a functional CORBA Component Model framework; and assessment of performance issues. Specific accomplishments and the difficulties encountered are summarized in this report. Work to be carried out in the next year center on: completion of testing of the initial operational implementation; its application to analysis of the CASSINI/CIRS Jovian flyby data; extension of the PPMT to incorporate additional phenomenology algorithms; and delivery of a mature operational implementation.
The cometary tray of the NASA Stardust spacecraft s aerogel collector has been examined to study the dust that was captured during the 2004 fly by of comet 81P/Wild-2. An optical scan of the entire collector surface revealed 256 impact features in the aerogel (width > 100 microns). 20 aerogel blocks (out of a total of 132) were removed from the collector tray for a higher resolution optical scan and 186 tracks were observed (track length > 50 microns and width > 8 microns). The impact features were classified into three types based on their morphology. Laboratory calibrations were conducted which reproduce all three types. This work suggests that the cometary dust consisted of some cohesive, relatively strong particles as well as particles with a more friable or low cohesion matrix containing smaller strong grains. The calibrations also permitted a particle size distribution to be estimated for the cometary dust. We estimate that approximately 1200 particles bigger than 1 micron struck the aerogel. The cumulative size distribution of the captured particles was obtained and compared with observations made by active dust detectors during the encounter. At large sizes (>20 microns) all measures of the dust are compatible, but at micrometer scales and smaller discrepancies exist between the various measurement systems which may reflect structure in the dust flux (streams, clusters etc.) along with some possible instrument effects.
Distribution of water concentration on the Moon is currently an area of active research. Recent studies suggest the presence of ice particles, and perhaps even ice blocks and ice-cemented regolith on the Moon. Thermal extraction of the in-situ water is an attractive means of sa tisfying water requirements for a lunar mission. In this paper, a model is presented to analyze the processes occurring during the heat-up of icy regolith and extraction of the evolved water vapor. The wet regolith is assumed to be present in an initially evacuated and sealed cell which is subsequently heated. The first step of the analysis invol ves calculating the gradual increase of vapor pressure in the closed cell as the temperature is raised. Then, in the second step, the cell is evacuated to low pressure (e.g., vacuum), allowing the water vapor to leave the cell and be captured. The parameters affecting water vap or pressure build-up and evacuation for the purpose of extracting water from lunar regolith are discussed in the paper. Some comparisons wi th available experimental measurements are also made.