SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Notes”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 559 records · Page 31

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1981

Microfossil-like objects from the Archaean of Greenland - A cautionary note

Recent reports have described 'yeast-like microfossils' (Isuasphaera isua Pflug) in 3,800-million year old metaquartzites from the Isua supracrustal belt of south-west Greenland. A biogenic interpretation of these objects is inconsistent with the tectonic history of the Isua region, with the petrology of the metaquartzites, and with the morphology of the microstructures themselves. The putative microfossils are indistinguishable from limonite-stained fluid inclusions: microstructures which are demonstrably inorganic and post-depositional in origin. As such, it is contended that these objects should not be regarded as evidence of early Archaean life forms.

Bridgwater, D.↗

NASA NTRS1981

A note on the location of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow

While observational and theoretical investigations have clearly indicated that the shape of the magnetosphere is very nearly symmetric about the plane determined by the aberrated solar wind flow direction and the earth's magnetic dipole, many processes such as magnetic pulsations and geomagnetic activity which should be shape dependent do not exhibit symmetry about this plane. The present paper proposes a solution to this apparent paradox in terms of the shifting of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow. It is shown that the interplanetary magnetic field can act to shift the stagnation point on the order of 15 deg from the nose towards dawn during periods of low Alfven Mach number without an appreciable aberration of the magnetopause, accounting for the observations of pulsation demarcation and magnetic reconnection.

Russell, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Additional measurements of the high-latitude sunspot rotation rate /Research note/

Sunspot rotation rate measurements at high sunspot latitudes are reported for the period 1966-68, based on ten spots at latitudes greater than about 28 deg from H-alpha patrol records for this period. A sidereal rotation rate of 13.70 + or - 0.07 deg/day was found on the average, at 31.05 + or - 0.01 deg. Taken together, the full set of measurements in this latitude regime yield a rotation rate that is in excellent agreement with the result derived by Newton and Nunn (1951) from recurrent spots at lower latitudes throughout the six cycles from 1878 to 1944.

Landman, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Notes on the P/Halley nucleus

Indirect evidence and theory concerning the nucleus of P/Halley are summarized. Reasonable estimates place its diameter in the range 2.5 to 4.0 km, but the true value may well lie outside these bounds. The observed activity in its inner coma indicates that the nucleus is spotty and contains small activity areas as do other similar comets. Whether these active areas will show as dark or light regions on the nucleus is not known. Jets of dust will probably obscure parts of the nucleus when imaged by a nearby spacecraft.

Whipple, F. L.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Technical communication: Notes toward defining discipline

In the field of technical communication, definitions posited in virtually any major text violate every major rule of definitions. The most popular method for defining the field is to state that technical writing is any writing that supports technology or technological activities. There is a need for a nice yardstick for measuring what "technology" is. Some ways in which the field can be defined in a tightly structured empirical way and some implications of technical communication for a humanistic education in a technological age are suggested.

Rubens, P. M.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A note on deep space optical communication link parameters

Topical communication in the context of a deep space communication link. Communication link analysis at the optical frequencies differs significantly from that at microwave frequencies such as the traditional S and X-bands used in deep space applications, due to the different technology of transmitter, antenna, modulators, and receivers. In addition, the important role of quantum noise in limiting system performance is quite different than that of thermal noise. The optical link design is put in a design control table format similar to a microwave telecom link design. Key considerations unique to the optical link are discussed.

Dolinar, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Preliminary design notes on a low F-number EMR

Conceptual design studies were completed on a new Electrostatic Membrane Reflector, EMR. This new model incorporates both a preformed, curved membrane reflector and membrane control surface. This improved model is the second step toward a high precision large space antenna that could eventually exhibit a performance in terms of aperture diameter to surface quality exceeding 1,000,000. Design trades indicate that the goal of a low ratio of focal length to aperture diameter (f sub n) can be achieved while operating in a humid sea-level environment. A nominal surface quality of 1.0 mm (RMS) is possible using available off-the-shelf commercial membranes. Both the membrane reflector and control electrode surface are fabricated from 12 gore segments and attached to the available 12 sided, 4.88 m diameter rim. The preferred conceptual design has a f sub n = 1.0. The 4.88 m aperture is performed with a centerline displacement of 0.306 m. The nominal spacing between the membrane reflector and the electrode control surface is 50.8 mm. The centerline membrane displacement from its performed to its tensioned, smooth shape is about 3 mm. The membrane tensioning is achieved by application of an electrostatic pressure of 2.6 N/sq cm and a voltage of about 38 kV.

Mihora, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A note on Compton scattering

Calculations are presented on the energy exchange between free electrons and electromagnetic radiation. The full Klein-Nishina cross section is used in evaluating average scattering coefficients for an electron moving with arbitrary velocity. A number of useful series expansions for the mean energy and mean square energy transfer rates are presented. A Fokker-Planck equation that includes induced scattering is used in deriving a generalized diffusion equation in frequency for multiple scattering of photons of nonrelativistic electrons. The relationship of the Klein-Nishina cross section to that of classical electromagnetic radiation theory is elucidated.

Barbosa, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A note on the assignments of Rydberg states of COS

Assignments of the Rydberg states which converge to the respective X-tilde and B-tilde ion states of the COS(+) ion are reported. The assignments were made based on previously established orderings for the quantum defects of isoelectronic molecules. The Rydberg series I and II, which converge to the X-tilde 2 Pi state of COS(+), and the series III, IV, V, VI and VII, which converge to the B-tilde 2 Sigma + state, are assigned to molecular orbitals characterized by predominant sulfur orbitals, in contrast to those converging to the C-tilde states, which are characterized by oxygen atomic orbitals.

Wu, C. Y. R.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A note on the limits of Rossby wave amplitudes

Quasi-geostrophic dynamics, as usually formulated, centers on the conservation of pseudopotential vorticity (PV) on isobaric surfaces. The present study has the objective to investigate some simple constraints which conservation of PV imposes on internal Rossby waves. Attention is given to some of the limitations that conservation of potential vorticity imposes on the dynamics of the stratosphere. Another possible constraint imposed by hydrodynamic stability is also discussed. The quantitative limitations these constraints put on the amplitudes of internal Rossby waves are assessed and compared with observations of the lower stratosphere.

Lindzen, R. S.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A note on the cracked plates reinforced by a line stiffener

The problem of a cracked plate reinforced by a line stiffener is reconsidered. The original solution of this problem was given in the literature. Also, a variation of the problem with debonding between the plate and the stiffener near the cracked region was reported in the literature. However, the special case of the problem in which the crack tip terminates at the stiffener does not appear to have been studied. In practice, the solution may be necessary in order to assess the crack arrest effectiveness of the stiffener. The problem of a stiffened plate with a crack is reformulated, the asymptotic stress state near the crack tip terminating at the stiffener is examined, and numerical results are given for various stiffness constants.

Yahsi, O. S.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A note against a small-body origin for shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites

With the possible exception of Brachina, shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites all crystallized about 1.3 b.y. ago on the same planet, and they were probably ejected from it together about 180 m.y. ago. No breccias from the parent planet have yet been identified, thus a dominantly impact-processed surface or a small body internal melt scenario is virtually untenable. These meteorites must have formed in a magmatic complex, and on a planet from which it was difficult to remove material: as far as we know, it only happened once. Everything known about shergottites, nakhlites, and Chassigny is consistent with an igneous origin on Mars.

Ryder, G.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A note on the tip noise of rotating blades

A possible cause is suggested for the discrepancies that have arisen between measured results and linear acoustic predictions (based on thickness noise alone), at least at the lower tip Mach number range of the tests. The blade tip is shown to be an effective noise generation area when Isom's thickness noise formula is studied numerically (Farassat and Nystrom, 1980). It is found that neglecting the sources on the airfoil-shaped cut at the very tip of the blade causes serious errors in the predicted thickness noise. It is also found that the tip area becomes less important as the tip speed is increased. The effect of the tip surface on the thickness noise indicates that it should be included in the calculation of the loading noise.

Farassat, F.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A note on compressibility and energy cascade in turbulent molecular clouds

Observed velocity-size correlations are reexamined in the light of an improved theory of turbulent energy cascade that is developed. It is shown that observed velocity-size correlations cannot be compared with the Kolmogorov law, which is based on incompressible turbulent flow. The fact that the log v-log(l/rho) scaling law (v the turbulent velocity, l the associated region size, and rho the fluid density) predicted for compressible energy cascade is always steeper than that observed in molecular clouds indicates the injection rather than the dissipation of mechanical energy at smaller scales of motion. It is also shown that the concept of strict energy cascade may not be generally applicable in the interstellar medium. The agreement between theory and observation turns out to be best for small cool clouds and cloud cores, suggesting that, for these regions at least, the dominant process in establishing the observed v-l-rho correlation is a turbulent energy cascade.

Fleck, R. C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A note on the cracked plates reinforced by a line stiffener

Yahsi, O. S.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A Note on the Ratio of Positively Correlated Gamma Variates

The density function and corresponding moments for the ratio of correlated gamma distributed variates were derived. A class of bivariate gamma distributions was also considered, and additional distributional results which use this class of functions were also derived. Similar results, by using a different class of bivariate gamma distributions, are presented.

Tubbs, J. D.↗

NASA NTRS1984

A note on the temporal behavior of bucket hydrologies

The use of a "canopy' bucket to more accurately represent evapotranspiration over land surfaces is explained. The temporal behavior of the traditional bucket model is compared with one that mimics the effects of interception loss. Results are presented in terms of the spectral response of the parameterization to a hypothetical white noise forcing.

Suarez, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Note on the Optimum Search Strategy for Uniformly Distributed CW Transmitters

The relative probability of detecting randomly distributed CW transmitters as a function of the fraction of the sky which is searched (in a fixed time) is given. It is shown that the probability of detecting such a class of transmitters with a given receiving system is a maximum if the entire sky is searched. The particular case of a search in which the number of directions searched is equal to the telescope gain and the integration time per beam element is equal to the reciprocal of the channel bandwidth is discussed.

Gulkis, S.↗