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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

Fundamental Equations of the LIF Hydroxyl Measurements, Appendix a

The equation relating OH concentration to the observed detector count rate for a given laser flux is defined. That equation, which will be referred to henceforth as the central equation for absolute sensitivity, will be cast in terms of standard spectroscopic quantities such as oscillator strengths, Hoenl-London factors, rotational and vibrational quantum numbers, etc., such that it may be tested directly under laboratory conditions. The working expressions used by each of the OH laser induced fluorescence (LIF) groups will be related to this central equation, thereby establishing a common language for the comparison of experimental results and the definition of LIF system performance. The relevant structural details of the OH radical via a spectroscopic description of the energy levels and transitions employed in the LIF method are detailed. The central equation relating observed count rate to absolute concentration will be derived, and that equation will be related to the observed quantities cited by each of the experimental groups engaged in the measurement of OH in the Earth's atmosphere.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1997

Measurement and Analysis of Atmospheric Spectral Optical Depths with NASA Ames Airborne Sunphotometers During TARFOX and ACE-2

In accordance with the scope of work of this contract, the following tasks were undertaken and completed during the course of the contract: (1) Participation in the design and development of the 14-channel Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer (AATS-14), including the development and implementation of Visual Basic software for real-time data processing and display and post-acquisition data reduction and analysis. (2) Operation of the six-channel Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer (AATS-6) aboard the University of Washington C-131A during TARFOX and in-field analysis and presentation of data acquired with the AATS-6. (3) Post-mission analysis of data acquired during TARFOX with the AATS-6 and the AATS-14. (4) Pre-TARFOX calibration of the AATS-6 at Mauna Loa Observatory in May 1996, and post-TARFOX calibration of the AATS-6 and AATS- 14 at Zugspitze, Germany in October 1996, including analyses of all data sets. (5) Analysis of AATS-14 airborne calibration data acquired on 17 November 1996 during a late afternoon Pelican flight over the central California coast. (6) Operational training, instrument preparation, field coordination, and analysis of shipboard measurements of aerosol optical depth with the AATS-6 during ACE-2. (7) Coordination of data acquisition with the AATS-14 aboard the Pelican during ACE-2 and in-field preliminary data analysis and presentation. (8) Calibration of the AATS-6 and AATS-14 in April/May 1997 at Mauna Loa prior to ACE-2, and post-mission calibration of the AATS-6 at Mauna Loa in August 1997.

Livingston, John M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Metal concentration and X-ray cool spectral component in the central region of the Centaurus cluster of galaxies

Spatially resolved energy spectra in the energy range 0.5-10 keV have been measured for the Centaurus cluster of galaxies with Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA). Within 10 min (200 kpc) from the cluster center, the helium-like iron K emission line exhibits a dramatic increase toward the center rising from an equivalent width approximately 500 eV to approximately 1500 eV corresponding to an abundance change from 0.3 to 1.0 solar. The presence of strong iron L lines indicates an additional cool component (kT approximately 1 keV) within 10 min from the center. The cool component requires absorption in excess of the galactic value and this excess absorption increases towards the central region of the cluster. In the surrounding region with radius greater than 10 min, the spectra are well described by a single temperature thermal model with kT approximately 4 keV and spatially uniform abundances at about 0.3-0.4 times solar. The detection of metal-rich hot and cool gas in the cluster center implies a complex nature of the central cluster gas which is likely to be related to the presence of the central cD galaxy NGC 4696.

Fukazawa, Yasushi↗
NASA NTRS2000

Hurricane Wind Field Measurements with Scanning Airborne Doppler Lidar During CAMEX-3

During the 1998 Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-3), the first hurricane wind field measurements with Doppler lidar were achieved. Wind fields were mapped within the eye, along the eyewall, in the central dense overcast, and in the marine boundary layer encompassing the inflow region. Spatial coverage was determined primarily by cloud distribution and opacity. Within optically-thin cirrus slant range of 20- 25 km was achieved, whereas no propagation was obtained during penetration of dense cloud. Measurements were obtained with the Multi-center Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sensor (MACAWS) on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft. MACAWS was developed and operated cooperatively by the atmospheric lidar remote sensing groups of NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A pseudo-dual Doppler technique ("co-planar scanning") is used to map the horizontal component of the wind at several vertical levels. Pulses from the laser are directed out the left side of the aircraft in the desired directions using computer-controlled rotating prisms. Upon exiting the aircraft, the beam is completely eyesafe. Aircraft attitude and speed are taken into account during real-time signal processing, resulting in determination of the ground-relative wind to an accuracy of about 1 m/s magnitude and about 10 deg direction. Beam pointing angle errors are about 0.1 deg, equivalent to about 17 m at 10 km. Horizontal resolution is about 1 km (along-track) for typical signal processor and scanner settings; vertical resolution varies with range. Results from CAMEX-3 suggest that scanning Doppler wind lidar can complement airborne Doppler radar by providing wind field measurements in regions that are devoid of hydrometeors. At present MACAWS observations are being assimilated into experimental forecast models and satellite Doppler wind lidar simulations to evaluate the relative impact.

Rothermel, Jeffry↗
NASA NTRS2002

Simulations of Ground and Space-Based Oxygen Atom Experiments

Fast, pulsed atomic oxygen sources are a key tool in ground-based investigations of spacecraft contamination and surface erosion effects. These technically challenging ground-based studies provide a before and after picture of materials under low-earth-orbit (LEO) conditions. It would be of great interest to track in real time the pulsed flux from the source to the surface sample target and beyond in order to characterize the population of atoms and molecules that actually impact the surface and those that make it downstream to any coincident detectors. We have performed simulations in order to provide such detailed descriptions of these ground-based measurements and to provide an assessment of their correspondence to the actual LEO environment. Where possible we also make comparisons to measured fluxes and erosion yields. To perform the calculations we use a detailed description of a measurement beam and surface geometry based on the W, pulsed apparatus at Montana State University. In this system, a short pulse (on the order of 10 microseconds) of an O/O2 beam impacts a flat sample about 40 cm downstream and slightly displaced &om the beam s central axis. Past this target, at the end of the beam axis is a quadrupole mass spectrometer that measures the relative in situ flux of 0102 to give an overall normalized erosion yield. In our simulations we use the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, and track individual atoms within the atomic oxygen pulse. DSMC techniques are typically used to model rarefied (few collision) gas-flows which occur at altitudes above approximately 110 kilometers. These techniques are well suited for the conditions here, and multi-collision effects that can only be treated by this or a similar technique are included. This simulation includes collisions with the surface and among gas atoms that have scattered from the surface. The simulation also includes descriptions of the velocity spread and spatial profiles of the O/O2 beam obtained from separate measurements. These computations use basic engineering models for the gas-gas and gas-surface scattering and focus on the influence of multi-collision effects. These simulations characterize many important quantities of interest including the actual flux of atoms that reach the surface, the energy distribution of this flux, as well as the direction of the velocity of the flux that strikes the surface. These quantities are important in characterizing the conditions which give rise to measured surface erosion. The calculations also yield time- snapshots of the pulse as it impacts and flows around the surface. These snapshots reveal the local environment of gas near the surface for the duration of the pulse. We are also able to compute the flux of molecules that travel downstream and reach the spectrometer, and we characterize their velocity distribution. The number of atoms that reach the spectrometer can in fact be influenced by the presence of the surface due to gas-gas collisions from atoms scattered h m the surface, and it will generally be less than that with the surface absent. This amounts to an overall normalization factor in computing erosion yields. We discuss these quantities and their relationship to the gas-surf$ce interaction parameters. We have also performed similar calculations corresponding to conditions (number densities, temperatures, and velocities) of low-earth orbit. The steady-state nature and lower overall flux of the actual space environment give rise to differences in the nature of the gas-impacts on the surface from those of the ground-based measurements using a pulsed source.

Minton, T. K.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Aerosol Retrievals from Different Polarimeters During the ACEPOL Campaign Using a Common Retrieval Algorithm

In this paper, we present aerosol retrieval results from the ACEPOL (Aerosol Characterization from Polarimeter and Lidar) campaign, which was a joint initiative between NASA and SRON – the Netherlands Institute for Space Research. The campaign took place in October–November 2017 over the western part of the United States. During ACEPOL six different instruments were deployed on the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft, including four multi-angle polarimeters (MAPs): SPEX airborne, the Airborne Hyper Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (AirHARP), the Airborne Multi-angle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (AirMSPI), and the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP). Also, two lidars participated: the High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 (HSRL-2) and the Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL). Flights were conducted mainly for scenes with low aerosol load over land, but some cases with higher AOD were also observed. We perform aerosol retrievals from SPEX airborne, RSP (410–865 nm range only), and AirMSPI using the SRON aerosol retrieval algorithm and compare the results against AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) and HSRL-2 measurements (for SPEX airborne and RSP). All three MAPs compare well against AERONET for the aerosol optical depth (AOD), with a mean absolute error (MAE) between 0.014 and 0.024 at 440 nm. For the fine-mode effective radius the MAE ranges between 0.021 and 0.028 µm. For the comparison with HSRL-2 we focus on a day with low AOD (0.02–0.14 at 532 nm) over the California Central Valley, Arizona, and Nevada (26 October) as well as a flight with high AOD (including measurements with AOD>1.0 at 532 nm) over a prescribed forest fire in Arizona (9 November). For the day with low AOD the MAEs in AOD (at 532 nm) with HSRL-2 are 0.014 and 0.022 for SPEX and RSP, respectively, showing the capability of MAPs to provide accurate AOD retrievals for the challenging case of low AOD over land. For the retrievals over the smoke plume a reasonable agreement in AOD between the MAPs and HSRL-2 was also found (MAE 0.088 and 0.079 for SPEX and RSP, respectively), despite the fact that the comparison is hampered by large spatial variability in AOD throughout the smoke plume. A good comparison is also found between the MAPs and HSRL-2 for the aerosol depolarization ratio (a measure of particle sphericity), with an MAE of 0.023 and 0.016 for SPEX and RSP, respectively. Finally, SPEX and RSP agree very well for the retrieved microphysical and optical properties of the smoke plume.

Fu, Guangliang↗
NASA NTRS1973

Positive ions in the mesosphere.

Positive ions have been measured using the parachute borne blunt probe, a subsonic system launched on meteorological rockets, which measures polar electrical conductivities in the 30 to 80 km altitude range. A central feature of the daytime positive conductivity profiles is a sharp break occurring between 60 and 70 km which indicates the transition from galactic cosmic ray to solar ultraviolet ionization, and, hence provides information about the nitric oxide density. In the 50-60 km region the positive ion conductivity is relatively constant with altitude and correlates well with atmospheric temperature down to 35 km. Using temperature and pressure profiles and a reduced mobility, the conductivity profiles may be converted to density profiles. The average mid-latitude daytime profile at intermediate solar zenith angles showed a minimum at 63.5 km.

Hale, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Some effects of combustion on turbulent mixing

Ceramic-heated tunnel experiments were performed to study mixing and combustion of near-sonic central hydrogen jets and coaxial supersonic air or nitrogen streams. Results of concentration measurements in these flows are presented. Larger concentrations of hydrogen were observed near the axis in the presence of combustion. Results of flowfield calculations and of low-speed free jet experiments reported by Chigier and Strokin (1974) suggest that this behavior is caused primarily by lower density in the burning case producing lower turbulent mass transport coefficients.

Bangert, L. H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

On gravity from SST, geoid from SEASAT, and plate age and fracture zones in the Pacific

Data from an additional 50 satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) passes were combined with earlier measurements of the high degree and order (n, m, 12) gravity in the central Pacific. A composite map was produced which shows good agreement with conventional GEM models. Data from the SEASAT altimeter was reduced and found to agree well with both the SST and the GEM fields. The maps are dominated especially in the east, by a pattern of roughly east-west anomalies with a transverse wavelength of about 2000 km. Further comparison with regional bathymetric data shows a remarkably close correlation with plate age. Each anomaly band is framed by those major fracture zones having large offsets. The regular spacing of these fractures seems to account for the fabric in the gravity fields. Other anomalies are accounted for by hot spots. The source of part of these anomalies is in the lithosphere itself. The possible plume size and ascent velocity necessary to supply deep mantle material to the upper mantel without complete thermal equilibration is considered.

Marsh, B. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

On gravity from SST, geoid from Seasat, and plate age and fracture zones in the Pacific

Data from an additional 50 satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) passes were combined with earlier measurements of the high degree and order (n, m, 12) gravity in the central Pacific. A composite map was produced which shows good agreement with conventional GEM models. Data from the Seasat altimeter was reduced and found to agree well with both the SST and the GEM fields. The maps are dominated especially in the east, by a pattern of roughly east-west anomalies with a transverse wavelength of about 2000 km. Further comparison with regional bathymetric data shows a remarkably close correlation with plate age. Each anomaly band is framed by those major fracture zones having large offsets. The regular spacing of these fractures seems to account for the fabric in the gravity fields. Other anomalies are accounted for by hot spots. The source of part of these anomalies is in the lithosphere itself. The possible plume size and ascent velocity necessary to supply deep mantle material to the upper mantle without complete thermal equilibration is considered. Previously announced in STAR as N84-11559

Marsh, B. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Nucleon-nucleus interactions from JACEE

Results on hadron-nucleus interactions from the Japanese-American Cooperation Emulsion Experiment experiment are presented. Angular distributions for charged particles, and angular and transverse momentum spectra for photons have been measured for a sample of events with sigma epsilon sub gamma. Results on central rapidity density and transverse energy flow are discussed.

Burnett, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Elastic-plastic deformation of a metal-matrix composite coupon with a center slot

A comprehensive experimental analysis of deformations of the surface of a metal-matrix specimen is reported. The specimen is a 6-ply 0 + or - 45 sub s boron-aluminum tensile coupon with a central slot. Moire interferometry is used for high-sensitivity whole-field measurements of in-plane displacements. Normal and shear strains are calculated from displacement gradients. Displacement fields are analyzed at various load levels from 15% to 95% of the failure load. Deformations of the boron fibers could be distinguished from those of the matrix. Highly localized plastic slip zones occur tangent to the ends of the slot. Shear strains and concurrent transverse compressive strains in the slip zones reach approximately 10% and 1%, respectively. Upon unloading, elastic recovery in surrounding regions causes a reverse plastic shear strain in the slip zone of about 4%. Longitudinal normal strains on the unslotted ligament peak at the slot boundary at about 1% strain. The strain concentration factor at the end of the slot decreases with load level and the advance of plasticity.

Post, D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

High resolution spectroscopy in the microwave and far infrared

High resolution rotational spectroscopy has long been central to remote sensing techniques in atmospheric sciences and astronomy. As such, laboratory measurements must supply the required data to make direct interpretation of data for instruments which sense atmospheres using rotational spectra. Spectral measurements in the microwave and far infrared regions are also very powerful tools when combined with infrared measurements for characterizing the rotational structure of vibrational spectra. In the past decade new techniques were developed which have pushed high resolution spectroscopy into the wavelength region between 25 micrometers and 2 mm. Techniques to be described include: (1) harmonic generation of microwave sources, (2) infrared laser difference frequency generation, (3) laser sideband generation, and (4) ultrahigh resolution interferometers.

Pickett, Herbert M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Pacific-North America plate motions - New results from very long baseline interferometry

The state of Pacific-North America plate interaction is updated using newest VLBI measurements and newly developed rigid plate tectonic models. Particular attention is given to examining the extent of relative motion between the Pacific plate and the North America plate as measured from their stable interiors, the evidence of Pacific plate deformation off the central California coast, and the distribution of path integrated deformaton east of the San Andreas fault. The information obtained on these questions is discussed in the framework of implications for lithospheric rheology and earthquake hazard.

Ward, Steven N.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Bose-Einstein correlations in Si + Al and Si + Au collisions at 14.6A GeV/c

The E802 Spectrometer at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron has been used to measure the correlation in relative momentum between like-sign pions emitted in central Si + Al and Si + Au collisions at 14.6A GeV/c. Data are presented in terms of the correlation function for both identified pi(-) and pi(+) pairs near the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass rapidity. All parametrizations of the correlation function are consistent with a spherically symmetric source of rms radius 3.5 +/- 0.4 fm and lifetime fm/c.

Abbott, T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Bose-Einstein correlation of kaons in Si + Au collisions at 14.6 A GeV/c

The E-802 spectrometer at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron, enhanced by a trigger for selection of events with one or more specified particles, has been used to measure the momentum-space correlation between pairs of K(+)s emitted in central Si + Au collisions at 14.6 A GeV/c. This correlation has been projected onto the Lorentz-invariant relative four-momentum axis. Fits to this correlation function yield a size for the kaon source that is comparable to that found using pi(+) pairs from a similar rapidity range, once a transformation from the particle-pair frames to a single source frame is made.

Akiba, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Multiparameter radar and advanced microwave precipitation radiometer observations of tropical convection

Combinations of both active and passive microwave sensors have been proposed for experiments such as the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM). During the summer 1991 Convection and Precipitation/Electrification Experiment (CaPE) in central Florida, both cold- and warm-rain precipitation processes were studied with the NCAR CP-2 multiparameter radar, operating at 3 and 10 GHz. The Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR), which operates at 10.7, 19.35, 37.1, and 85.5 GHz, was flown aboard NASA's ER-2 high-altitude aircraft over storms being scanned by the CP-2 radar. Top-of-atmosphere multifrequency TB from the AMPR is presented along with coincident CP-2 radar observations. Joint analysis of both radar and radiometer data sets allows refinement of new and existing precipitation retrieval techniques which will utilize the multifrequency TB from an integrated spaceborne microwave radiometer/radar system.

Vivekanandan, J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Co-Investigator Proposal for the Cornell University CAPER Rocket: Cleft Accelerated Plasma Experiment Rocket

The objectives are: 1) To support the Cornell wave instruments in a study of dayside ion outflow. 2) In conjunction with the U. of Alaska ground optical data, a prime objective was to measure the topside Cusp ion spectra responsible for dayside proton aurora. If such a correlative measurement could be made, then monitoring of this cusp precipitation from the ground could be routinely achieved. The nature of Cusp ions has and will continue to provide information about dayside magnetic reconnection. 3) A third objective was to study the dayside microburst electron precipitation from the BPS/CPS population. The Scifer rocket flight showed a bursty electron population at 1000 km altitude correlated closely with pulsation ground aurora on closed field lines. The frequency of this pulsating aurora is about 1 Hz. Ground pulsation measurements have recorded dayside bursts of Pc1 waves which could very well be the source of the electrons responsible for the pulsating aurora. In support of the Caper flight, UNH provided ground induction antennas to measure the equatorial Pc1 waves that might be dumping trapped electrons from the Central Plasma Sheet population. The Caper flight was launched on the last day of the window and all the Cornell and UNH instrumentation worked perfectly. Unfortunately the rocket trajectory flew very far to the west of the ground site at Longyearbyen missing conjugacy by several hundred kilometers. This meant the intended aurora was not crossed and all the ground experiments were far from being near the foot print of the rocket ruling out correlative science. The "miss" was primarily due to a decision during the countdown by the Andoya Rocket Range to move the azimuth of the rocket to the west to avoid Norwegian fishing boats at the splash point of the first two stages, and to make matters worse, the dispersion of the fourth stage of the rocket added entirely in this direction. Although no publications have resulted from the UNH data up to this point, a joint publication with the U. of Alaska group using both the Scifer and Caper data is in preparation. The data will continue to be worked on. There is interest in the Caper data as evidence by two recent papers presented at the "Low Latitude Boundary Layer Chapman Conference" held in New Orleans, Louisiana in April 2001.

Arnoldy, Roger L.↗