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At least 613 records · Page 34

Reflectance- and radiance-based methods for the in-flight absolute calibration of multispectral sensors

Variations reported in the in-flight absolute radiometric calibration of the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and the Thematic Mapper (TM) on Landsat 4 are reviewed. At short wavelengths these sensors exhibited a gradual reduction in response, while in the midinfrared the TM showed oscillatory variations, according to the results of TM internal calibration. The methodology and results are presented for five reflectance-based calibrations of the Landsat 5 TM at White Sands, NM, in the period July 1984 to November 1985. These show a + or - 2.8 percent standard deviation for the six solar-reflective bands. Analysis and preliminary results of a second, independent calibration method, based on radiance measurements from a helicopter at White Sands, indicate that this is potentially an accurate method for corroborating the results from the reflectance-based method.

Slater, P. N.↗

Oscillator strengths for S I, S II, and S III

A series of calculations for atomic data of various sulfur and oxygen ions is examined. Recent observations of the Io plasma torus obtained with the Voyager UV Spectrometer, the IUE satellite short wavelength spectrograph, and the rocket-borne faint object telescope are discussed. The calculation of oscillator strengths for S II, the P I sequence, S I, and S III in terms of configuration interaction effects is described. The derivation of orbital wave functions is considered. The use of the close coupling method to estimate collision strengths is studied. The accuracy of these calculations depends on: (1) the number of states used in the close coupling expansion; (2) resonance contributions to the thermally averaged collision strength; and (3) the quality of the target state wave functions. Tables of the derived oscillator strengths are presented.

Ho, Y. K.↗

Surface deformation, gravity and the geoid from a three-dimensional convection model at low Rayleigh numbers

The two-dimensional surface deformation, gravity field, and geoid are calculated from the temperature fields of a number of numerical models of constant-viscosity three-dimensional convective flows, heated from within and from below. The surface deformation and the geoid are insensitive to the short-wavelength features of the temperature variation; the gravity field is less smooth, although it still does not clearly indicate the narrowness of the upwelling and downwelling regions at large Rayleigh numbers. The results indicate that the convective upwelling beneath regions showing positive geoid and residual depth anomalies is more localized than the horizontal extent of these features would suggest. The results are relevant to attempts to understand the behavior of the earth mantle.

Craig, Claire Harvey↗

IUE observations of hydrogen and deuterium in the local interstellar medium

High-resolution Ly-alpha spectra of the late-type stars Epsilon Eri, Procyon, Altair, Capella, and HR 1099 taken with the short-wavelength camera on IUE are presented. The density, velocity dispersion, and bulk velocity of the interstellar H I toward each of the stars is derived from the spectra. Lower limits on the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio toward these stars are obtained.

Murthy, J.↗

An IUE survey of activity in red giants and supergiants

Chromospheric and transition region line activity is examined in apparently single red giants and supergiants using the IUE archives. Low-resolution, large-aperture spectra (mostly short-wavelength) were used to search for variations of emission-line fluxes in time. A series of automatic processing procedures were implemented in order to uniformly calibrate a large number of spectra, fit continua to each of them, determine the fluxes of as many as 18 emission lines, and compare them at different epochs. A method is offered to compute the overall error in the integrated flux, a critical measure of activity, independent of the observing and processing details. This processing was applied to above 120 images of 26 stars taken over a period of 7 yr (1978-1984). Four stars showed UV emission-line flux variations. Alpha Aqr, Beta Peg, and Sigma Oph showed a single enhanced-emission event in all detectable emission lines. Gamma Aql exhibited an increase in the flux level of the O I (1641 A) line in mid-1981 with no comparable change in any other lines. These four stars lie in a region of the H-R diagram in which time-dependent circumstellar absorption lines appear.

Oznovich, I.↗

Charge-coupled-device response to electron beam energies of less than 1 keV up to 20 keV

Recent developments of backside treatment for the backside-illuminated scientifc CCD imagers have shown near-theoretical efficiency even at the short wavelength region of the spectrum. By using SEM performance comparisons of backside-treated and untreated CCDs to an electron flux varying from 1 to 100 pA and beam energy ranging from less than 1 keV up to 20 keV are obtained. The theoretical analysis, the SEM testing procedure, and the quantum efficiency measurement results are presented. It is shown, for example, that the average quantum efficiency increases from less than 1 percent for an untreated CCD to nearly 40 percent for a backside-treated CCD at a beam energy of 1 kev.

Daud, Taher↗

Along-strike magma mixing beneath mid-ocean ridges - Effects on isotopic ratios

The effects of mixing processes on the isotopic variability of midocean ridge basalts are studied. The processes considered are porous flow dispersion and convective mixing in magma chambers. Porous flow dispersion is capable of mixing magmas over distances of only a few tens of meters. Convective mixing, on the other hand, is found to produce continuous magma chambers, where mixing is limited by convective processes, and for discontinuous chambers, where mixing is limited by chamber size. Preliminary comparison of the calculations with observations along the midocean ridges shows that the calculations are consistent with the existence of a correlation between bathymetry and isotopic ratio at long, but not at short, wavelengths. They are also capable of explaining a decrease in isotopic variability with increasing spreading rate.

Kenyon, P. M.↗

On the concept of varying influence radii for a successive corrections objective analysis

This paper discusses objective analysis techniques known as 'methods of successive corrections' which were introduced by Cressman (1959) and developed for the analysis of mesoscale weather systems by Barnes (1964 and 1973). Theoretical filter response characteristics of the Barnes method are compared for filter parameters set to retrieve the short wavelengths and then build in the long wavelengths. The accuracy of the method is judged by the ability of the filters to restore desired wavelengths and remove undesired wavelengths. It was found that no single selection of filter parameters for the two-pass Barnes method gives the best analysis for all wavelengths. A three-pass hybrid method is shown to reduce this problem.

Achtemeier, Gary L.↗

The onset of chromospheric activity among the A- and F- type stars

IUE observations of C II lambda1335 and C IV lambda1549 and ground-based observations of He I lambda5876 have previously discovered intense levels of chromospheric activity among early F type stars. Virtually all F dwarfs show stronger chromospheric and transition region emission than do the cooler and more deeply convective dwarf stars like the Sun. The IUE spectra and those of He lambda5876 place the onset of stellar activity along the main sequence near a color B - V = 0.28, which corresponds approximately to spectral type FO and an effective temperature of 7300 K. However, existing X-ray observations of A and F stars suggest that coronal activity may reach a peak blueward of this high temperature boundary at B - V = 0.28 before vanishing among the early and mid A-type stars. Discussed are preliminary results of a new effort to refine the location of the high temperature boundary to chromospheric activity among A- and F- type stars, making use of low dispersion short-wavelength spectra from the IUE archives from which the strengths of C IV, C II, and Lyman alpha emission have been measured.

Simon, Theodore↗

A flash spectrum of Cl I, C I, N I, and Ni II absorption in 31 Cygni: A direct observation of the reversing layer

In the process of surveying IUE observations of the zeta Aurigae binary system 31 Cygni for evidence of a shock, the presence of narrow low temperature lines Cl I, C I, N I, and Ni II has been discovered. These lines cannot be due to the local interstellar medium, since they appear only in one of the 16 high resolution, short wavelength observations made of this system. The phase of their appearance is theta = 0.017, approximately two months after egress of the blue dwarf component from eclipse behind the cool supergiant. Such lines might be produced by the shining of the hot dwarf companion's continuum through the edge of the supergiant's reversing layer or through a condensation in the supergiant atmosphere. If the former is the case, then the height of the reversing layer may be estimated from this observation. The radial velocities and equivalent widths of ten of these lines have been measured and the former is found to be -8.2 +/- 0.5 km/sec, precisely equal to the radial velocity of the system center of mass. This places a strict upper limit on the rotational velocity of the supergiant: V sub rot less than 2 km/s to better than 3 sigma.

Ahmad, Imad A.↗

International ultraviolet explorer spectral atlas of planetary nebulae, central stars, and related objects

The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) archives contain a wealth of information on high quality ultraviolet spectra of approximately 180 planetary nebulae, their central stars, and related objects. Selected are representative low-dispersion IUE spectra in the range 1200 to 3200 A for 177 objects arranged by Right Ascension (RA) for this atlas. For most entries, the combined short wavelength (SWP) (1200to 1900) and long wavelength (LWR) (or LWP, 1900 to 3200 A) regions are shown on 30 cm by 10 cm Calcomp plots on a uniform scale to facilitate intercomparison of the spectra. Each calibrated spectrum is also shown on an expanded vertical scale to bring out some of the weaker features.

Feibelman, Walter A.↗

On the generation of mean flows by the interaction of Goertler vortices and Tollmien-Schlichting waves in curved channel flows

There are many fluid flows where the onset of transition can be caused by different instability mechanisms which compete in the nonlinear regime. The interaction of a centrifugal instability mechanism with the viscous mechanism which causes Tollmein-Schlichting waves is discussed. The interaction between these modes can be strong enough to drive the mean state; the interaction is investigated in the context of curved channel flows so as to avoid difficulties associated with boundary layer growth. Essentially it was found that the mean state adjusts itself so that any modes present are neutrally stable even at finite amplitude. In the first instance, the mean state driven by a vortex of short wavelength in the absence of Tollmein-Schlichting waves is considered. It is shown that for a given channel curvature and vortex wavelength, there is an upper limit to the mass flow rate which the channel can support as the pressure gradient is increased. When the Tollmein-Schlichting waves are present, then the nonlinear differential equation to determine the mean state is modified.

Bassom, Andrew P.↗

Ultraviolet observations of SN 1987A

UV observations of the supernova in the LMC, SN 1987A, were carried out with the IUE satellite. The earliest data show that the UV flux from the supernova was already declining while the optical flux was still rising. The UV spectrum at these epochs consists of broad features associated with the supernova atmosphere punctuated by sharp interstellar absorptions. The rapid decline of the supernova in the short-wavelength ultraviolet allows a glimpse of the stars which remain. One of these is star 2, a neighbor of Sanduleak -69 deg 202, while the other appears to be star 3, a fainter close neighbor of the Sanduleak star. If this is correct, then the star which exploded is Sanduleak -69 deg 202.

Kirshner, Robert P.↗

Diffraction as tunneling

A new approximation to the short-wavelength scattering amplitude from an impenetrable sphere is presented. It is uniform in the scattering angle and it is more accurate than previously known approximations (including Fock's theory of diffraction) by up to several orders of magnitude. It remains valid in the transition to long-wavelength scattering. It leads to a new physical picture of diffraction, as tunneling through an inertial barrier.

Nussenzveig, H. M.↗

A parametric study of mean loading effects on airfoil gust interaction noise

The influence of airfoil mean loading parameters on the sound generated by interaction with short wavelength vorticity and entropy gusts is examined. It is found that there are two mean flow parameters of importance, the effective leading edge incidence angle and the airfoil lift coefficient. The former controls the total sound power level, while the latter has an important effect on the directivity pattern. For vorticity gusts, positive gust angles result in noise levels which increase with leading edge loading (LEL), while for negative gust angles an increase in LEL may actually reduce the noise level. For low levels of LEL, entropy gusts generate less sound than vorticity gusts, while for larger values of LEL, entropy gusts are at least as important as vorticity gusts.

Kerschen, E. J.↗

A mapped finite difference study of noise propagation in nonuniform ducts with mean flow

The primary objective of this work is to study noise propagation in acoustically lined variable area ducts with mean fluid flow. The method of study is numerical in nature and involves a body-fitted grid mapping procedure in conjunction with a factored-implicit finite difference technique. The mean fluid flow model used is two-dimensional, inviscid, irrotational, incompressible, and nonheat conducting. Fully-coupled solutions of the linearized gasdynamic equations are obtained for both positive and negative Mach numbers as well as for hard and soft wall conditions. The factored-implicit finite difference technique used did give rise to short wavelength perturbations, but these were dampened by the introduction of higher order artificial dissipation terms into the scheme. Results compared favorably with available numerical and experimental data.

Raad, Peter E.↗

Ultraviolet interstellar extinction toward NGC 6530 and the intrinsic energy distribution of 9 Sagittarii and HD 165052

The ultraviolet interstellar extinction curve is determined toward 12 early B main-sequence stars and one O8 V star in NGC 6530. The extinction is found to be uniform across the cluster. At short wavelengths, the extinction curve of NGC 6530 falls below the average Galactic curve by a full magnitude, indicating that the population of small grains relative to larger grains is lower than normal. Longward of 2830 A the curve is almost coincident with the mean Galactic curve. The 2175 A feature is narrower than the average. The derived extinction curve is used to deredden the observed fluxes of two early O-type stars in NGC 6530:9 Sgr and HD 165052. The intrinsic continua are compared to model atmospheres in the region 1200-8200 A. The LTE, line-blanketed models of Kurucz (1979) fit the observations better than the non-LTE, unblanketed models of Mihalas (1972) suggesting that line-blanketing effects are more important than the non-LTE effects in the atmospheres of these stars. The temperatures of the models that best fit the observations are lower than the Zanstra temperatures and the temperatures estimated from the strengths of the He I and He II lines, by 10,000 to 20,000 K.

Torres, Ana V.↗

Surface evaluation of the grazing incidence mirrors for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer

The EUV scattering from the Wolter-Schwarzschild type I short wavelength scanner mirror aboard the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer is measured, and the results are used to evaluate the surface microroughness of the mirror. It is found that the most likely values for the mirror surface are sigma = 20 A, and rho = 40 microns. These results are consistent with previous estimates, but with a higher degree of certainty. The full-scale simulation presented here allows over 99 percent of the light distribution to be reasonably modeled.

Green, James↗