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At least 649 records · Page 36

Effects of sound level fluctuations on annoyance caused by aircraft-flyover noise

A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the effects of variations in the rate and magnitude of sound level fluctuations on the annoyance caused by aircraft-flyover noise. The effects of tonal content, noise duration, and sound pressure level on annoyance were also studied. An aircraft-noise synthesis system was used to synthesize 32 aircraft-flyover noise stimuli representing the factorial combinations of 2 tone conditions, 2 noise durations, 2 sound pressure levels, 2 level fluctuation rates, and 2 level fluctuation magnitudes. Thirty-two test subjects made annoyance judgements on a total of 64 stimuli in a subjective listening test facility simulating an outdoor acoustic environment. Variations in the rate and magnitude of level fluctuations were found to have little, if any, effect on annoyance. Tonal content, noise duration, sound pressure level, and the interaction of tonal content with sound pressure level were found to affect the judged annoyance significantly. The addition of tone corrections and/or duration corrections significantly improved the annoyance prediction ability of noise rating scales.

Mccurdy, D. A.↗

Scale covariance and G-varying cosmology. III - The /m, z/, /theta sub m, z/, /theta sub i, z/, and /N/m/, m/ tests

The Einstein gravitational equations in atomic units are fully solved for a matter-dominated universe in the context of a recently proposed scale-covariant cosmology. The magnitude-redshift relation for elliptical galaxies is studied, the evolutionary parameter used in such a study is derived, and the relation between isophotal angular diameters and redshifts is investigated, along with the relation between metric angular diameters and redshifts, the N(m)-magnitude relation for QSOs, and the magnitude-redshift relation for QSOs. Results are presented for four gauges (i.e., relations between G and the scale function beta (t)), and no contradictions are found between the proposed theory and the observational data. It is shown that only an open universe can fit the data if certain gauges suggested by a recent analysis of the time variation of the moon's period are selected and that observations made with atomic instruments do not necessarily yield geometrical parameters unless specific assumptions are made regarding the relation between atomic and gravitational dynamics.

Canuto, V. M.↗

Modeling of electron time variations in the radiation belts

A review of the temporal variation in the trapped electron population of the inner and outer radiation zones is presented. Techniques presently used for modeling these zones are discussed and their deficiencies identified. An intermediate region is indicated between the zones in which the present modeling techniques are inadequate due to the magnitude and frequency of magnetic storms. Future trends are examined, and it is suggested that modeling of individual magnetic storms may be required in certain L bands. An analysis of seven magnetic storms is presented, establishing the independence of the depletion time of the storm flux and the storm magnitude. Provisional correlation between the storm magnitude and the Dst index is demonstrated.

Chan, K. W.↗

Discovery of low-redshift X-ray selected quasars - New clues to the QSO phenomenon

The identification of six X-ray sources discovered by the Einstein Observatory with X-ray quasars is reported, and the properties of these X-ray selected quasars are discussed. The four high-latitude fields of 1 sq deg each in which the Einstein imaging proportional counter detected serendipitous X-ray sources at intermediate exposures of 10,000 sec were observed by 4-m and 1.5-m telescopes, and optical sources with uv excesses and emission line spectra typical of many low-redshift quasars and Seyfert 1 galaxies were found within the 1-arcsec error boxes of the X-ray sources. All six quasars identified were found to be radio quiet, with low redshift and relatively faint optical magnitudes, and to be similar in space density, colors and magnitude versus redshift relation to an optically selected sample at the same mean magnitude. X-ray luminosity was found to be well correlated with both continuum and broad-line emission luminosities for the known radio-quiet quasars and Seyfert 1 galaxies, and it was observed that the five objects with the lowest redshifts have very similar X-ray/optical luminosity ratios despite tenfold variations in X-ray luminosity. It is concluded that photoionization by a continuum extending to X-ray energies is the dominant excitation mechanism in radio-quiet quasars.

Grindlay, J. E.↗

Apparent luminosity of solar power satellites

The objective of this investigation was a quantitative characterization of solar power satellite luminosity as seen from the earth. The reflective characteristics of the reference photovoltaic satellite configurations are defined. Diffuse reflection from a single satellite will, at maximum, fall between magnitudes -4 and -5. A 60-satellite fleet will have a maximum total luminosity equivalent to a single object of magnitude -9. Specular reflections from the array and antenna will be of magnitude -12 to -15, but visible only occasionally for about 2 minutes at a given location. Methods of preventing specular reflections from striking the earth are presented. Thermal cycle power conversion systems are discussed qualitatively as a means of reducing diffuse luminosity.

Livingston, L. E.↗

Lightcurves and phase relation of asteroid 324 Bamberga

Results of a worldwide photometric investigation of the asteroid 324 Bamberga conducted from September to November 1978 are presented. The full-cycle light curve obtained from observations at Torino, Graz, Catania and Table Mountain observatories shows two maxima and two minima with a maximum amplitude of 0.075 magnitudes from which rotation period of 29.42 plus or minus 0.01 hours is derived. Linear least squares solution of the phase relation results in a phase coefficient of 0.034 plus or minus 0.001 mag/deg, a mean V magnitude of 7.20 and a zero-phase absolute V magnitude of 7.17 plus or minus 0.01. The color indices obtained (0.69 for B-V and 0.36 for U-B) are in agreement with the C taxonomic type assigned to the asteroid. The unusual length of the period of 324 Bamberga relative to that of other asteroids of diameter greater than 200 km is pointed out.

Scaltriti, F.↗

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. XXXIV - Filter photometry of 531 stars of diverse types

Ultraviolet magnitudes for 531 stars observed with the Wisconsin Experiment Package on OAO 2 are tabulated. It is noted that these data constitute a subset of the OAO 2 data on file at the National Space Science Data Center. The tabulation contains previously published data all reduced to a uniform magnitude system. It is pointed out that the observations were obtained with the medium band interference filter photometers. Eleven magnitudes are given designated by their centroid wavelengths.

Code, A. D.↗

Observations of faint Haro galaxies

Spectroscopic and photometric data for 23 faint-compact UV-excess galaxy candidates, found by Haro's three-color technique (1956), are presented. Eighteen were found to be emission-line galaxies (magnitudes between 14.4 and 17.9) with redshifts in the range of 1670 to 39,450 km/s; the remaining five appear to be stars. The apparent compactness of the galaxy images is a result of the finite resolution of the Survey plates. Faint Haro galaxies are not distinguishable from the original Haro galaxies in surface brightness or in their range of color and absolute magnitude. The Haro galaxies correspond to roughly two-thirds of Huchra's non-Seyfert Markarian galaxies (1977 a) which have the most negative (U-B) index; the new Haro galaxies have the same V magnitude growth with aperture, the same (B-V) aperture relation, and the same mean surface brightness as the Markarian galaxies.

Kinman, T. D.↗

Star-Catalog Data Base

SKYMAP is collection of computer programs and utility software for creating and maintaining master star catalog and hierarchical set of derivative star catalogs. Developed to provide accurate stellar position and magnitude information for attitude-determination and analysis systems utilizing star sensor observations. Current master star catalog includes all documented stars with blue or visual magnitudes brighter than magnitude 9.0

Gotlieb, D.↗

Analogue implementation of analytic signal processing for pulse-echo systems

An alternative to rectification is proposed for detection of an ultrasonic signal. This method is especially useful in medical and non-destructive evaluation (nde) applications. With this method, the magnitude of the complex analytic signal is used to define the envelope of the ultrasonic waveform. The square of this quantity has been shown elsewhere to be equal to the true rate-of-arrival of energy. An earlier study, using digital data processing, has already demonstrated the superior resolvability of closely spaced interfaces obtained with the analytic signal magnitude, as compared to conventional rectification. Here, an analogue implementation is presented which utilizes single-sideband techniques to obtain both quadrature components of the analytic signal and its magnitude. A conventional transducer, pulser, and receiver are used.

Gammell, P. M.↗

Faint comet searching

Comets are usually discovered to a magnitude limit of about 19 at best. This can be improved by one magnitude with a blink-search technique that is described here. To find a new comet, the required search area near opposition is about 600 square degrees at a magnitude limit of about 20.0. Three faint comets were found this way; they are inconspicuous and would not have been discovered in any other manner. It therefore appears that the presently known statistics must be incomplete at the faint end due to incompleteness of the discovery observations. Another future method to find such inconspicuous comets is with electronically scanning cameras and computerized reduction. If such a CCD scannerscope were to have an aperture of about 1.8 m, it could discover at least 40 comets per year.

Gehrels, T.↗

An unbiased survey of field star X-ray emission

To determine the X-ray luminosity function of normal stars, 1700 stars brighter than 10th magnitude were surveyed by the imaging proportional counter aboard the Einstein Observatory. Seventy star positions were found to contain excess X-ray counting rates. The number of stars per square degree in a number of magnitude intervals was calculated as a function of spectral type and luminosity class, and the total number of stars for each spectral type brighter than magnitude 9.5 derived in this manner was compared with the 1700-star sample. The agreement is good, as is that between the surface density of soft X-ray sources and the number of stellar emitters predicted from the field star survey. It is concluded that stars probably do not contribute significantly to the diffuse soft X-ray background. The findings are consistent with the notion that stellar age and/or rotation velocity are important determinants of stellar X-ray emission level.

Helfand, D. J.↗

The light curve of periodic comet Halley 1910 II

Photometric parameters for periodic comet Halley 1910 II have been derived from 144 total visual magnitude estimates. The pre-perihelion data are best represented by an absolute magnitude of 5.47 and a power-law exponent of 4.44; post-perihelion results show that the absolute magnitude brightened to 4.94, and the exponent decreased to 3.07. Only small fluctuations in brightness about the power-law solutions are noted. Based on these results, a forecast of the visual brightness of periodic comet Halley's 1985-1987 apparition is presented.

Morris, C. S.↗

An analytic approach to two-fixed-impulse transfers between Keplerian orbits

Solutions are obtained for the two-impulse transfer of a vehicle between arbitrary inclined orbits in an inverse-square force field with the restriction that the magnitude of each of the two impulses has a fixed preassigned value. The two magnitudes need not be equal. The equations for the conservation of angular momentum and energy are augmented by the Laplace integral; these equations establish linear relationships between several of the variables. This set of linear equations and one of two quadratic equations constitute the analytically tractable part of the solution. The remaining part, consisting of finding the zeros (if they exist) of a single trigonometric function of one variable, is solved using numerical methods. Explicit lower bounds on each of the magnitudes of the two impulses are obtained by requiring the solution be real. Graphical results are presented to illustrate the solution.

Jezewski, D. J.↗

Volcanoes and climate

The evidence that volcanic eruptions affect climate is reviewed. Single explosive volcanic eruptions cool the surface by about 0.3 C and warm the stratosphere by several degrees. Although these changes are of small magnitude, there have been several years in which these hemispheric average temperature changes were accompanied by severely abnormal weather. An example is 1816, the "year without summer" which followed the 1815 eruption of Tambora. In addition to statistical correlations between volcanoes and climate, a good theoretical understanding exists. The magnitude of the climatic changes anticipated following volcanic explosions agrees well with the observations. Volcanoes affect climate because volcanic particles in the atmosphere upset the balance between solar energy absorbed by the Earth and infrared energy emitted by the Earth. These interactions can be observed. The most important ejecta from volcanoes is not volcanic ash but sulfur dioxide which converts into sulfuric acid droplets in the stratosphere. For an eruption with its explosive magnitude, Mount St. Helens injected surprisingly little sulfur into the stratosphere. The amount of sulfuric acid formed is much smaller than that observed following significant eruptions and is too small to create major climatic shifts. However, the Mount St. Helens eruption has provided an opportunity to measure many properties of volcanic debris not previously measured and has therefore been of significant value in improving our knowledge of the relations between volcanic activity and climate.

Toon, O. B.↗

Do comets evolve into asteroids - Evidence from physical studies

Physical observations of low-activity periodic comets and asteroids in distant and peculiar orbits are reviewed. In particular, magnitude studies and reflection spectra at visible and infrared wavelengths are discussed. While it may never be possible to prove unambiguously that a cometary nucleus has been observed, the fainter a given comet is, the more likely it is that some light reflected from a solid surface will be observed. Studies of magnitudes obtained by Roemer suggest that at certain periods the nuclei of P/Arend-Rigaux and P/Neujmin 1 may be photometrically resolved. It is shown that this may also be the case for P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, but that it is less likely for P/Tempel 2. At times of minimum activity, the optical spectra of P/Arend-Rigaux and P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 resemble those of RD-type asteroids like 944 Hidalgo. In order to progress with physical studies of cometary nuclei, an increased effort should be made to obtain magnitudes and other physical observations of comets during stages of minimal activity.

Degewij, J.↗

A comparison of the X-ray properties of X Persei and Gamma Cassiopeiae

The greater than 0.0001 solar mass/year loss rates required to power X-ray sources, if associated compact objects are white dwarfs, are many orders of magnitude greater than even the highest estimates for the main sequence Be stars Chi Per and Gamma Cas, confirming that the compact objects in these systems are neutron stars. While observed mass loss rates are of the order of that required to power the X-ray emission from a neutron star, X-ray measurements have established rates at least an order of magnitude above UV estimates, supporting earlier suggestions of an inclination dependence in the mass loss from rapidly rotating main sequence OB stars which results in mass loss rates in the orbital plane that are at least one order of magnitude higher, or terminal velocities that are at least a factor of 2.0 lower, than is indicated by UV measurements.

White, N. E.↗

Evolutionary effects of helium diffusion in population II stars

Evolutionary calculations continuing until well past turnoff are presented for models of low-mass Population II stars which take into account the effects of the diffusion of helium relative to hydrogen. Evolutionary tracks, cluster isochrones and hydrogen distributions were obtained for stellar masses in the range 0.75 to 1.01 solar masses, both in the presence and absence of diffusion. It is found that for a star of a given mass, diffusion speeds up the evolutionary process on the main sequence, although after turnoff evolution is slowed with respect to the case without diffusion. As the stars ascend the red giant branch, their outer regions are remixed so that evidence of helium diffusion is erased, and the evolutionary tracks of the models with and without diffusion converge. Thus, if the age of a globular cluster is determined from the absolute magnitude at turnoff or from fitting isochrones, diffusion results in a 25% reduction in the derived age at a turnoff magnitude of 4.23, and a 14% reduction at a turnoff magnitude of 3.45.

Stringfellow, G. S.↗