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At least 703 records · Page 39

The X-14 - 24 years of V/STOL flight testing

The X-14 V/STOL research aircraft made its first free-hover flight as a proof-of-concept test-bed on Feb. 19, 1957. With the exception of two subsequent modification periods (to X-14A and X-14B) this V/STOL 'workhorse' has been on continuous flight-test status as a research aircraft and flying classroom. The paper presents some of the highlights of its memorable 24-year flight-test career with special emphasis on projects which have contributed to V/STOL technology and on the test pilots who made it happen.

Gerdes, R. M.↗

Preliminary results of an assessment of FGGE 'special effort' data and its impact on GLAS model analyses and forecasts

Attempts to improve the handling of satellite temperature and cloud-derived data during the FGGE experiment are compared with results gained during the trials. The satellite data were edited by assigning quality indicators to temperature soundings by means of the IR TV camera on the Tiros-N spacecraft, and to cloud-tracked wind data from GEO satellites. The data quality were assayed on the basis of horizontal, vertical, and temporal consistency of observed synoptic conditions. The data interpreter-operator retrieved all available data for an area, determined which regions were data-sparse, then used data-rich areas nearby to supply smoothed gradients into the zones with insufficient data. Results are presented for measurements taken during Jan.-Feb., and May 1979 over Alaska. It was found that enhanced and operational IR soundings were mostly equivalent. Some improvements were implemented in the 1000-300 mb layer thickness and intensification of atmospheric thermal gradients. Interactive processing was concluded to be an aid to processing Tiros-N data. The data-improvements treatment was found to significantly modify large scale analyses.

Atlas, R.↗

Observations of oceanic surface-wind fields from the Nimbus-7 microwave radiometer

Brightness temperatures from the five-frequency dual-polarized scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) on Nimbus 7 have been used to obtain surface wind fields over the ocean. The satellite-derived wind field for 1200Z, Feb. 19, 1979, in the eastern North Pacific has been compared with an operationally generated surface-wind analysis field. Previous point comparisons at selected locations have indicated that satellite winds are accurate to 3 m/sec. The results, although of a preliminary nature, indicate that SMMR-derived winds may be used to determine large-scale wind fields over the ocean, particularly in areas of strong wind gradients such as found in cyclonic systems.

Miller, J. R.↗

Observation of gamma-ray bursts from 10 keV to 9 MeV

Time histories and count-rate spectra of some of the gamma-ray bursts detected by the spectrometer on the Solar Maximum Mission between Feb. 20, 1980, and May 1981 are presented. Individual peaks observed in some of the bursts are found to differ significantly in hardness from one another. The similarity in the time profiles in the different energy bands is seen as suggesting that photons spanning two decades in energy are produced by the same mechanism. It is noted that all of the bursts are detected to energies greater than approximately 1 MeV. Two of the spectra presented are seen as being well fit by single power laws; the indices, however, are strikingly different. The other two sepctra require either two power laws or an exponential function. No clear evidence is found for the existence of narrow line features in any of the bursts.

Share, G. H.↗

The mass of Tycho's supernova remnant as determined from a high-resolution X-ray map

High resolution Einstein Observatory X ray images of Tycho's supernova remnant (SNR) are discussed. The object has features of a shock heated shell in the interstellar medium, accompanied by an inner shell with clumped ejecta. The measurements were made for 22 hr on Feb. 8, 1979, revealing a circular SNR, a thin emission shelf at the outer edge of the remnant, no emission in the central object, and most emissions concentrated in small, clumpy objects within a spherical shell. Three components of the X ray emission were identified, and calculations of the swept-up mass, the diffuse component of the ejecta shell, and the clumpy ejecta are reported to be 2.2, 1.2, and 0.7 solar mass, respectively. The SNR is concluded to be at an evolutionary stage between uniform expansion and adiabatic changes.

Seward, F.↗

On the Global Distribution of Three-Dimensional Eliassen-Palm Fluxes by Stationary Waves

The global distribution of three dimensional EP fluxes is investigated by using statistics for Dec. 1980 to Feb. 1981 and June to August 1981 calculated from operational analyses. Results at 1000 and 150 mb are given. During the Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter strong upward fluxes can be seen at 1000 mb in the lee of the Himalayas and Rockies, windward of the Canadian Rockies in the east Pacific, to the north of the Atlantic stormtrack and over the west Pacific in a region of strong land sea thermal contrast. Upward fluxes also appear near the west coasts of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) subtropical continents regions of strong land sea thermal contrast. At 150 mb (Fig. 1b) the strongest upward flux now occurs south of Alaska. The horizontal fluxes imply poleward propagation from the convection over Indonesia to 20 N, a region where the assumptions underlying EP fluxes are not well met. Equatorward propagation dominates the NH midlatitude except over the Pacific. The fluxes given offer hints of the sources of stationary waves, but also show several puzzling features and a rather cavalier disregard of regions of easterly wind. The physical meaning and interpretation of three dimensional EP fluxes is not yet clear.

White, G. H.↗

Fast drift kilometric radio bursts and solar proton events

Initial results of a comparative study of major fast drift kilometric bursts and solar proton events from Sep. 1978 to Feb. 1983 are presented. It was found that only about half of all intense, long duration ( 40 min above 500 sfu) 1 MHz bursts can be associated with F 20 MeV proton events. However, for the subset of such fast drift bursts accompanied by metric Type 2 and/or 4 activity (approximately 40% of the total), the degree of association with 20 MeV events is 80%. For the reverse association, it was found that proton events with J( 20 MeV) 0.01 1 pr cm(-2)s(-1)sr(-1)MeV(-1) were typically (approximately 80% of the time) preceded by intense 1 MHz bursts that exceeded the 500 sfu level for times 20 min (median duration approximately 35 min).

Cliver, E. W.↗

Observations of solar flare gamma-rays and protons

Solar flare gamma-rays (4 to 7 MeV) and protons (8 to 500 MeV) were simultaneously observed from six flares on 1 Apr., 4 Apr., 27, Apr. 13, May 1981, 1 Feb. and 6 June 1982 by the Hinotori and GMS satellites. The relationship between 4 to 7 MeV gamma-ray fluences and peak 16 to 34 MeV proton fluxes for these flares are analyzed. It does not reveal an apparent correlation between these two parameters. The present result implies that the protons producing gamma-rays and the protons observed near the Earth do not always belong to the same population.

Yoshimori, M.↗

A search for solar neutrons on a long duration balloon flight

The EOSCOR 3 detector, designed to measure the flux of solar neutrons, was flown on a long duration RACOON balloon flight from Australia during Jan. through Feb, 1983. The Circum-global flight lasted 22 days. No major solar activity occurred during the flight and thus only an upper limit to the solar flare neutrons flux is given. The atmospheric neutron response is compared with that obtained on earlier flights from Palestine, Texas.

Koga, R.↗

Observations of shadow bands at the total solar eclipse of 16 February 1980

Photoelectric observations of short term light variations (shadow bands) at the 16 Feb. 1980 total solar eclipse have been made using a set of spatially separated PIN diodes. Light variations in a bandpass of 1-500 Hz were detected during the half-minutes preceding and following the total phase. Fourier analysis of the noise spectrum of the variations reveals a sharp drop-off for frequencies above 50 Hz and an overall spectrum quite similar to previously reported power spectra of stellar scintillation. This is consistent with an atmospheric origin for the shadow bands. Cross-correlations between the detector outputs are low, suggesting a short persistence time for the turbulent elements causing the patterns.

Marschall, L. A.↗

Surface hardening of steel by boriding in a cold rf plasma

Scanning electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Auger electron spectroscopy, and microhardness measurements, are used to study the surfaces of 4340-steel samples that have been borided in a cold RF plasma which had been initiated in a gas mixture of 2.7 percent diborane in Ar. As a result of the dislocation of the diborane in the plasma, boron is deposited on the surface of the steel substrate and two crystalline phases, tetragonal Fe2B and orthorhombic FeB, are formed. The formation of boride phases then increases the surface microhardness from 2650 MPa to a maximum value of 7740 MPa.

Finberg, I.↗

Three spacecraft measurements of an unusual disturbance in the solar wind - Further evidence for a cometary encounter

It is noted that, while the Pioneer Venus orbiter detected an unusual IMF and solar wind plasma disturbance on Feb. 11, 1982, the Venera 13 and 14 spacecraft were conducting IMF measurements 6 million miles away which exhibit very weak disturbances several hours after the peak of the Pioneer Venus event. It is speculated that, if the event had been a solar-initiated disturbance, it should have been detected in virtually unaltered form by Venera 13 and 14; whose data therefore furnish further evidence for the cometary nature of this event.

Russell, C. T.↗

Combined ultraviolet studies of astronomical source

As part of its Ultraviolet Studies of Astronomical Sources the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for the period 1 Feb. 1985 to 31 July 1985 observed the following: the Cygnus Loop; oxygen-rich supernova remnants in 1E0102-72; the Large Magellanic Cloud supernova remnants; P Cygni profiles in dwarf novae; soft X-ray photoionization of interstellar gas; spectral variations in AM Her stars; the mass of Feige 24; atmospheric inhomogeneities in Lambda Andromedae and FF Aquarii; photometric and spectroscopic observation of Capella; Alpha Orionis; metal deficient giant stars; M 67 giants; high-velocity winds from giant stars; accretion disk parameters in cataclysmic variables; chromospheric emission of late-type dwarfs in visual binaries; chromospheres and transient regions of stars in the Ursa Major group; and low-metallicity blue galaxies.

Dupress, A. K.↗

The acoustic gravity wave induced by a point source in the middle atmosphere

Acoustic gravity wave (AGW) results computed for a stationary impulsive point source and a moving point source in the middle atmosphere are presented. For a stationary impulsive point Row's far field formula of the AGW was extended into the near field one, which comprises the Zeroth order Bessel function and its derivative terms. When (t-t sub o) is not large, the contribution of the derivative terms is important. The computed results agree with the experimental ones. For a moving point source with supersonic velocity, AGW is calculated using the moving point theory. Two solar eclipses that occurred in the lower latitude and over the ocean on Feb. 16, 1980, and June 11, 1983, were compared. The results show that the theoretical curve of AGW is fairly consistent with the observed ones.

Zhang, X. J.↗

Lidar measurements of thermal structure

Rayleigh backscatter observations at 532 nm and 355 nm of relative atmospheric density above Aberystwyth on a total of 93 nights between Dec. 1982 and Feb. 1985 were used to derive the height variation of temperature in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere. Preliminary results for height up to about 25 km were also obtained from observations of Raman backscattering from nitrogen molecules. Comparisons were carried out for stratospheric heights with satellite borne measurements; good agreement was found between equivalent black body temperatures derived from the lidar observations and those obtained from nadir measurements in three channels of the stratosphere sounder units on NOAA satellites; the lidar based atmospheric temperatures have shown general agreement with but a greater degree of structure than the limb sounding measurements obtained using the SAMS experiment on the NOAA-7 satellite. In summer, stratospheric and mesospheric temperatures showed a smooth height variation similar to that of the CIRA model atmosphere. In contrast, the winter data showed a great variability with height, and marked temperature changes both from night to night and within a given night.

Jenkins, D. B.↗

Asteroid team

Work on asteroid classification continued was rewarded with the discovery of two Earth-approaching M asteroids. The M class is rare and these are the first found among the near-Earth asteroids to have the spectral albedo characteristic of this class. The two asteroids are newly discovered 1986 DA and 1986 EB which were observed at N and Q bandpasses (i.e., 10 and 20 microns) with the 3 m IRTF telescope and at five wavelengths from 0.36 to 0.85 microns from Kitt peak National Observatory's 0.36 m telescope. The derived diameters are about 2 km for both objects. In the asteroid radiometry program N or Q photometry was obtained for more than 40 asteroids in Feb. 1986. Radiometric diameter calibration support were provided for stellar occultations of stars by 230 Athamantis and 129 Antigone. The data were reduced but not analyzed. Infrared spectra (0.8 to 2.6 microns) of 60 asteroids were reduced and are now ready for compositional analysis.

Matson, D. L.↗

The atomic carbon distribution in the coma of Comet Halley

The radial distribution of CO, OI, Ci, and CII emissions in the coma of comet Halley were measured by a long-slit far ultraviolet spectrograph aboard a sounding rocket on 26 Feb. and 13 Mar. 1986. While the CO profiles strongly suggest that CO is vaporized directly from the nucleus, the observed carbon distribution is not consistent with a radial outflow model of CO, suggesting an additional source of atomic carbon in the inner coma. Based on the in situ plasma measurements from the Vega and Giotto spacecraft, it is possible that this additional source of carbon could be the recombination of ionized CO in the inner coma.

Woods, T. N.↗

A comparison of the continuum colors of P/Halley, other comets, and asteroids

Early observations (1985 Feb.) of P/Halley were made with broadband BVJK filters when a substantial fraction of the light came from the nucleus; the resulting colors appear red, but with signal-to-noise ratios less than or = 5. More recent observations were made with the narrower International Halley Watch continuum filters when the light from the comet is dominated by the coma. The colors over the wavelength range 0.3 to 0.7 microns are more neutral. Continuum colors were also observed for other comets. All show moderately red to very red colors that can be best matched by asteroids of the P and D spectral classes, suggesting that the refractory component of comets is similar to that of the more distant asteroids.

Tholen, D. J.↗