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At least 721 records · Page 40

Solar longitude dependence of some characteristics of type III radio bursts from metric to hectometric wavelengths

Using the observed data for metric and hectometric type III radio bursts, the dependence of burst characteristics on the solar longitude has been examined over a wide frequency range. It is found that there exists and east-west asymmetry for the extension of metric type III bursts into the hectometric wavelength range. In particular, hectometric bursts are rarely observed for solar flares associated with metric bursts east of 60 E solar longitude. Furthermore, for east longitudes, the low-frequency radio observations show a large dispersion in drift time interval.

Sakurai, K.↗

Changes in atmospheric composition inferred from ionospheric production rates

Changes in the total electron content of the ionosphere near sunrise are used to determine the integrated production rate in the ionosphere (Q) from 1965 to 1971 at latitudes of 34S, 20N, and 34N. The observed regular semiannual variation in Q through a range of 1:3:1 is interpreted as an increase in the ratio O/N2 (relative densities) near the equinoxes. It follows that there is a worldwide semiannual variation in atmospheric composition, with the above ratio maximum just after the equinoxes. There is a large seasonal variation in the Northern hemisphere with a maximum in mid-summer. This effect is absent in the Southern hemisphere. At all times except solar maximum in the Northern hemisphere there is a global asymmetry. The ratio O/N2 is about three times as large in the Northern hemisphere. The overall mechanism appears to be N2 absorption.

Titheridge, J. E.↗

Climatic variations on Mars. I - Astronomical theory of insolation

Description of variations in the solar insolation on Mars that result from oscillations of the orbital eccentricity and the obliquity of the planet. Changes in the eccentricity and obliquity are produced by gravitation perturbations from the sun and the other planets, and a detailed account of the time evolution of these quantities is given. Particular attention is paid to the obliquity oscillations, which exert a strong influence on the climate of Mars. Changes in the earth's obliquity are also calculated, and its behavior is contrasted with that of Mars. Although the eccentricity produces important north-south seasonal asymmetries, a change in the obliquity causes a strong latitudinal redistribution of the solar insolation. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the yearly insolation at the poles of Mars varies by over 100% between the extremes of the obliquity range.

Ward, W. R.↗

The Air Density Explorer Satellite Program

Since 1961, four satellites designed specifically for determination of the density and composition variations of the earth's neutral atmosphere at satellite altitudes have been launched: Explorer 9, Explorer 19, Explorer 24, and Explorer 39. Studies of the orbital decay of these satellites have resulted in major revisions in our conception of the upper atmosphere at satellite altitudes. These features include the winter helium bulge detected near 1000 km with its north-south asymmetry, the summer atomic oxygen bulge near 500 km, and the winter enhancement of atomic oxygen near 120 km. The Langley Research Center is now in the process of designing and fabricating the Dual Air Density Explorers. These will be two satellites launched by means of a single Scout rocket in 1975, and they are expected to remain in essentially the same orbital plane throughout the 2-year mission. Each satellite is drag sensitive and uses a mass spectrometer in a unique system which is insensitive to orientation, is highly sensitive to the upper atmosphere, and is capable of in-flight calibration.

Keating, G. M.↗

Limb darkening of two latitudes of Jupiter at phase angles of 34 and 109 deg

The imaging photopolarimeter aboard Pioneer 10 produced hundreds of red and blue images of Jupiter covering a wide range of phase angles and having good linearity and signal-to-noise characteristics. In this preliminary analysis the limb darkening across two of the red images (at phase angles of about 34 and 109 deg) in both a prominent dark belt and a bright zone are compared with multiple-scattering models. Of the simple models tried, the smallest deviations from the observations result for ones consisting of a thin absorbing layer above a semiinfinite atmosphere of particles scattering according to the Henyey-Greenstein phase function. The asymmetry parameter for the best fits to both the belt and the zone data is in the range g = 0 to 0.25, corresponding to particles small in comparison with the wavelength of red light. The phase integral derived from the models lies in the range of about 1.5 to 1.6, implying a substantial internal heat source for Jupiter.

Tomasko, M. G.↗

Monte Carlo calculations of the surface brightness profiles of spherical dark nebulae

Theoretical surface brightness profiles of spherical dark nebulae of both uniform density and a density proportional to 1/r squared are being discussed. The albedo and asymmetry factor of the dust grains and the optical radius measured from the cloud center were the variable parameters in this study, which further assumed an isotropically incident radiation field. The occurrence of dark cores in the surface brightness profiles is examined, and their frequent existence in galactic dark nebulae is interpreted as resulting from a strongly forward scattering phase function and a high optical depth of the associated objects. The shape and depth of the profiles of the dark cores is closely related to the internal density distribution of the clouds, and it is suggested that detailed observations of the surface brightness profiles of dark nebulae will reveal important information on the type of their internal density distribution and, thus, their evolutionary status.

Witt, A. N.↗

Granulometric characteristics of lunar surface material from the Sea of Fertility

The particle size distributions in the 1-1000 micrometer range along the length of the core of lunar surface material returned by Luna 16 were recorded by electrical impulse as well as sieve methods. The measurements are represented in the form of cumulative functions of the logarithm of size versus the logarithm of particle number, and also as the logarithm of size versus particle mass on a probability scale. The former functions at all depths consist of the super-positioning of two straight lines with slopes from 2.10 to 4.05. The second functions are near linear, which together with the closeness of the calculated asymmetries of the distribution to zero and the nearness of the calculated excess of the distributions to unity indicate the closeness of the recorded distributions to the logarithmically normal law. This agrees with the assumption that regolith particles were formed in a process of intensive mechanical grinding.

Stakheyev, Y. I.↗

Solar activity and its relation to certain parameters of phenomena in the geophysical complex

Results of a detailed analysis of solar activity in 1957-1965 are compared with the data on solar activity with variations of cosmic ray activity, and geomagnetic, ionospheric and terrestrial currents. Cosmic ray variations are investigated with reference to the asymmetry of solar hemispheres. All storms in the IGY are classified and a symbolic diagram of the time sequence is drawn up.

Razmadze, T. S.↗

A system for multichannel recording and automatic reading of information

A system for the recording and processing of telescope data is considered for measurements of EW asymmetry. The information is recorded by 45 channels on a continuously moving 35-mm film. The dead time of the recorder is about 0.1 sec. A sorting electronic circuit is used to reduce the errors when the statistical time distribution of the pulses is recorded. The recorded information is read out by means of photoresistors. The phototransmitter signals are fed either to the mechanical recorder unit for preliminary processing, or to a logical circuit which controls the operation of the punching device. The punched tape is processed by an electronic computer.

Bogomolov, E. A.↗

Determination of coupling coefficients at various zenith angles of the basis of the cosmic ray azimuth effect

The value of EW asymmetry and coupling coefficients at different zenith angles were measured by means of a double coincidence crossed telescope which gives an opportunity to measure simultaneously the intensity of the cosmic ray hard component at zenith angles from 0 to 84 deg in opposite azimuths. The advantages of determining the coupling coefficients by the cosmic ray azimuth effect as compared to their measurement by the latitudinal effect are discussed.

Belskiy, S. A.↗

Analysis of proton and electron spectrometer data from OGO-5 spacecraft

The interaction between the geomagnetic and interplanetary magnetic fields is studied through its effects upon the intensities of solar electrons reaching the polar caps during times of strongly anisotropic electron fluxes in the magnetosheath. During the particle event of November 18, 1968, electrons of solar origin were observed outside the magnetopause with detectors aboard OGO-5. Correlative studies of these satellite observations and concurrent measurements by riometers and ionospheric forward scatter systems in both polar regions revealed that the initial stage of the associated polar cap absorption event is attributable to the arrival of solar electrons. Evidence of a north-south asymmetry in the solar electron flux, at a time when the interplanetary magnetic field vector was nearly parallel with the ecliptic plane, supports an open magnetospheric model. The analysis indicates that an anisotropic electron flux may be isotropized at the magnetopause before propagating into the polar regions.

Pomerantz, M. A.↗

Radar optimization for sea surface and geodetic measurements

The efficient estimation of geoid and sea state parameters is discussed, and the optimum processing structures, including maximum likelihood estimators, and their accuracy limits are given for a model. The model accounts for random surface reflectivity, sea height, and additive noise, and allows for arbitrary radar system parameters, based on the assumption the received signal is a sample function of a normal random process. The integral equation associated with the Gaussian signal in Gaussian noise inference problem was solved. It is shown that the optimum processing is generally a mixture of coherent and incoherent integrations which may be viewed as a weighted summation of received power of the match-filtered received data. When estimates are correlated, the strongest correlation appears between geoid and asymmetry estimates, and between wave height standard deviation and reflectivity estimates.

Harger, R. O.↗

Evaluation of ERTS-1 image sensor spatial resolution in photographic form

The author has identified the following significant results. The digital Optical Transfer Function (OTF) measurements showed the following: (1) there are no significant differences in optical performance, in terms of OTF, among all four bands of the multispectral scanner, (2) no substantial changes in the OTF's of bands 4, 5, and 6 during the period November 1972 to May 1973, and (3) comparison between the photographic and digital (CCT) two-dimensional OTF's indicated a strong asymmetry in the photographic product OTF between the MSS scan direction and across scan direction. The coherent light Fourier analysis program showed the following: (1) for agricultural areas, bands 5 and 7 of the MSS are superior in terms of image definition, and therefore mapping and acreage estimation, (2) amplitude modulation in imagery from MSS bands 4 and 5 is between 65 to 90 percent of that in corresponding bands of Apollo 9 imagery (SO65), and (3) MSS band 5 imagery has a ground resolution between 55 to 75 percent of that exhibited in the corresponding band of Apollo 9 imagery (SO65).

Slater, P. N.↗

Data analysis for Skylab proton spectrometer

The measured values are compared to values derived from a proton environment model. Spectral data are compared, the omni-directional fluxes are found, a range of assumed pitch angle distributions are established, and the values which would be seen by an idealized proton spectrometer immersed in the model environment are computed. The measured values and calculated values are summed over time, then ratiod to provide spectral correction factors. The data are tabulated according to location, pitch angle, energy, assumed pitch angle distribution, and orientation in the earth-fixed coordinate system. With the aid of this data, detailed corrections to the proton model environment are derived. Best-fit, energy-dependent pitch angle distributions are also obtained. Some information is derived concerning the east-west asymmetry.

Hill, C. W.↗

X-ray morphology of the Perseus cluster

A measurement of the spatial distribution of the X-ray flux from the Perseus cluster of galaxies is reported. The measurement was made with a one-dimensional X-ray telescope carried by an Aerobee sounding rocket on February 8, 1974. The results are compared with previous X-ray observations and optical measurements of the galaxy distribution. The data show the presence of a luminous feature centered on NGC 1275, considerable emission from extended regions, and a marked asymmetry between the E-W and N-S distributions in the X-ray flux.

Wolff, R. S.↗

Rocket-ultraviolet spectra of kappa, lambda, tau, and upsilon Scorpii

The present work describes high- and low-resolution rocket-ultraviolet spectra of kappa, lambda, tau, and upsilon Scorpii obtained in the range from 1160 to 1880 A. The Si IV resonance lines in tau Sco show asymmetries indicating outward mass motions of up to about 400 km/sec. The suitability of some of the lines observed for indication of luminosity or temperature is discussed. It is pointed out that the intrinsic strength and large changes of the lines of Si III and C IV may permit a more accurate spectral classification of stars between B0 and B3 than has been demonstrated in this same spectral type region using visible spectra.

Jenkins, E. B.↗

Periodic escape of relativistic electrons from the Jovian magnetosphere

We adopt a model in which the Jovian magnetospheric tail is forced open by plasma that is accelerated out of the ionosphere by the centrifugal force of corotation. Any longitudinal asymmetry that exists in the ionospheric plasma source and/or the planetary magnetic field will cause a diurnal variation in the radial extent of the trapping region for energetic electrons. This diurnal variation in the extent of the particle trapping region can result in a time-dependent loss of relativistic electrons from the Jovian magnetosphere, modulated at the planetary rotation period. The diurnal trapping process may be relevant to the observation of electron pulses in interplanetary space during the Pioneer 10 approach to Jupiter.

Hill, T. W.↗

Radio occultation exploration of Mars

The present work summarizes the principal results of the radio occultation experiments carried out to date for Mars. The early measurements, made at the time of the Martian dust storm of 1971, showed greatly reduced temperature gradients in the daytime troposphere, indicating the heating effect of the dust. The temperature gradients that were measured later when the atmosphere was apparently free of dust, were still much lower than expected under conditions of radiative-convective balance, indicating that dynamics may play a large part in determining the temperature structure of the Martian troposphere. The surface atmospheric pressure was observed to vary widely with topography ranging from about 1 mb at the summit of the Middle Spot volcano (Pavonis Mons) to over 10 mb in the North circumpolar region. The radius of the planet was measured with accuracies ranging from about 0.25 to about 2.1 km over latitudes ranging from 86 to -80 deg. These measurements have shown that Mars has pronounced equatorial and north-south asymmetries, which make it difficult to represent its shape by a simple triaxial figure. The daytime ionosphere measurements indicated that the main ionization peak was similar in behavior to a terrestrial F1 layer and is probably produced by photoionization of carbon dioxide by solar extreme ultraviolet.

Kliore, A. J.↗