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At least 739 records · Page 41

Search for correlation between geomagnetic disturbances and mortality

A search is conducted for a possible correlation between solar activity and myocardial infarction and stroke in the United States. A statistical analysis is performed using data on geomagnetic activity and the daily U.S. mortality due to coronary heart disease and stroke for the years 1962 through 1966. None of the results are found to yield any evidence of a correlation. It is concluded that correlations claimed by Soviet workers between geomagnetic activity and the incidence of various human diseases are probably not statistically significant or probably are not due to a causal relation between geomagnetic activity and disease.

Lipa, B. J.↗

Accretion by galaxy clusters and the relationship between X-ray luminosity and velocity dispersion

A relationship between X-ray luminosity and cluster velocity dispersion is derived, which improves on the results of Solinger and Tucker (1972) in several important respects, and a simple model for primordial gas accretion by a cluster of galaxies is described. It is argued that the accreted gas may be causally related to the occurrence of a central active radio or giant cD or galaxy in X-ray clusters. Accretion and subsequent dissipation lead to a decrease with time in the amount of hot gas and in the X-ray luminosity as well as to an increase in mass of the dominant central galaxy.

Silk, J.↗

Pressure model of a four-way spool valve for simulating electrohydraulic control systems

An equation that relates the pressure flow characteristics of hydraulic spool valves was developed. The dependent variable is valve output pressure, and the independent variables are spool position and flow. This causal form of equation is preferred in applications that simulate the effects of hydraulic line dynamics. Results from this equation are compared with those from the conventional valve equation, whose dependent variable is flow. A computer program of the valve equations includes spool stops, leakage spool clearances, and dead-zone characteristics of overlap spools.

Gebben, V. D.↗

Noncausal effects in relativistic wave equations

The problem of determining whether a given type of external field interaction will lead to noncausal wave propagation in the context of the five-component Duffin-Kemmer-Petiau (DKP) spin-0 theory is considered. It is shown that if a Peirce decomposition of the DKP spin-0 equation is applied for each of the couplings in the equation, the causal properties become apparent from the form of the operator H in the resulting Schroedinger-type equation.

Guertin, R. F.↗

Acoustic source location in the secondary mixing region of a jet-blown flap using a cross-correlation technique

An experimental investigation of the acoustic sources in the secondary mixing region of a laboratory-scale jet-flap was made using a causality correlation technique. The processed signal of a hot-film anemometer probe was cross correlated with the output signal of a far-field microphone. Axial acoustic source strength distributions were measured for three far-field microphone locations: plus or minus 45 deg in the flyover plane and 45 deg in the sideline plane. These measurements showed that the acoustic sources in the secondary mixing region are highly directional, radiating much more effectively to the -45 deg-microphone, located below the plane of the flap surface. A relative maximum in the acoustic source strength measured for the microphones in the flyover plane occurred very near the flap trailing edge, which may be due to an edge amplification effect predicted by the theoretical work of Ffowcs Williams and Hall.

Becker, R. S.↗

Research requirements to improve safety of civil helicopters

Helicopter and fixed-wing accident data were reviewed and major accident causal factors were established. The impact of accidents on insurance rates was examined and the differences in fixed-wing and helicopter accident costs discussed. The state of the art in civil helicopter safety was compared to military helicopters. Goals were established based on incorporation of known technology and achievable improvements that require development, as well as administrative-type changes such as the impact of improved operational planning, training, and human factors effects. Specific R and D recommendations are provided with an estimation of the payoffs, timing, and development costs.

Waters, K. T.↗

An overview of aviation weather services

Safety of flight is the first concern of the aviation weather service, the economics of air transportation is a second major interest. Weather is a significant causal factor impacting on the efficiency of air transportation. A discussion is presented on the functions of various weather service agencies as they relate to one another in the dissemination of information to the pilot and to the air traffic controller. Improvements in the aviation weather service and weather knowledge are cited as future goals. The weather service at the present time is an efficient system but future aviation objectives dictate more improvements are needed (especially in automation technology) to enhance flight planning and for safe and efficient flight execution.

Connolly, J. W.↗

General relationships between ultrasonic attenuation and dispersion

General relationships between the ultrasonic attenuation and dispersion are presented. The validity of these nonlocal relationships hinges only on the properties of causality and linearity, and does not depend upon details of the mechanism responsible for the attenuation and dispersion. Approximate, nearly local relationships are presented and are demonstrated to predict accurately the ultrasonic dispersion in solutions of hemoglobin from the results of attenuation measurements.

Odonnell, M.↗

The relation of open magnetic structures to solar wind flow

A study has been made of solar wind observations and models of the low-coronal magnetic field of the sun during the Skylab mission. Potential sources of solar wind plasma have been identified and in most cases systematically associated with observed solar wind flow features. The study pinpoints the problems of associating significant portions of the observed solar wind with sources outside coronal holes, although such associations are strongly suggested by the models. The phenomenological relationship between observed high solar wind speed at 1 AU and small coronal field divergence near the sun is examined and found to be well established but causally inconclusive in light of models of the outer heliosphere.

Levine, R. H.↗

Globally baryon symmetric cosmology, GUT spontaneous symmetry breaking, and the structure of the universe

Grand unified theories (GUT) such as SU(5), with spontaneous symmetry breaking, can lead more naturally to a globally baryon symmetric big bang cosmology with a domain structure than to a totally asymmetric cosmology. The symmetry is broken at random in causally independent domains, favoring neither a baryon nor an antibaryon excess on a universal scale. Because of the additional freedom in the high-energy physics allowed by such GUT gauge theories, new observational tests may be possible. Arguments in favor of this cosmology and various observational tests are discussed.

Stecker, F. W.↗

Cosmological baryon number domain structure from symmetry-breaking in grand unified field theories

It is suggested that grand unified field theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking in the very early big-bang can lead more naturally to a baryon symmetric cosmology with a domain structure than to a totally baryon asymmetric cosmology. The symmetry is broken in a randomized manner in causally independent domains, favoring neither a baryon nor an antibaryon excess on a universal scale. Arguments in favor of this cosmology and observational tests are discussed.

Brown, R. W.↗

Climate diagnostics

Diagnoses of climate fluctuations is examined emphasizing the assemblage of a host of observations, to develop a clearer physical picture of the nature and causal interrelationships of the climate events. Development of better statistical methods for making predictions of climate fluctuations and improving numerical climate prediction models is considered along with obtaining data for areas for which meager records exist such as the tropics and the southern hemisphere. The major circulation systems in the tropics, energy transports by the oceans and atmosphere, and the reflected or absorbed solar radiation values from the earth's surface are among the phenomena to be studied.

Source record↗

Observations of two distinct populations of bow shock ions in the upstream solar wind

Observations upstream of the earth's bow shock with the LASL/MPI fast plasma experiments on ISEE 1 and 2 reveal the presence of two distinct and mutually exclusive populations of low energy (no more than 40 keV) ions apparently accelerated at the bow shock. The first of these, the 'reflected' population, is characterized by (1) sharply peaked spectra seldom extending much above about 10 keV/ion and (2) relatively collimated flow coming from the direction of the shock. On the other hand, the 'diffuse' ions are distinguished by relatively flat energy spectra above about 10 keV and broad angular distributions. They are by far the most commonly observed upstream ion event. A close causal association is suggested between the diffuse ion population in the upstream solar wind and energetic plasma ions observed within the magnetosheath.

Gosling, J. T.↗

Photometric and spectral properties of some T Tauri stars

Photometric and spectroscopic data have been obtained for selected T Tauri members of the Taurus-Aurigae cloud and the Orion complex. A correlation between the intensity ratio of calcium and hydrogen emission lines and the infrared excess at 3.5 microns is found for these stars, which indicates a causal relationship between 'chromospheric activity' and emission processes in the circumstellar shells. It is argued that a comparison with properties of well-studied novae could lead to a better understanding of the physical structure of T Tauri stars.

Warner, J. W.↗

Supernovae and the formation of the solar system

The evidence that a supernova explosion may have triggered the formation of the solar system is reviewed. It cannot be said on the basis of the investigation that the supernova trigger is absolutely necessary for planetary system formation. However, it does appear according to the isotopic evidence that a supernova did blow up within a few million years of the solidification of objects in the solar system. If such an event occurred, it is reasonable to assume that the resultant supernova shock had a causal connection with the formation of the solar system and that a supernova may be one stimulus for formation of low-mass stars.

Schramm, D. N.↗

Cosmological baryon-number domain structure from symmetry breaking in grand unified field theories

It is suggested that grand unified field theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking in the very early big bang can lead more naturally to a baryon-symmetric cosmology with a domain structure than to a totally baryon-asymmetric cosmology. The symmetry is broken in a randomized manner in causally independent domains, favoring neither a baryon nor an antibaryon excess on a universal scale. Arguments in favor of this cosmology and observational tests are discussed.

Brown, R. W.↗

Gravitational collapse in dust lanes and the appearance of spiral structure in galaxies

The possibility is considered that there are two types of spiral for each spiral galaxy: an underlying spiral of relatively old stars seen in red and IR photographs and a spiral outlined by H II regions and young bright blue stars. The origin of the first spiral is attributed to large-scale spiral density waves, and the second spiral is identified as a stochastic spiral. It is suggested that there is a physical or causal connection between the two spirals and that dust lanes play the role of intermediary. An analysis is performed which shows that such a model can account for the formation and destruction of giant molecular cloud complexes and for observed spiral structure in one simple unified theory.

Elmegreen, B. G.↗

Temperature profile retrievals with extended Kalman-Bucy filters

The Extended Kalman-Bucy Filter is a powerful technique for estimating non-stationary random parameters in situations where the received signal is a noisy non-linear function of those parameters. A practical causal filter for retrieving atmospheric temperature profiles from radiances observed at a single scan angle by the Scanning Microwave Spectrometer (SCAMS) carried on the Nimbus 6 satellite typically shows approximately a 10-30% reduction in rms error about the mean at almost all levels below 70 mb when compared with a regression inversion.

Ledsham, W. H.↗