Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “sun”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Variability of metric emission from the sun

Full-disk observations of the sun obtained with the VLA at 317 MHz have been analyzed, with special attention being given to the short period variability of the meter-wavelength sources. A reduction in brightness is noted over coronal holes at 90 cm. Thermal emission models for the slowly varying component are investigated, along with a nonthermal emission mechanism for storm radiation at meter wavelengths. The results indicate that the thermal model encounters difficulties in accommodating short period changes over a few tens of minutes, and that the nonthermal mechanism encounters difficulty in accounting for the variability of low brightness temperatures of less than 10 to the 6th K. A gyrotron synchrotron emission mechanism has been ruled out.

Shevgaonkar, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Observations of F- and P-Mode Oscillations of High Degree (500 Is Less Than L Is Less Than 2500) in Quiet and Active Sun

Spectra (l - v diagrams) from high resolution observations taken at the Vacuum Tower Telescope (NSO/Sunspot) are presented. The raw data are CCD images taken through the SOUP narrowband filter in Fe I 5576 A. Four filtergrams spaced through the spectral line are combined to form velocity movies. Spectra for 80 min of data with 0.5 to 1.5 arcsec resolution are presented for the entire field-of-view and for quiet and magnetic (plage) subregions. Ridges f and p1 to p5 are evident in velocity spectra, extending to l = 2500 (f), l = 1800 (p1), and l = 1200 (p2). Much less power is seen in the magnetic region than in the quiet Sun. Three-dimensional Fourier filtering shows that oscillation velocity amplitude drops sharply at the boundary of the active region for each family of modes considered.

Tarbell, T. D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

High-energy particles very near the sun

NASA's long range plans include a Solar Probe (Star Probe) mission in which a spacecraft is placed in an eccentric orbit with perihelion at four solar radii. As part of the study effort for this mission, a Solar Probe Environment Workshop was sponsored by JPL. The report of this committee was issued in September 1978 as JPL Publication 78-64. A brief abstract of this document is given. There are considerable uncertainties in the models of solar energetic particle release and transport. The committee addressed this problem by using different modelling techniques when possible to provide a cross-check on the estimates. These models were used to extrapolate observation at 1 AU to the vicinity of the Sun. Additionally, the occurrence of a flare of a given magnitude must be estimated on a statistical basis. Therefore, it is possible to state a likelihood that the fluxes and fluences will be less than a certain magnitude, but in the event of an extremely large solar flare (occurrence of perhaps once a decade, e.g., August 4, 1972) it is likely that the hazard would be insurmountable. A brief first look indicates that the near-solar particle environment is not a worse hazard than Jupiter.

Goldstein, B. E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A high-resolution atlas of the infrared spectrum of the sun and the earth atmosphere from space. A compilation of ATMOS spectra of the region from 650 to 4800 cm-1 (2.3 to 16 microns). Volume 2: Stratosphere and mesosphere, 650 to 3350 cm-1

During the period April 29 to May 2, 1985, the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) experiment was operated for the first time, as part of the Spacelab-3 payload of the shuttle Challenger. The principal purpose of this experiment was to study the distributions of the atmosphere's minor and trace molecular constituents. The instrument, a modified Michelson interferometer covering the frequency range from 600 to 5000/cm-1 at a spectral resolution of 0.01/cm-1, recorded infrared absorption spectra of the sun and of the earth's atmosphere at times close to entry into and exit from occultation by the earth's limb. Spectra were obtained that are free from absorptions due to constituents of the atmosphere (i.e., they are pure solar spectra), as well as spectra of the atmosphere itself, covering line-of-sight tangent altitudes that span the range from the lower thermosphere to the bottom of the troposphere. This atlas presents a compilation of these spectra arranged in a hardcopy format suitable for quick-look reference purposes. Volume 2 covers the stratosphere and mesosphere (i.e., tangent altitudes from 20 to 80 km) for frequencies from 650 to 3350/cm-1.

Farmer, Crofton B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Solar magnetic field studies using the 12 micron emission lines. I - Quiet sun time series and sunspot slices

The use of the extremely Zeeman-sensitive IR emission line Mg I, at 12.32 microns, to study solar magnetic fields. Time series observations of the line in the quiet sun were obtained in order to determine the response time of the line to the five-minute oscillations. Based upon the velocity amplitude and average period measured in the line, it is concluded that it is formed in the temperature minimum region. The magnetic structure of sunspots is investigated by stepping a small field of view in linear 'slices' through the spots. The region of penumbral line formation does not show the Evershed outflow common in photospheric lines. The line intensity is a factor of two greater in sunspot penumbrae than in the photosphere, and at the limb the penumbral emission begins to depart from optical thinness, the line source function increasing with height. For a spot near disk center, the radial decrease in absolute magnetic field strength is steeper than the generally accepted dependence.

Deming, Drake↗
NASA NTRS1988

Solar maximum mission fine pointing sun sensor dawn and dusk errors flight data and model analysis

SMM flight system control errors occurring at spacecraft dawn and dusk are analyzed. The errors are associated with the fine pointing sun sensor (FPSS), which is a primary component of the SMM attitude control system. It is shown that the source of the FPSS dawn/dusk distortion is the incomplete masking of sunlight reflected off the earth by the optical baffle covering the FPSS sensor heads onboard the SMM during periods of orbit dawn and dusk. For the most part, the modeled behavior of the FPSS under dawn and dusk lighting conditions matches the observed behavior in the SMM flight data.

Kulp, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Structure of magnetic fields on the quiet sun

To obtain quantitative temporal and spatial information on the network magnetic fields, auto- and cross-correlation techniques are applied to the Big Bear videomagnetogram data. The average size of the network magnetic elements derived from the auto-correlation curve is about 5700 km. The distance between the primary and secondary peak in the auto-correlation curve is about 17,000 km, which is half of the size of the supergranule as determined from the velocity map. The canceling features and the emergence of ephemeral regions are the major sources for the loss and replenishment of magnetic flux on the quiet sun.

Wang, Haimin↗
NASA NTRS1989

Application of the Langley plot for calibration of sun sensors for the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE)

The calibration of the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) sun sensor is described. This system consists of two energy-balancing silicon detectors which provide coarse azimuth and elevation control signals and a silicon photodiode array which provides top and bottom solar edge data for fine elevation control. All three detectors were calibrated on a mountaintop near Tucson, Ariz., using the Langley plot technique. The conventional Langley plot technique was modified to allow calibration of the two coarse detectors, which operate wideband. A brief description of the test setup is given. The HALOE instrument is a gas correlation radiometer that is now being developed for the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite.

Moore, Alvah S., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Estimation of surface insolation using sun-synchronous satellite data

A technique is presented for estimating insolation at the earth's surface using only sun-synchronous satellite data. The technique was tested by comparing the insolation results from year-long satellite data sets with simultaneous ground-measured insolation taken at five continental United States sites. Monthly average insolation values derived from the satellite data showed a standard error of 4.2 W/sq m, or 2.7 percent of the average ground insolation value.

Darnell, Wayne L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A parameterization for longwave surface radiation from sun-synchronous satellite data

A parameterization is presented for computing downward, upward, and net longwave radiation at the earth's surface using data from NOAA sun-synchronous satellites. The parameterization is applied to satellite soundings for April, 1982 over a large region of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Sensitivity studies were used to estimate the random and systematic errors in computed fluxes due to probable errors in TOVS-derived parameters. It is suggested that large biases in the results due to errors in TOVS-derived parameters may be corrected with data from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project.

Gupta, Shashi K.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Magnetic flux transport on the sun

Although most of the magnetic flux observed on the sun originates in the low-latitude sunspot belts, this flux is gradually dispersed over a much wider range of latitudes by supergranular convective motions and meridional circulation. Numerical simulations show how these transport processes interact over the 11-year sunspot cycle to produce a strong 'topknot' polar field, whose existence near sunspot minimum is suggested by the observed strength of the interplanetary magnetic field and by the observed areal extent of polar coronal holes. The required rates of diffusion and flow are consistent with the decay rates of active regions and with the rotational properties of the large-scale solar magnetic field.

Wang, Y.-M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The nonlinear breakup of the sun's toroidal field

There are good reasons for believing that the sun has a strong toroidal magnetic field in the stably stratified region of convective overshoot sandwiched between the radiative zone and convective zone proper. The magnetic field in this region is modeled by studying the behavior of a layer of uniform field embedded in a subadiabatic atmosphere. Since the field can support extra mass, such a configuration is top-heavy, and instabilities of the Rayleigh-Taylor type can occur. Numerical integration of the two-dimensional compressible MHD equations makes it possible to follow the evolution of this instability into the nonlinear regime. The initial buoyancy-driven instability of the magnetic field gives rise to strong shearing motions, thereby exciting secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities which wrap the gas into regions of intense vorticity. The somewhat surprising subsequent motions are determined primarily by the strong interactions between vortices.

Hughes, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Lower solar chromosphere-corona transition region. III - Implications of the observed quiet-sun emission measure including wave pressure effects

The observed form of the emission measure (EM) is used as a function of temperature to infer the wave energy flux density and pressure throughout the lower transition region (TR). This procedure eliminates the need for specifying how the wave energy flux density is damped and addresses the question of whether there is any form of the mechanical heating associated with the degradation of an upward traveling wave energy flux density which is consistent with the observed EM and other observational constraints for the quiet sun. It is found that the observed form of the EM curve is incompatible with waves traveling vertically at the sound speed, regardless of any filling factor arguments. The same conclusion also applies to waves traveling at the Alfven speed, unless it is assumed that the emission in lower TR lines originates solely from small, spatially unresolved regions of large magnetic field strength (100 G), which cover a small fraction (filling factors of 1 percent) of the solar surface.

Woods, D. Tod↗
NASA NTRS1990

The systematic radial downflow in the transition region of the quiet sun from limb-to-limb observations of the C IV resonance lines

This paper presents absolute velocities of C IV 1548, 1550 nm measured as a function of position along the solar equator, which was free of both active regions and coronal holes, and uniformly representative of the quiet sun. These observations were made with moderate spatial resolution (18 arcsec) using an EUV spectrometer dedicated to measuring absolute wavelengths (velocities) by direct comparison with a platinum spectrum generated on board the sounding rocket. On the assumption that systematic horizontal motions cancel statistically so that the line-of-sight velocities approach zero at the limb, a net radial downflow of 7.5 + or - 1.0 km/sec was found. The assumption was tested using the wavelength reference and found to be valid within the absolute accuracy of the rest wavelengths of the C IV lines.

Rottman, Gary J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Period and phase of the 88-year solar cycle and the Maunder minimum - Evidence for a chaotic sun

The problem of whether the solar dynamo is quasi-periodic or chaotic is addressed by examining 1500 years of sunspot, geomagnetic, and auroral activity cycles. Sub-harmonics were found of the fundamental solar cycle period during the years preceding the Maunder minimum and loss of phase of the subharmonic on emergence from it. These phenomena are indicative of chaos. They indicate that the solar dynamo is chaotic and is operating in a region close to the transition between period doubling and chaos. Since Maunder-type minima reoccur irregularly for millennia, it appears that the sun remains close to this transition to and from chaos. This is postulated to be a universal characteristic of solar type stars caused by feedback in the dynamo number.

Feynman, J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Relationship Between Rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere and Impulses of the Torque in the Sun's Motion

The analysis of major change in the angular momentum of the sun's irregular motion about the barycenter of the solar system, represented by extrema in the running variance of impulses of the torque (IOT), discloses a connection with both extrema in the Gleissberg cycle of secular sunspot activity and maxima in the thickness of varves from Lake Saki, Crimea. This significant relationship can be traced back to the 7th century. Further inquiries link the running variance in IOT to rainfall over central Europe, England, Wales, eastern United States, and India, as well as to temperature in Europe. This significant correlation covers more than 130 years.

Landscheidt, T.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A Review and Reflections on the Sun-Climate Connection

The field of sun-climate is beset with an extraordinary number of numerical correlations attempting to relate various periodicities of solar activity with changes in the Earth's weather and climate. Signatures representing climatological variability have been sought for cycles as short as the solar 28-day rotational period up to Milankovich periods of thousands of years, although a majority of correlations have concentrated on the 11-year sunspot and 22-year Hale double sunspot cycles. For the shorter term, parameters including temperature, pressure, winds storm tracks, rainfall, and water levels in rivers and lakes, etc. have been correlated with solar variability. For longer periods, it has been necessary to seek more indirect evidence in ice cores, tree rings, and geologic deep sea cores. Other atmospheric parameters relating to atmospheric electricity and the global electric circuit have also been correlated in similar fashion. Unfortunately, few, if any, of this wide spectrum of numerical correlations have been associated with any viable physical explanation, making most studies in the field an exercise in numerical statistics. More recently, a few suggestions for plausible coupling processes have begun to appear. These, coupled with new and stronger correlations involving selective binning of climatological data sets have injected new life and hope to this field. An overview is given of the historical past and current perspectives, to evaluate possible avenues for defining physical linking processes in the future.

Goldberg, Richard A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Sublimation rates of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from comet nuclei at large distances from the Sun

One of the more attractive among the plausible scenarios for the major emission event recently observed on Comet Halley at a heliocentric distance of 14.3 AU is activation of a source of ejecta driven by an icy substance much more volatile than water. As prerequisite for the forthcoming detailed analysis of the imaging observations of this event, a simple model is proposed that yields the sublimation rate versus time at any location on the surface of a rotating cometary nucleus for two candidate ices: carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The model's variable parameters are the comet's heliocentric distance r and the Sun's instantaneous zenith angle z.

Sekanina, Zdenek↗