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At least 847 records · Page 47

Thermal conductivity of Apollo 14 fines.

The thermal conductivity of the Apollo 14 fines, sample 14163,133, was measured under vacuum conditions as a function of temperature. Measurements were made for densities of 1100 and 1300 kg/cu m. A least-squares curve of the form k = A + B(T-cubed) is fitted to each data set in accordance with elementary theory. Comparisons are made with previously published data for terrestrial basalt and Apollo 11 and 12 samples.

Cremers, C. J.↗

Apollo 16 neutron stratigraphy.

The Apollo 16 soils have the largest low-energy neutron fluences yet observed in lunar samples. Variations in the isotopic ratios Gd-158/Gd-157 and Sm-150/Sm-149 (up to 1.9 and 2.0%, respectively) indicate that the low-energy neutron fluence in the Apollo 16 drill stem increases with depth throughout the section sampled. Such a variation implies that accretion has been the dominant regolith 'gardening' process at this location. The data may be fit by a model of continuous accretion of pre-irradiated material or by models involving as few as two slabs of material in which the first slab could have been deposited as long as 1 b.y. ago. The ratio of the number of neutrons captured per atom by Sm to the number captured per atom by Gd is lower than in previously measured lunar samples, which implies a lower energy neutron spectrum at this site. The variation of this ratio with chemical composition is qualitatively similar to that predicted by Lingenfelter et al. (1972). Variations are observed in the ratio Gd-152/Gd-160 which are fluence-correlated and probably result from neutron capture by Eu-151.

Russ, G. P., III↗

Parametric analysis of ATM solar array.

The paper discusses the methods used for the calculation of ATM solar array performance characteristics and provides the parametric analysis of solar panels used in SKYLAB. To predict the solar array performance under conditions other than test conditions, a mathematical model has been developed. Four computer programs have been used to convert the solar simulator test data to the parametric curves. The first performs module summations, the second determines average solar cell characteristics which will cause a mathematical model to generate a curve matching the test data, the third is a polynomial fit program which determines the polynomial equations for the solar cell characteristics versus temperature, and the fourth program uses the polynomial coefficients generated by the polynomial curve fit program to generate the parametric data.

Singh, B. K.↗

Horizontal variations in thermospheric composition.

Constant boundary conditions at 120 km have been so widely and successfully used in atmospheric modeling and in fitting atmospheric density data obtained from satellite drag to models that attention has been diverted from the variations that occur at 120 km, especially in composition. Atomic oxygen concentrations vary by factors as large as 4, with highest concentrations occurring in the winter hemisphere but at midlatitudes rather than over the polar region. A substantial additional degree of variability occurs that is especially associated with geomagnetic activity. The helium concentration varies by about an order of magnitude between poles, with the maximum concentration occurring at high winter latitudes and a secondary minimum occurring over the winter pole.

Johnson, F. S.↗

Apollo 15 measurement of lunar surface brightness temperatures - Thermal conductivity of the upper 1.5 meters of regolith.

In situ measurements of lunar surface brightness temperatures made as a part of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package at the Apollo 15 Hadley Rille landing site are reported. Data derived from five thermocouples of the Heat Flow Experiment, which are lying on or just above the surface, are used to examine the thermal properties of the upper 15 cm of the lunar regolith using eclipse and nighttime cool-down temperatures. Application of finite-difference techniques in modeling the lunar soil shows that the thermocouple data are best fit by a model consisting of a low-density and low-thermal conductivity surface layer approximately 2 cm thick overlying a region increasing in conductivity and density with depth. Conductivities on the order of 0.00001 W per cm per deg K are postulated for the upper layer, with conductivity increasing to the order of 0.0001 W per cm per deg K at depths exceeding 20 cm. An increase in mean temperature with depth indicates that the ratio of radiative to conductive transfer at 350 K is 2.7 for at least the upper few centimeters of lunar soil; this value is nearly twice that measured for returned lunar fines.

Keihm, S. J.↗

Transformation between orbital parameters in different coordinate systems of the general relativistic Schwarzschild problem.

The relationships between the osculating orbital elements for a family of solutions of the general relativistic Schwarzschild problems are developed. These relationships provide a method for evaluating orbital elements in different Schwarzschild coordinate systems without the necessity of fitting to real data every time the system of coordinates is changed. The objectivity of different coordinate systems is discussed. Considerations of orbital motions favor the standard Schwarzschild metric, but the propagation of light signals is more objective in the metric of Painleve. Because the orbital motions usually dominate the representation of data, the standard Schwarzschild coordinates are the best objective choice for most applications.

Georgevic, R. M.↗

Combined observations of meteors by image-orthicon television camera and multi-station radar

Observations from multiple sites of a radar network and by television of 29 individual meteors from February 1969 through June 1970 are reported. Only 12 of the meteors did not appear to fragment over all the observed portion of their trajectories. From these 12, the relation for the radar magnitude to the panchromatic absolute magnitude was found in terms of velocity of the meteor. A very tentative fit to the data on the duration of long enduring echoes versus visual absolute magnitude is made. The exponential decay characteristics of the later parts of several of the light curves are pointed out as possible evidence of mutual coalescence of droplets into which the meteoroid has completely broken.

Cook, A. F.↗

Rb-Sr age of the Civet Cat clast, 72255, 41

Plagioclase rich clasts, orthopyroxene rich matrix, purified pyroxene, and plagioclase from the Civet Cat clast define a Rb-Sr isochron age of 4.18 + or - 0.04 x 10 to the 9th power yr and an initial Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio of 0.69922 + or - 0.00005. The fit of all data to the line is within error except for plagioclase 3, and blank corrections are essentially negligible. The decay constant used is 1.39 x 10 to the minus 11th power yr.

Compston, W.↗

CO2 photodissociation and vibrational excitation in the planetary atmospheres

The principal subjects of investigation were the determination of the CO2 photodissociation quantum yields at the wavelengths from 1200 A to 1500 A, and the efficiency of electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer in the systems 0(1D) + CO, N2, CO2 yields 0(3P) + CO N2, CO2 vibrational energies. Measurements on the photodissociation quantum yield of CO2 in the 1200-1500 A region show that it is wavelength dependent, and for the six atomic line sources used, the quantum yield varied from 0.2 to 0.8. The data appear to fit the interpretation of stable CO2 bound states mixed with repulsive or predissociating states, since the low quantum yields coincide with the maximum structure in the CO2 absorption spectrum. The first reliable measurements were made on the efficiency of electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer in the systems 0(1D)-CO and 0(1D)-N2, using a uv resonance fluorescence technique. The 0(1D)-CO2 interaction was investigated by infrared techniques.

Slanger, T. G.↗

Water impact analysis of space shuttle solid rocket motor by the finite element method

Preliminary analysis showed that the doubly curved triangular shell elements were too stiff for these shell structures. The doubly curved quadrilateral shell elements were found to give much improved results. A total of six load cases were analyzed in this study. The load cases were either those resulting from a static test using reaction straps to simulate the drop conditions or under assumed hydrodynamic conditions resulting from a drop test. The latter hydrodynamic conditions were obtained through an emperical fit of available data. Results obtained from a linear analysis were found to be consistent with results obtained elsewhere with NASTRAN and BOSOR. The nonlinear analysis showed that the originally assumed loads would result in failure of the shell structures. The nonlinear analysis also showed that it was useful to apply internal pressure as a stabilizing influence on collapse. A final analysis with an updated estimate of load conditions resulted in linear behavior up to full load.

Buyukozturk, O.↗

Mars physical parameters as determined from Mariner 9 observations of the natural satellites

Derivation of values for the Mars gravity field, as well as the mass and spin axis direction, by processing combined radio and optical data taken with the Mariner 9 spacecraft. The optical data consists of 62 TV photographs of Phobos and Deimos taken during the Mars orbiting phase of Mariner 9. The radio data consists of apoapsis state vectors obtained from 195 one-revolution fits of the Doppler data. A first-order analytic theory is used to model both the satellites and the spacecraft's motion. However, the shallow resonance condition of Mariner 9's orbit necessitated development of a partial second-order theory to model the long-period perturbations which derive from Mars even-order tesseral harmonics. Use of an analytic theory allows rapid and inexpensive processing of both data types simultaneously. The results are in good agreement with those previously published from Mariner 9 Doppler and landmark data.

Born, G. H.↗

On the distribution of He+ in the plasmasphere from observations of resonantly scattered He II 304-A radiation

The intensity of the He II 304-A radiation in the night sky was measured from a sounding rocket launched from White Sands Missile Range on June 9, 1972. The data obtained on this flight are compared with predictions of theoretical models of the He(+) altitude distribution within the plasmasphere. The observations are not consistent with an isothermal equilibrium model of the helium ion in the plasmasphere, confirming earlier results. The data are best fit by a diffussive equilibrium model of exospheric He(+) having a plasma temperature gradient of 0.5 K per km and a number density at 1600 km of 200,000 He(+) ions per cu cm. In this model the ion densities are calculated without allowance for thermal diffusion. A similar model that allows for thermal diffusion and that has a He(+) number density at 1600 km of 1500 per cu cm and a temperature gradient of 1.2 K per km yields a less satisfactory fit to the observations but is more consistent with in situ satellite observations.

Paresce, F.↗

Investigation of nitric oxide decomposition in the temperature range 2500-4100 K

The decomposition of nitric oxide has been studied in the temperature range 2500-4100 K using a shock-tube technique. The principle result of the study was the determination of the rate constant (k) for the reaction O + NO yields N + O2. Mixtures of NO and N2O diluted in argon or krypton were heated by incident shock waves and the infrared emission from the fundamental vibration-rotation band of NO at 5.3 microns was used to monitor the time-varying NO concentration. The experimental values of k are fit closely by the expression k = (2.36 times 10 to the 9th power) x T x exp(-38,640/RT) cm cu/mole-sec, which also provides a good fit to previous data at higher and lower temperatures.

Flower, W. L.↗

A simple method of calculating power-law velocity profile exponents from experimental data

Analytical expressions for the effects of compressibility and heat transfer on laminar and turbulent shape factors H have been developed. Solving the turbulent equation for the power law velocity profile exponent N has resulted in a simple technique by which the N values of experimental turbulent profiles can be calculated directly from the integral parameters. Thus the data plotting, curve fitting, and slope measuring, which is the normal technique of obtaining experimental N values, is eliminated. The N values obtained by this method should be within the accuracy with which they could be measured.

Allen, J. M.↗

Thermal expansion in the nickel-chromium-aluminum and cobalt-chromium-aluminum systems to 1200 degrees C

Thermal expansion data were obtained on 12 Ni-Cr-Al and 9 Co-Cr-Al alloys by high temperature X-ray diffraction. The data were computer fit to an empirical thermal expansion equation developed in the study. It is shown that the fit is excellent to good, and that the expansion constants depend on phase but not on composition. Phases for the Ni-Cr-Al system and Co-Cr-Al system are given. Results indicate that only alpha Cr has an expansion constant low enough to minimize oxide spalling or coating cracking induced by thermal expansion mismatch.

Lowell, C. E.↗

Rate of recombination of oxygen atoms and CO at temperatures below ambient

The measurements reported were conducted with 30.0 torr CO, 40.0 torr argon, and varying amounts of carbon dioxide from about 20 to 230 torr. Measurements were made at 277, 272, 263, and 257 K. The pseudo-first-order decay rate as a function of carbon dioxide pressure is shown in a graph. An Arrhenius plot for the rate constants obtained from the measurements is also presented. A value for the activation energy was determined on the basis of a linear least-squares fit to the data.

Inn, E. C. Y.↗

Observations of the Circinus X-1 region

The X-ray telescope on board the OSO-7 satellite has provided observations of the Cir X-1 region for over 110 days between December 1971 and March 1973. Although statistically significant fluctuations in the 7- to 11-keV flux were measured, no periodicities in the range between 5 hours and 100 days were found to an upper limit of about 40 percent amplitude. Intensities in the 7- to 57-keV range show variability by a factor of approximately 25 and changes in the spectral shape reflected by a number spectral index varying from about 1.1 to about 3.0. There is a positive correlation between intensity and spectral shape, with a steeper spectrum at times of peak intensity. Although power-law, exponential, and blackbody spectral shapes are equally good fits to these data alone, examination of all the available data appears to rule out a simple blackbody spectrum, at least at times of maximum intensity.

Baity, W. A.↗

Planetary isophotes as a clue to aerosol characteristics

A study was conducted to see how much information could be extracted from the Mariner 9 Mars isophotes taken at a phase angle of approximately 60 deg. It was found that the Minnaert functions and both isotropic and Rayleigh scattering could easily be ruled out, and that it was essential to use forward-peaked phase functions, which were computed from Mie theory. Isophotes similar to those observed assuming a semi-infinite dust cloud with a considerable variation in particle properties and size distribution could be obtained, so long as the ratio of the multiply- to singly-scattered light was held within certain limits. These conditions are met by micron-sized, moderatly absorbing mineral grains whose mean size should not be much larger than a micron. It was also found that a dust cloud of finite optical thickness bounded from below by a Lambert ground would fit the isophote data.

Kattawar, G. W.↗