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At least 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Dissipation of Alfven waves in solar coronal arches

The physical mechanism by which mechanical energy is delivered to and absorbed by the solar corona is discussed. A set of MHD equations for analyzing the slow evolution of the magnetic field and the fast time of Alfven waves is presented. Alfven wave dissipation is treated. It is shown that the slow motion of the feet of coronal arches leads to irregular magnetic fields and that Alfven waves propagating in the irregular magnetic structure are dissipated through filamentation of the wave packet that generates short scales necessary for efficient dissipation.

Sudan, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Progress in modeling atmospheric propagation of sonic booms

The improved simulation of sonic boom propagation through the real atmosphere requires greater understanding of how the transient acoustic pulses popularly termed sonic booms are affected by humidity and turbulence. A realistic atmosphere is invariably somewhat turbulent, and may be characterized by an ambient fluid velocity v and sound speed c that vary from point to point. The absolute humidity will also vary from point to point, although possibly not as irregularly. What is ideally desired is a relatively simple scheme for predicting the probable spreads in key sonic boom signature parameters. Such parameters could be peak amplitudes, rise times, or gross quantities obtainable by signal processing that correlate well with annoyance or damage potential. The practical desire for the prediction scheme is that it require a relatively small amount of knowledge, possibly of a statistical nature, concerning the atmosphere along, the propagation path from the aircraft to the ground. The impact of such a scheme, if developed, implemented, and verified, would be that it would give the persons who make planning decisions a tool for assessing the magnitude of environmental problems that might result from any given overflight or sequence of overflights. The technical approach that has been followed by the author and some of his colleagues is to formulate a hierarchy of simple approximate models based on fundamental physical principles and then to test these models against existing data. For propagation of sonic booms and of other types of acoustic pulses in nonturbulent model atmospheres, there exists a basic overall theoretical model that has evolved as an outgrowth of geometrical acoustics. This theoretical model depicts the sound as propagating within ray tubes in a manner analogous to sound in a waveguide of slowly varying cross-section. Propagation along the ray tube is quasi-one-dimensional, and a wave equation for unidirectional wave propagation is used. A nonlinear term is added to this equation to account for nonlinear steepening, and the formulation has been carried through to allow for spatially varying sound speed, ambient density, and ambient wind velocities. The model intrinsically neglects diffraction, so it cannot take into account what has previously been mentioned in the literature as possibly important mechanisms for turbulence-related distortion. The model as originally developed could predict an idealized N-waveform which often agrees with data in terms of peak amplitude and overall positive phase duration. It is possible, moreover, to develop simple methods based on the physics of relaxation processes for incorporating molecular relaxation into the quasi-one-dimensional model of nonlinear propagation along ray tubes.

Pierce, Allan D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

High-Frequency Planetary Waves in the Polar Middle Atmosphere as seen in a data Assimilation System

This study examines the winter southern hemisphere vortex of 1998 using four times daily output from a data assimilation system to focus on the polar 2-day, wave number 2 component of the 4-day wave. The data assimilation system products are from a test version of the finite volume data assimilation system (fvDAS) being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and include an ozone assimilation system. Results show that the polar 2-day wave dominates during July 1998 at 70 degrees. The period of the quasi 2-day wave is somewhat shorter than 2 days (about 1.7 days) during July 1998 with an average perturbation temperature amplitude for the month of over 2.5 K. The 2-day wave propagates more slowly than the zonal mean zonal wind, consistent with Rossby wave theory, and has EP flux divergence regions associated with regions of negative horizontal potential vorticity gradients, as expected from linear instability theory. Results for the assimilation-produced ozone mixing ratio show that the 2-day wave represents a major source of ozone variation in this region. The ozone wave in the assimilation system is in good agreement with the wave seen in the POAM (Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement) ozone observations for the same time period. Some differences with linear instability theory are noted as well as spectral peaks in the ozone field, not seen in the temperature field, that may be a consequence of advection.

Coy, L.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Recent Enhancements to NASA’s PCBoom Sonic Boom Propagation Code

This paper presents the recent updates the author has made to PCBoom sonic boom propagation code on its computational efficiency, predictive capability, and file operations. The updated version has recently been released and has a Burgers’ equation solver, which is computationally more efficient than that in the older version by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. The updated version also enhances the accuracy of the sonic boom propagation prediction by accounting for the full wind effects on the shock wave propagation. Predictions from the updated PCBoom are compared with predictions from the older version and with data from flight tests. Other upgrades and changes that have been made in the latest version include support for Unix-like operating systems, bug fixes, and generation of new types of output files that allow for better manipulation of PCBoom-generated data.

Lonzaga, Joel B.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Modeling of Guided Waves for Aerospace Applications

Advancements in computer hardware has led to new possibilities for rapid modeling and simulation capabilities across many scientific fields. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) can benefit from increased use of simulation tools to guide optimization of inspection and health monitoring methods, enhance understanding of data, aid in development of defect characterization methods, and generate data sets for use with machine learning and model-assisted probability of detection. Recent work at NASA has entailed development and benchmarking of both custom simulation codes and commercial simulation tools for ultrasonic wave propagation. This paper describes recent work at NASA in modeling of guided waves in composites and other aerospace materials. Results and computational speeds for a composite benchmark case are reported for a custom finite difference Rotated Staggered Grid code and for the commercial finite element software package, Pogo. Recent progress in linking NDE models to parametric analysis tools is also discussed.

Nondestructive evaluation↗
NASA NTRS1995

Plasma wave evidence for lightning on Venus

Plasma wave data from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter provide the largest body of data cited as evidence for lightning on Venus. These data are also the most controversial, mainly because of the ambiguity in mode identification due to limited spectral information. We review some of the more recent studies of the plasma wave data at Venus, and we demonstrate that the characteristics of the 100 Hz waves are consistent with whistler-mode waves propagating vertically from below the ionosphere. We further show that in situ instabilities are too weak to generate whistler-mode waves, mainly because the thermal pressure is comparable with the magnetic field pressure in the ionosphere of Venus. The lower hybrid drift instability has also been suggested as an alternative source for the 100 Hz waves. However, the wave properties are more consistent with whistler-mode propagation; the lower hybrid dirft instability requires very short gradient scale lengths to overcome damping due to collisions. We also note that an apparent association between Langmuir probe anomalies and 100 Hz waves is much lower than previously reported, once we apply a consistent intensity threshold for identifying wave bursts. The lightning hyposthesis remains the most probable explanation of the plasma waves detected at low altitudes in the nightside ionosphere of Venus.

Strangeway, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Microwave Propagation Attenuation due to Earth's Atmosphere and Weather at SHF Band

In this study we have estimated radio wave propagation losses at super high frequency (SHF) band by applying available propagation models into several Air Force benchmark scenarios. The study shows that dominantly additional losses over the free space loss are atmospheric absorption, clouds, fog, and precipitation, as well as scintillation /multipath at low elevation angles. The free space loss equation has been modified to include all atmospheric attenuation and fading effects that cannot be neglected over the range of frequency of interest. Terrain profiles along all directions of interest within the coastal areas and inland areas for four benchmark cases have been analyzed in detail. We find that while the atmospheric gaseous absorption plays a significant role under a clear weather, heavy rainfalls can cause several tens of dB loss for a 100- km path through the rain. At very low elevation angles (< 5 deg), atmospheric scintillation/multipath fading becomes a very important factor. There are significant differences in the feature of anomalous mode (ducting) propagation between the east and the west coastal receiving stations.

atmospheric absorption↗
NASA NTRS1982

Numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic shock propagation in the corona

Recent developments in the field of numerical simulation models for the study of shock wave propagation in the corona are presented. These models are based on gasdynamic (GD) and ideal (that is, dissipationless, except at shocks) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theories. The characteristics and physical interpretations of the results derived from these models are discussed in some detail. The most significant physical results obtained to date are provided by the two-dimensional non-planar, time-dependent, MHD numerical simulation model. In this model, the non-linear interaction among the three essential MHD waves, i.e., fast-, slow-, and Alfven waves are demonstrated. Finally, the physical relevance of these numerical simulation models in relation to observed solar activity is presented.

Wu, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Some aspects of high-order numerical solutions of the linear convection equation with forced boundary conditions

A six-stage low-storage Runge-Kutta time-marching method is presented and shown to be an efficient method for use with high-accuracy spatial difference operators for wave propagation problems. The accuracy of the method for inhomogeneous ordinary differential equations is demonstrated through numerical solutions of the linear convection equation with forced boundary conditions. Numerical experiments are presented simulating a sine wave and a Gaussian pulse propagating into and through the domain. For practical levels of mesh refinement corresponding to roughly ten points per wavelength, the six-stage Runge-Kutta method is more accurate than the popular fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. Further numerical experiments are presented which show that the numerical boundary scheme at an inflow boundary can be a significant source of error when high-accuracy spatial discretizations are used.

Zingg, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Process for making diamonds

A description is given of a device and process for making industrial diamonds. The device is composed of an exponential horn tapering from a large end to a small end, with a copper plate against the large end. A magnetic hammer abuts the copper plate. The copper plate and magnetic hammer function together to create a shock wave at the large end of the horn. As the wave propagates to the small end, the extreme pressure and temperature caused by the wave transforms the graphite, present in an anvil pocket at the small end, into diamonds.

Rasquin, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Magneto-atmospheric waves

A theoretical treatment of magneto-atmospheric waves is presented and applied to the modelling of waves in the solar atmosphere. The waves arise in compressible, stratified, electrically conductive atmospheres within gravitational fields when permeated by a magnetic field. Compression, buoyancy, and distortion of the magnetic field all contribute to the existence of the waves. Basic linearized equations are introduced to describe the waves and attention is given to plane-stratified atmospheres and their stability. A dispersion relation is defined for wave propagation in a plane-stratified atmosphere when there are no plane-wave solutions. Solutions are found for the full wave equation in the presence of either a vertical or a horizontal magnetic field. The theory is applied to describing waves in sunspots, in penumbrae, and flare-induced coronal disturbances.

Thomas, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The forward-reverse shock pair at large heliocentric distances

An unsteady one-dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model is developed in order to study the essential physical processes involved in the development of the forward-reverse shock pair in the heliosphere. In the model, MHD shocks are treated as boundary surfaces which divide the domain of interest in the r-t plane into several flow regions. The positions of the shock boundary surfaces between two neighboring flow regions are determined by shock speed. On the basis of integrations of the model, it is found that the strong MHD disturbances generated in a corotating interaction region (CIR) propagate at a fast speed relative to the moving material, and that the wave propagation speed is greater in CIR than in its surroundings. This causes disturbances in CIR to pile up and form a shock pair. The newly formed shock pair will in turn propagate outward from the leading edge to interact with ambient rarefaction regions. This interaction accounts for the double sawtooth configuration observed in velocity profiles of shock pairs. It is also demonstrated that the merging of two shocks produces a stronger shock and constant surface on its backside. Computer generated velocity profiles based on the model are presented.

Whang, Y. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The generation of electrostatic noise in the plasma sheet boundary layer

The one and two ion beam instability is considered as a possible explanation for the observations of broadband electrostatic noise in the plasma sheet region of the geomagnetic tail. When only hot streaming plasma sheet boundary layer ions are present, no broadband waves are excited. Cold, streaming ionospheric ions can generate electrostatic broadband waves propagating in the slow beam acoustic mode, but the growth rates of the waves are significantly enhanced when hot boundary layer ions are present. (Both the slow and fast beam acoustic modes can be excited, depending on the relative ion drift.) This model predicts that the wave intensity of the broad band noise should peak in the plasma sheet boundary layer. Observations of less intense electrostatic waves in the lobes and plasma sheet are likely a result of the absence of hot ion beams or large ion temperatures, respectively, which result in smaller growth rates. The ion beam instability may play an important role in the formation of the central plasma sheet.

Dusenbery, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS1954

Unsteady oblique interaction of a shock wave with a plane disturbance

Analysis is made of the flow field produced by oblique impingement of weak plane disturbances of arbitrary profile on a plane normal shock. Three types of disturbance are considered: (a) sound wave propagating in the gas at rest into which the shock moves; (b) sound wave overtaking the shock from behind,(The sound wave reflects as a sound wave, and a stationary vorticity wave is produced); (c) an incompressible vorticity wave stationary in the gas ahead of the shock. The incident wave refracts as a stationary vorticity wave, and either a sound wave or attenuating pressure wave is also produced. Computations are presented for the first two types of incident wave, over the range of incidence angles, for shock Mach numbers of 1, 1.5, and infinity.

Moore, Franklin K↗
NASA NTRS1993

Proceedings of the Seventeenth NASA Propagation Experimenters Meeting (NAPEX 17) and the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) Propagation Studies Miniworkshop

The NASA Propagation Experimenters Meeting (NAPEX) is convened annually to discuss studies made on radio wave propagation by investors from domestic and international organizations. NAPEX 17 was held on 15 June 1993. The meeting was organized into two technical sessions. The first session was dedicated to slant path propagation studies and experiments. The second session focused on propagation studies for mobile and personal communications. Preceding NAPEX 17, the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) Propagation Studies Miniworkshop was held on 14 June 1993 to review ACTS propagation activities with emphasis on ACTS experiments status and data collection, processing, and exchange.

Davarian, Faramaz↗
NASA NTRS2000

Observations and Modeling of the Transient General Circulation of the North Pacific Basin

Because of recent progress in satellite altimetry and numerical modeling and the accumulation and archiving of long records of hydrographic and meteorological variables, it is becoming feasible to describe and understand the transient general circulation of the ocean (i.e., variations with spatial scales larger than a few hundred kilometers and time scales of seasonal and longer-beyond the mesoscale). We have carried out various studies in investigation of the transient general circulation of the Pacific Ocean from a coordinated analysis of satellite altimeter data, historical hydrographic gauge data, scatterometer wind observations, reanalyzed operational wind fields, and a variety of ocean circulation models. Broadly stated, our goal was to achieve a phenomenological catalogue of different possible types of large-scale, low-frequency variability, as a context for understanding the observational record. The approach is to identify the simplest possible model from which particular observed phenomena can be isolated and understood dynamically and then to determine how well these dynamical processes are represented in more complex Oceanic General Circulation Models (OGCMs). Research results have been obtained on Rossby wave propagation and transformation, oceanic intrinsic low-frequency variability, effects of surface gravity waves, pacific data analyses, OGCM formulation and developments, and OGCM simulations of forced variability.

McWilliams, James C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The propagation of RF wave in a tandem mirror plasma propulsion device

The propagation of RF waves launched in the end and the central cell of the tandem mirror propulsion device has been investigated both theoretically and experimentally. It was found that the amplitude of the wave excited in the plasma peaked while approaching the resonance, but then damped out, indicating strong absorption of the wave by the plasma. The absorption took place near the axis and the midplane of the device. The experimental results confirmed the theoretical prediction of the resonance effect. A very important discovery of this experiment was the broadening of the ICRF Fourier spectrum in the presence of the plasma.

Yang, T. F.↗