Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “opacity”

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 865 records · Page 48
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

High spectral resolution ground-based observations of Venus in the 450- to 1250 kayser region

Ground-based observations of Venus were made with a 5-cm drive Michelson interferometer during December 1970 and December 1973. The thermal emission spectrum of the central portion of the apparent disk was recorded from 450-1250 kaysers with an apodized spectral resolution of 0.25 kaysers. All statistically significant sharp line-absorption features in the spectrum have been identified with gaseous CO2. Comparison between the observed spectrum and a synthetic spectrum computed from a model atmosphere, assuming gaseous CO2 and a sulfuric acid haze as opacity sources, indicates good agreement. A broad diffuse absorption feature associated with the sulfuric acid haze is evident in the 870- to 930 kayser region. With the exception of the rotational lines of the 927 kayser CO2 band, the above feature appears as a continuum down to 0.25 kayser resolution. In the 750- to 1250 kayser range, the spectrum exhibits moderate thermal contrast with maximum brightness temperatures of 234-238 K occurring near 825 kaysers. These temperatures are in general agreement with previous measurements.

Kunde, V. G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The phase diagram and transport properties for hydrogen-helium fluid planets

The properties of pure hydrogen and helium are examined, taking into account metallic hydrogen, molecular hydrogen, and the molecular-metallic transition. Metallic hydrogen-helium mixtures are considered along with molecular hydrogen-helium mixtures, the total phase diagram, and minor constituents, including deuterium. The transport properties of the metallic and the molecular phase are also discussed, giving attention to electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, viscosity, self-diffusion, interdiffusion, radiative opacity, and second-order transport coefficients.

Stevenson, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Spectrophotometry of OH 26.5+0.6 from 2 to 40 microns

Airborne and ground-based observations show that OH 26.5+0.6 has strong 10 micrometers and weak 18 micrometers silicate absorptions superposed on an overall energy distribution much like a blackbody. The flux level, color temperature, and depth of the 10 micrometers absorption have varied during two years of observations. A model of the source as a late-type variable star that has ejected an optically thick dust shell is suggested; the mass-loss rate implied is greater than about 0.00001 solar masses per year. The fact that significant flux from the source is observed between 4 and 7 micrometers is evidence that oxygen-rich dust has significant opacity in that wavelength range.

Forrest, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Airborne infrared spectrophotometry of Mira variables

Airborne spectrophotometric observations of R Cas near minimum and maximum light, R Leo near minimum, and NML Tau near maximum are reported which were obtained over the wavelength range from 1.2 to 4 microns with 1.5% resolution. The spectral energy distributions of the three stars at the indicated times are presented, and it is shown that the H2O bands at 1.4, 1.9, and 2.7 microns are clearly evident in all the spectra, while the absorption bands of CO at about 1.6 and 2.3 microns are probably present although they are masked by the strong water vapor features. The results indicate that water vapor is the dominant opacity source in the atmospheres of Mira variables, that R Leo and NML Tau may be fitted well over the entire spectrum by respective single temperatures of 2250 and 1800 K, and that R Cas near both minimum and maximum cannot be adequately described by one temperature over the entire wavelength range investigated. The shapes and depths of the absorption bands are determined together with the apparent angular diameter of each star and the equivalent widths of the H2O + CO absorption bands. It is concluded that water vapor absorption is more strongly correlated with color temperature than with spectral type for R Cas and R Leo.

Strecker, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Airborne photometric observations between 1.25 and 3.25 microns of late-type stars

The stars Alpha Aur (G5 III + G0 III), Alpha Boo (K2 IIIp), Alpha Ori (M1-M2 Ia-Ib), Alpha Sco (M1.5 Iab), Mu Gem (M3 III), and Alpha Her (M5 Ib-II) have been observed using interference filters in five photometric bands between 1.25 and 3.25 microns during seven flights with NASA's Lear Jet Infrared Observatory. The filters were designed to measure molecular features, primarily from CN and CO, and continuum fluxes. By calibrating the photometer in the laboratory against a stabilized blackbody source, relative flux curves have been derived. The energy distributions and the strength of molecular features are discussed. The most interesting result obtained is that the fluxes from Mu Gem and Alpha Her in the filter centered at 3.25 microns seem to be depressed by at least some tenths of a magnitude. Tentatively this depression is proposed to be due to the wings of the two vibration-rotation bands (about 2.7 microns) of hot water vapor. Since water vapor is an important opacity source and its abundance is a sensitive C/O indicator, the proposed interpretation makes renewed efforts to detect water bands in early M stars highly desirable.

Nordh, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The coupled states approximation for scattering of two diatoms

The paper presents a detailed development of the coupled-states approximation for the general case of two colliding diatomic molecules. The high-energy limit of the exact Lippman-Schwinger equation is applied, and the analysis follows the Shimoni and Kouri (1977) treatment of atom-diatom collisions where the coupled rotor angular momentum and projection replace the single diatom angular momentum and projection. Parallels to the expression for the differential scattering amplitude, the opacity function, and the nondiagonality of the T matrix are reported. Symmetrized expressions and symmetrized coupled equations are derived. The present correctly labeled coupled-states theory is tested by comparing its calculated results with other computed results for three cases: H2-H2 collisions, ortho-para H2-H2 scattering, and H2-HCl.

Heil, T. G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Evolution of a nitrogen atmosphere on Titan

Photochemical calculations indicate that if NH3 outgassed from Titan it should have been converted to a dense N2 atmosphere during the lifetime of the satellite. A crucial step in the process involves a gas phase reaction of N2H4 with H. The most favorable conditions for this step would be the intermediate production of a CH4-H2 greenhouse capable of raising the gas temperature to 150 K. Subsequently about 20 bars of N2 could have evolved. The pressure-induced opacity of 20 bars of N2 should suffice to explain the recently measured 200 K surface temperature. Unlike the situation on Jupiter, NH3 is not recycled on Titan by reactions involving N2 or N2H4. This may explain the failure of recent attempts to detect NH3 in the upper atmosphere of Titan.

Atreya, S. K.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Evidence of an increase in the microwave brightness temperature of Uranus

Measurements are reported which indicate that the microwave brightness temperature of Uranus near 3 cm wavelength has increased by about 35% in the past decade. It is suggested that changes of this magnitude could be caused by seasonal or latitudinal variations of the microwave opacity of the Uranus atmosphere. The data appear to be inconsistent with models of synchrotron emission from a trapped radiation belt.

Klein, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Far infrared spectrophotometry of Jupiter and Saturn

Infrared spectral measurements of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were obtained from 100 to 470 kaysers and, by taking Mars as a calibration source, brightness temperatures of Jupiter and Saturn were determined with approximately 5 kayser resolution. Internal luminosities were determined from the data and are reported to be approximately 8 times 10 to the minus tenth power of the sun's luminosity for Jupiter and approximately 3.6 times 10 to the minus tenth power of the sun's luminosity for Saturn. Comparison of data with spectra predicted by models suggests the need for an opacity source in addition to gaseous hydrogen and ammonia to help explain Jupiter's observed spectrum in the vicinity of 250 kaysers.

Erickson, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

IUE observations of cool stars - Alpha Aurigae, HR1099, Lambda Andromedae, and Epsilon Eridani

Initial IUE observations of four cool stars are reported. Observed fluxes and surface fluxes are given for several UV emission lines in the spectral range 1175-2000 A, obtained at low and high dispersion with the short-wavelength spectrograph and camera. These lines are formed in the outer atmospheres of these stars, in regions presumably analogous to the solar chromosphere and transition region. The surface fluxes in the lines increase along the sequence: quiet sun, Epsilon Eri, Lambda And, Alpha Aur, and HR1099. The 2.8-d RS CVn-type binary HR1099, observed on 1 March 1978 near the end of a major flaring episode, has line surface fluxes roughly 100 times that of the quiet sun, similar to those seen in solar flares. Line profiles and flux ratios in multiplets for Capella are presented, and comments given on the opacity of the lines and on a tendency of line width to increase with temperature of formation.

Linsky, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Elementary analytic models of climate. 1: The mean global heat balance

Climate models based on global radiative equilibrium are normally so complicated that they require extensive computer codes to provide adequate accuracy. However, by simply modifying the concept of a gray atmosphere, a reasonably correct mean global temperature is obtained. This elementary model is then used to estimate the effects of changes in the abundances of minor infrared absorbers and changes in the solar constant or earth albedo. When applied to a Budyko-Sellers zonally averaged model, the quasi-gray model could give a physical basis for the latitude dependence of outgoing radiation and of opacity due to H2O vapor content. The latter effect constitutes an important positive feedback on surface temperature.

Chamberlain, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Instrumentation for infrared astronomy

During the last 10 years, infrared astronomy, based on observations in the wavelength range from 2 to 1000 micrometers, has become a major field of observational astrophysics. This development is mainly related to two major technical advances. Extremely sensitive detectors have been developed and become available for astronomical applications. Motivated by the first development, major groups have expended much effort in building and operating telescopes above most or all of the earth's atmosphere in order to circumvent its opacity and emission throughout the range. Attention is given to advances in the area of infrared detectors, platforms for infrared astronomy, focal plane instruments, high spatial resolution instrumentation, and infrared polarization measurements.

Soifer, B. T.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Diurnal variations of the Martian surface layer meteorological parameters during the first 45 sols at two Viking Lander sites

Wind speed, ambient and surface temperatures from both Viking Landers have been used to compute bulk Richardson numbers and Monin-Obukhov lengths during the earliest phase of the Mars missions. These parameters are used to estimate drag and heat transfer coefficients, friction velocities and surface heat fluxes at the two sites. The principal uncertainty is in the specification of the roughness length. Maximum heat fluxes occur near local noon at both sites, and are estimated to be in the range 15-20 W/sq m at the Viking 1 site and 10-15 W/sq m at the Viking 2 site. Maximum values of friction velocity occur in late morning at Viking 1 and are estimated to be 0.4-0.6 m/s. They occur shortly after dawn at the Viking 2 site where peak values are estimated to be in the range 0.25-0.35 m/s. Extension of these calculations to later times during the mission will require allowance for dust opacity effects in the estimation of surface temperature and in the correction of radiation errors of the Viking 2 temperature sensor.

Sutton, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Radiative transfer in spherical dust shells using a generalized two-stream Eddington approximation

Application of a generalized two-stream Eddington approximation to the problem of radiative transfer in extended, spherically symmetric dust shells is presented. It is assumed that the radiation field can be characterized by the mean intensity, the flux, and a positionally dependent direction cosine specifying the division into two solid-angle ranges. The direction cosine is not specified a priori and is a function of the geometry, opacity, and emissivity in the dust shell. A multiple-grain-size multiple-temperature-distribution dust shell is postulated in which isotropic and anisotropic scattering as well as absorption and thermal reemission are allowed. A program has been developed that solves for the multiple temperature distributions by applying the constraint of radiative equilibrium to each grain size, and then calculates emergent fluxes. Results of one such calculation are presented for a model dust shell having a maximum optical depth (approximately 41) in the visible, clearly showing large optical extinction and a moderate infrared excess.

Haisch, B. M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Fragmentation of molecular clouds

Fragmentation is generally considered to be the initial process that a molecular cloud must undergo before stars can form. Yet its role in determining the final mass spectrum remains obscure. It appears that gravitational fragmentation, considered as a unique process, is unsatisfactory. Both fragmentation and complementary physical processes are, therefore, discussed. One of the principle aims of the discussion is to indicate how stars of solar mass (and more generally, how the initial mass spectrum of stars) can form. Attention is given to the evidence for fragmentation, opacity-limited fragmentation, magnetic flux-limited fragmentation, fragmentation induced by molecule formation and excitation, protostellar heat input, fragment coalescence, accretion, binary formation, and probabilistic theories.

Silk, J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Parameterization of the thermal relaxation rate in the stratosphere

The thermal relaxation rate of large vertical scale disturbances in the stratosphere is parameterized in terms of the Newtonian cooling rate, the heating rate, and a transmission function that represents opacity effects. The parameterization is based on Strobel's photochemical model for ozone (1978).

Strobel, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Structure and evolution of isolated giant gaseous protoplanets

A model is developed describing the structure and evolution of isolated giant gaseous protoplanets in the mass range 0.3-4.5 Jovian masses. The central region of protoplanets of mass less than about 1 Jovian mass is, at some evolutionary epoch, thermodynamically favorable to the liquefaction of major interstellar grain components. All protoplanets studied are convective throughout most of their interior. In addition, it was found that the thermal contraction time depends sensitively on the surface opacity (at T less than 200 K).

Decampli, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Thermal tides and Martian dust storms - Direct evidence for coupling

Evidence for the coupling of diurnal and semidiurnal thermal tides, observed as surface pressure oscillations at the Viking Lander 1 and 2 landing sites, to Martian global dust storms is presented and the implications for models of dust storm generation are discussed. Local atmospheric opacity increases and jumps in atmospheric pressure ranges were found to be essentially simultaneous, and diurnal and semidiurnal components of the pressure and wind oscillations were observed to increase markedly after the onset of a dust storm. The semidiurnal wind component can be related to the observed surface pressure variations by means of a model of a semidiurnally forced Ekman boundary layer. However, a classical atmospheric tidal model shows that the preferential enhancement of the semidiurnal surface pressure oscillation observed at the Lander 1 site can be produced by a tidal heating distribution in which most of the heating is done at an altitude above 10 km. Observations suggest that various mechanisms are important for the generation and decay of global Martian dust storms.

Leovy, C. B.↗