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At least 91 records · Page 5

Statistical analysis and use of VAS radiance data

Researchers goals are to describe the information content of Vertical Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) radiance data, especially the 6.7 micrometers water vapor channel, to better interpret the atmosphere's water vapor structure from 6.7 micrometers imagery, and to investigate new analysis and forecasting techniques utilizing retrieved VAS soundings. Researchers made major progress toward these goals during FY-85. They are investigating 6.7 micrometer imagery on 6 to 7 March 1982, a day when special mesoscale ground truth data were collected during the 1982 atmospheric variability experiment/vertical amospheric sounder (AVE/VAS) field experiment. A dark (dry) image streak having mesoscale details was located over the special data region, and it provides the major focus of the case study. Mesoscale radiosonde-derived humidity data are found to verify fine scale features of the image that are not evident from the standard National Weather Service network. Thus, VAS imagery is a reliable detector of mesoscale moisture structure during this case. To investigate causes for the image streak, researchers are calculating water vapor budgets. Subsidence is found to be a factor in the current case as well; however, patterns of descent are not related to the jet streak according to traditional conceptual models. Thus, it appears that more research into jet stream dynamics is needed in order to better interpret 6.7 micrometer imagery.

Fuelberg, H. E.↗

Shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction in the flow field of a tri-dimension wind tunnel

The first results of a thorough experimental analysis of a strong three-dimensional shock-wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction occurring in a three dimensional transonic channel are presented. The aim of this experiment is to help in the physical understanding of a complex field, including several separations, and to provide a well documented case to test computational methods. The flowfield has been probed in many points by means of a three-component laser Doppler velocimeter. The results presented relate only to the mean velocity field. They clearly show the formation in the flow of a strong vortical motion resulting from the shock wave interaction.

Benay, R.↗

Low gravity containerless processing of immiscible gold rhodium alloys

Under normal one-g conditions immiscible alloys segregate extensively during solidification due to sedementation of the more dense of the immiscible liquid phases. However, under low-g conditions it should be possible to form a dispersion of the two immiscible liquids and maintain this dispersed structure during solidification. Immiscible (hypermonotectic) gold-rhodium alloys were processed in the Marshall Space Flight Center 105 meter drop tube in order to investigate the influence of low gravity, containerless solidification on their microstructure. Hypermonotectic alloys composed of 65 atomic % rhodium exhibited a tendency for the gold rich liquid to wet the outer surface of the containerless processed samples. This tendency led to extensive segregation in several cases. However, well dispersed microstructures consisting of 2 to 3 micron diameter rhodium-rich spheres in a gold-rich matrix were produced in 23.4 atomic % rhodium alloys. This is one of the best dispersions obtained in research on immiscible alloy-systems to data.

Andrews, J. Barry↗

Parameterization of radiative flux profiles within layer clouds

This paper presents simple formulations for the vertical structure of solar and infrared radiative fluxes within a layer cloud overlying a partially reflective surface. The parameterized profile shapes are analytic, with governing parameters derived from bulk radiative properties and more physically based radiative transfer models. The bulk cloud, subcloud layer, and surface radiative properties are assumed to be known. The parameterizations are based on exponential functions of height, with decay scales related to cloud liquid water content. Although the results presented here are based on very simple assumptions about the cloud structure in the vertical, the method used is applicable to more general cases as well as to various other analytic and/or numerical radiative transfer calculations.

Hanson, Howard P.↗

Minnaert photometric parameters for the satellites of Uranus

After deriving the Minnaert (1961) parameters for the five largest satellites of Uranus as functions of both wavelength and phase angle, the well-documented case of Titania is invoked to assess the usefulness of the Minnaert description vs the more rigorous approach of Hapke (1981). While the limb-darkening Minnaert parameter k possesses only a weak wavelength dependence, it exhibits a strong dependence on phase angle that varies to some extent from satellite to satellite; in the case of Titania, this dependence is similar to that for the earth's moon.

Veverka, J.↗

An overview af SAGE I and II ozone measurements

The stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiments (SAGE) I and II measure Mie, Rayleigh, and gaseous extinction profiles using the solar occultation technique. These global measurements yield ozone profiles with a vertical resolution of 1 km which have been routinely obtained for the periods from February 1979 to November 1981 (SAGE I) and October 1984 to the present (SAGE II). The long-term periodic behavior of the measured ozone is presented as well as case studies of the observed short-term spatial and temporal variability. A linear regression shows annual, semiannual, and quasi-biennial oscillation features at various altitudes and latitudes which, in general, agree with past work. Also, ozone, aerosol, and water vapor data are described for the Antarctic springtime, showing large variation relative to the vortex. Cross-sections in latitude and altitude and polar plots at various altitudes clearly delineate the ozone hole vertically and areally.

Mccormick, M. P.↗

Hidden interaction in SBO galaxies

Galaxies, like plants, show a large variety of grafts: an individual of some type connects physically with a neighborhood of same or different type. The effects of these interactions between galaxies have a broad range of morphologies depending, among other quantities, on the distance of the closest approach between systems and the relative size of the two galaxies. A sketch of the possible situations is shown in tabular form. This botanical classification is just indicative, because the effects of interactions can be notable also at relatively large separations, when additional conditions are met, as for example low density of the interacting systems or the presence of intra-cluster gas. In spite of the large variety of encounters and effects, in the literature the same terms are often used to refer to different types of interactions. Analysis indicates that only few of the situations show evident signs of interaction. They appear to be most relevant when the size of the two galaxies is comparable. Bridges and tails, like the well known case of NGC 4038/39, the Antennae, are only observed for a very low percentage of all galaxies (approx. 0.38 percent, Arp and Madore 1977). In most cases of gravitational bond between two galaxies, the effects of interactions are not relevant or evident. For instance, the detection of stellar shells (Malin and Carter 1983), which have been attributed to the accretion of gas stripped from another galaxy or to the capture and disruption of a small stellar system (Quinn 1984), requires particular observing and reduction techniques. Besides these difficulties of detection, time plays an important role in erasing, within a massive galaxy, the effects of interactions with smaller objects. This can happen on a timescale shorter than the Hubble time, so the number of systems now showing signs of interaction suggests lower limits to the true frequency of interactions in the life-time of a stellar system.

Galletta, G.↗

Solution techniques for the vorticity-streamfunction formulation of two-dimensional unsteady incompressible flows

A review of the solution techniques of Tezduyar et al. (1988 and 1989) for the vorticity-streamfunction formulation of two-dimensional incompressible flows is presented. While both the viscous and inviscid cases are considered, the derivation of the proper finite-element formulations for multiply connected domains is emphasized. In all formulations associated with the vorticity transport equation, the streamline upwind/Petrov-Galerkin method is used. The adaptive implicit-explicit and grouped element-by-element solution strategies are employed to maximize the computational efficiency. The solutions obtained in all test cases compare well with solutions from previously published investigations. The convergence and benchmark studies performed in this paper show that the solution techniques presented are accurate, reliable, and efficient.

Tezduyar, T. E.↗

Telescope beam-profile diagnostics and the solar limb

The basic method is described for determining the solar limb brightness profile properly corrected for spurious limb darkening caused by the far wings of the resolving beams encountered in large far-infrared and radio telescopes. When the far wings of the beam can be independently measured this problem is usually amenable to standard deconvolution procedures. Under a broad range of well-defined cases, solutions to the deconvolution problem are unique to within the discrimination provided by the core of the beam profile. The theory is applied to solar limb scans made recently on the James Clerk Maxwell Telscope to show solar limb brightening in 850 micron radiation.

Lindsey, Charles A.↗

A generalized patched-grid algorithm with application to the F-18 forebody with actuated control strake

Analysis of complex configurations using structured grids virtually demands multiple blocks of grids. To facilitate calculations involving multiple blocks, a geneal grid-block patching algorithm based on generalized coordinate inerpolation has been developed. The computational grid may contain as many arbirarily shaped blocks as required to make the grid generation problem tractable and to accurately model the fow features. Results are presented for several test cases as well as for the F-18 forebody control strake. The methodology developed has application to overlapped or embedded grids.

Biedron, R. T.↗

Heat fluxes and roll circulations over the western Gulf Stream during an intense cold-air outbreak

Turbulence and heat fluxes in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) for three aircraft stacks near the western Gulf Stream front, observed during the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE) January 28, 1986 cold-air outbreak, has been studied using mixed-layer scaling. The GOES image and stability parameter indicates that these three stacks were in the roll vortex regime. The turbulence structure in the MABL is studied for this case, as well as the significance of roll vortices to heat fluxes. The roll circulations are shown to contribute significantly to the sensible (temperature) and latent heat (moisture) fluxes with importance increasing upward. The results suggest that the entrainment at the MABL top might affect the the budgets of temperature and humidity fluxes in the lower MABL, but not in the unstable surface layer.

Chou, Shu-Hsien↗

Beta Crateris - Another Sirius system in the solar neighbourhood

The star Beta Crt (A2 IV; mv = 4.48) has been detected in the Rosat all-sky survey. The Rosat X-ray and EUV data in conjunction with already published optical data suggest that the source of the X-ray emission is not the A star Beta Crt A, but rather a hitherto unknown white dwarf companion Beta Crt B, just like the well-known case of Sirius A and B. However, unlike Sirius B, Beta Crt B is too close to its primary to be resolved and/or studied optically. The temperature and atmospheric composition of the white dwarf companion are estimated and the similarities between this system and Sirius is discussed.

Fleming, T. A.↗

Excitation of earth's polar motion by atmospheric angular momentum variations, 1980-1990

We compute the polar-motion excitation function due to the atmospheric angular momentum (AAM) for both IB (inverted-barometer) and non-IB cases, as well as the excitation function from geodetically observed Earth orientation data for the period 1980-1990. The two are then compared in studying the AAM contribution to the polar motion excitation. The polar drifts with periods longer than about two years have similar characteristics, but the comparison is inconclusive because of data uncertainties. For the seasonal wobble excitation, the agreement is poor except for the prograde annual wobble, indicating the influence of other geophysical excitations than AAM. For the Chandler wobble excitation, a correlation coefficient of 0.53 for non-IB and 0.58 for IB are found for 1986-1990. Together with a coherence spectral analysis, they clearly demonstrate a strong contribution of AAM to the Chandler wobble excitation.

Chao, Benjamin F.↗

Take-off distance for airplanes

There are two principal ways in which the total take-off distance (taxying plus hovering plus the first part of the climb) can be reduced to a minimum. These are: 1) taxying and hovering until the maximum speed has been attained close to the ground and then changing to a steep rapid climb; 2) lifting the airplane from the ground as soon as possible and then climbing at a relatively large angle of attack. These cases, as well as all the other conceivable combinations, can be expressed with a single basic formula, which is derived from the energy equation for rectilinear flight.

Proll, A↗

Experiments on a Slotted Wing

The results of pressure distribution measurements that were made on a model wing section of a Fieseler F 5 R type airplane are presented. Comparison of those model tests with the corresponding flight tests indicates the limitations and also the advantages of wind tunnel investigations, the advantages being particularly that through the variety of measuring methods employed the more complicated flow conditions may also be clarified. A fact brought out in these tests is that even in the case of "well rounded" slots it is possible for a vortex to be set up at the slot entrance and this vortex is responsible for certain irregularities in the pressure distribution and in the efficiency of the slot.

Ruden, P↗

A general theory of two- and three-dimensional rotational flow in subsonic and transonic turbomachines

This report represents a general theory applicable to axial, radial, and mixed flow turbomachines operating at subsonic and supersonic speeds with a finite number of blades of finite thickness. References reflect the evolution of computational methods used, from the inception of the theory in the 50's to the high-speed computer era of the 90's. Two kinds of relative stream surfaces, S(sub 1) and S(sub 2), are introduced for the purpose of obtaining a three-dimensional flow solution through the combination of two-dimensional flow solutions. Nonorthogonal curvilinear coordinates are used for the governing equations. Methods of computing transonic flow along S(sub 1) and S(sub 2) stream surfaces are given for special cases as well as for fully three-dimensional transonic flows. Procedures pertaining to the direct solutions and inverse solutions are presented. Information on shock wave locations and shapes needed for computations are discussed. Experimental data from a Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DFVLR) rotor and from a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) transonic compressor rotor are compared with the computed flow properties.

Wu, Chung-Hua↗

X-ray absorbing structures in the Yohkoh images of the corona

Filaments, flare sprays, prominences and 'post-flare' loops are familiar to H alpha observers in their frequent appearances 'in absorption', dark against the chromospheric background or plages. Observations of the X-ray corona are generally interpreted as due to emission via optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung. Several cases of X-ray coronal structures in Yohkoh images, due to high opacity, absorbing matter in coronograph loops, are presented. The presence of the absorbing matter, mixed with emitting matter, complicates inference of physical parameters such as emission measures in X-ray sources. In the case of well defined features, absorption provides an opportunity to infer density. Quantitative estimates of the attenuation due to the absorption in example features are presented.

Batchelor, David A.↗

Enhanced Formation Flying for the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) New Millennium Mission

With scientific objectives for Earth observation programs becoming more ambitious and spacecraft becoming more autonomous, the need for new technical approaches on the feasibility of achieving and maintaining formations of spacecraft has come to the forefront. The trend to develop small low cost spacecraft has led many scientists to recognize the advantage of flying several spacecraft in formation, an example of which is shown in the figure below, to achieve the correlated instrument measurements formerly possible only by flying many instruments on a single large platform. Yet, formation flying imposes additional complications on orbit maintenance, especially when each spacecraft has its own orbit requirements. However, advances in automation proposed by GSFC Codes 550 and 712 allow more of the burden in maneuver planning and execution to be placed onboard the spacecraft, mitigating some of the associated operational concerns. The purpose of this analysis is to develop the fundamentals of formation flying mechanics, concepts for understanding the relative motion of free flying spacecraft, and an operational control theory for formation maintenance of the Earth Observing-1 (EO-l) spacecraft that is part of the New Millennium. Results of this development can be used to determine the appropriateness of formation flying for a particular case as well as the operational impacts. Applications to the Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) Earth Observing System (EOS) and New Millennium (NM) were highly considered in analysis and applications. This paper presents the proposed methods for the guidance and control of the EO-1 spacecraft to formation fly with the Landsat-7 spacecraft using an autonomous closed loop three axis navigation control, GPS, and Cross link navigation support. Simulation results using various fidelity levels of modeling, algorithms developed and implemented in MATLAB, and autonomous 'fuzzy logic' control using AutoCon will be presented. The results of these analysis on the ability to meet mission and formation flying requirements will be presented.

Folta, David↗