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At least 937 records · Page 52

On a galactic origin for the soft X-ray background.

Previous observations and some new data with high angular resolution are considered in the discussion of the galactic origin for the X-ray background. Aspects of instrumentation are discussed together with the observational results, and the parameters of a possible galactic distribution of point sources that would explain essentially all of the soft X-ray background. The excess flux at the poles is accounted for by the fact that the galactic distribution has a larger scale height than the interstellar gas.

Gorenstein, P.↗

Public health applications of remote sensing of the environment, an evaluation

The available techniques were examined in the field of remote sensing (including aerial photography, infrared detection, radar, etc.) and applications to a number of problems in the wide field of public health determined. The specific areas of public health examined included: air pollution, water pollution, communicable disease, and the combined problems of urban growth and the effect of disasters on human communities. The assessment of the possible applications of remote sensing to these problems was made primarily by examination of the available literature in each field, and by interviews with health authorities, physicists, biologists, and other interested workers. Three types of programs employing remote sensors were outlined in the air pollution field: (1) proving ability of sensors to monitor pollutants at three levels of interest - point source, ambient levels in cities, and global patterns; (2) detection of effects of pollutants on the environment at local and global levels; and (3) routine monitoring.

Source record↗

Use of ERTS imagery in air pollution and marine biology studies, tasks 1 through 3

There are no author-identified significant results in this report. The general suitability of ERTS imagery in detecting ground originated air pollution has proved to be excellent. The quality and resolution exceeded expectations and has permitted in some instances location of point sources to within a thousand feet. Suitable techniques have not yet been developed for determining or measuring area and line sources of air pollution. A major problem has been cloud cover that has persisted over the area of primary interest, the Chesapeake Bay. Work has been completed on mounting the shipboard transmissometer which will be used for investigations to relate the chlorophyll and suspended sediment content in the waters of the Lower Chesapeake Bay to ERTS-1 imagery. Water sampling, plankton analysis, and preparations for sea collection of water truth along the eastern continental shelf of the U.S. have been completed for use in comparisons with ERTS-1 data.

Copeland, G. E.↗

A method for defining down-wind evacuation areas for transportation accidents involving toxic propellant spills

Evacuation areas for accidental spills of toxic propellants along rail and highway shipping routes are defined to help local authorities reduce risks to people from excessive vapor concentrations. These criteria along with other emergency information are shown in propellant spill cards. The evacuation areas are based on current best estimates of propellant evaporation rates from various areas of spill puddles. These rates are used together with a continuous point-source, bi-normal model of plume dispersion. The rate at which the toxic plume disperses is based on a neutral atmospheric condition. This condition, which results in slow plume dispersion, represents the widest range of weather parameters which could occur during the day and nighttime periods. Evacuation areas are defined by the ground level boundaries of the plume within which the concentrations exceed the toxic Threshold Limit Value (TLV) or in some cases the Emergency Exposure Limit (EEL).

Siewert, R. D.↗

Measured and calculated transmission losses of sound waves through a helium layer

An experiment was performed to measure the transmission losses of sound waves traversing an impedance layer. The sound emanated from a point source and the impedance layer was created by a low-speed helium jet. The transmission losses measured were of the order of 12 db for frequencies of the source between 4 and 12 kHz. These losses are greater than those predicted from analysis when the observer angle is less than about 35 deg, but less than those predicted for larger observer angles. The experimental results indicate that appreciable noise reductions can be realized for an observer shielded by an impedance layer, irrespective of his position relative to the source of sound.

Norum, T. D.↗

Ionic migration and weathering in frozen Antarctic soils

Soils of continental Antarctica are forming in one of the most severe terrestrial environments. Continuously low temperatures and the scarcity of water in the liquid state result in the development of desert-type soils. In an earlier experiment to determine the degree to which radioactive Na(Cl-36) would migrate from a shallow point source in permafrost, movement was observed. To confirm this result, a similar experiment involving (Na-22)Cl was conducted. Significantly less movement of the Na-22 ion was observed. Ionic movement in the unfrozen interfacial films at mineral surfaces in frozen ground is held to be important in chemical weathering in Antarctic soils.

Ugolini, F. C.↗

V/STOL tilt rotor aircraft study mathematical model for a real time simulation of a tilt rotor aircraft (Boeing Vertol Model 222), volume 8

This report documents the development of a real time mathematical model of a tilt rotor aircraft. This mathematical model is to be used in conjunction with the NASA Flight Simulator for Advanced Aircraft (FSAA) at Ames Research Center for evaluation of aircraft performance and handling qualities. In addition to developing the mathematical model, a parallel programming effort was conducted utilizing Boeing-Vertol's Hybrid Simulation Laboratory for the purpose of developing and evaluating model simplification. The mathematical model is an eleven degree of freedom total force model. This model includes the basic six degree of freedom rigid body .outer loop equations written about the instantaneous center of gravity with the inertial and aerodynamic terms included. The rotor is treated as a point source of forces and moments with appropriate response time lags and actuator dynamics. The wing has one vertical bending and one wing torsion degree of freedom. These structural degrees of freedom are treated on a "quasistatic" basis; i.e., the natural frequencies of vibration of the structure are much higher than the· frequencies of the rigid body motion, and the coupling is in the aerodynamic terms. Each nacelle has an independent pitch degree of freedom about the wing pivot. The aerodynamics of the wing, tail, rotors, landing gear and fuselage are included. Wing and tail mutual interference effects and turbine engine performance and dynamic responses' are represented.

H Rosenstein↗

Dispersion and dilution of jet aircraft exhaust at high-altitude flight conditions

A method is presented for estimating the dispersion and dilution of jet aircraft exhaust from aircraft passage through times on the order of weeks thereafter. In the near wake of the aircraft, the solution is that for round turbulent jets in a parallel flow. More rapid dispersion due to atmospheric effects begins when the scale-dependent eddy viscosity becomes larger than the turbulent jet eddy viscosity. In the far wake region, the solution approaches that for scale-dependent dispersion from a point source moving with the aircraft. Calculations are presented for supersonic aircraft at high altitude flight conditions.

Holdeman, J. D.↗

Mariner 9 star photography.

Mariner 9 achieved successful photography of the stars, the purpose of the experiment being to measure camera parameters associated with point source photometry, and to examine the feasibility of using stars as invariant calibration sources and a reference for optical navigation. The Mariner 9 camera-B photography demonstrated photometric response consistency over a limited sample of data to better than 15%. Camera performance verified the ability to model vidicon response characteristics as well as demonstrated an imaging capability sufficient to permit the use of stars for photometric calibration.

Thorpe, T. E.↗

Galactic gamma rays: Models involving variable cosmic-ray density

Mathematical models were developed to determine variable cosmic ray flux around the galactic plane. Data indicate point sources, molecular hydrogen concentration, increased cosmic ray density toward the galactic center, and neutral pion production combine to cause radiation density variables in the galactic plane.

Strong, A. W.↗

Mass influx obtained from low-light-level television observations of faint meteors

Low light level television systems offer the ability to observe meteors as faint as 10th magnitude which allows the extension of optical meteor data to masses as small as 0.0001 gram. The results of these observations, using image orthicons and intensified vidicons, are presented along with an interpretation in terms of mass flux. This interpretation includes the development of a relationship between peak luminosity of a meteor and mass, velocity, and zenith angle that was derived from single body meteor theory and compares favorably with results obtained from the artificial meteor program. Also included in the mass flux interpretation is an analysis of the observation response of a LLLTV system to fixed and moving point sources.

Naumann, R. J.↗

Experimental estimation of the statistical parameters of vibrations of a shell (using a digital computer), 1

The distribution pattern of the amplitudes of vibrations, measured at various points on the surface of a shell, stimulated by a point source of harmonic force in the sound frequency range was studied experimentally. This pattern permits a valid spacing estimate to be carried out of the average structural characteristics of the vibrations, which are used for both estimation of the vibration excitability of the structure and for estimation of the effectiveness of use of a vibration-absorbing covering.

Kanayev, B. A.↗

Dispersion and dilution of jet aircraft exhaust at high-altitude flight conditions

A method is presented for estimating the dispersion and dilution of jet aircraft exhaust from aircraft passage through times on the order of weeks thereafter. In the near wake of the aircraft, the solution is that for round turbulent jets in a parallel flow. More rapid dispersion due to atmospheric effects begins when the scale-dependent eddy viscosity becomes larger than the turbulent jet eddy viscosity. In the far wake region, the solution approaches that for scale-dependent dispersion from a point source moving with the aircraft. Calculations are presented for supersonic aircraft at high-altitude flight conditions.

Holdeman, J. D.↗

Propagation of sound through a real jet flowfield

The sound propagation of harmonic disturbances through a real jet flowfield, which contains mean flow gradients in pressure and velocities, has been studied. A finite-difference approximation for the equations which govern the acoustic disturbance is obtained for a subsonic axisymmetric jet in terms of acoustic pressure and acoustic energy flux. Experimental results are used to describe the mean flowfield of a model jet. The equations are solved numerically using a Newton-type iterative scheme. The directivity at various distances from a point source located at two jet diameters downstream of the jet exit on its center line compared qualitatively well with the numerical result of Schubert (1972) and with the experimental result of Grande (1966).

Liu, C. H.↗

Propagation of waves along an impedance boundary

A theoretical analysis of the scalar wave field due to a point source above a plane impedance boundary is presented. A surface wave is found to be an essential component of the total wave field. It is shown that, as a result of ducting of energy by the surface wave, the amplitude of the total wave near the boundary can be greater than it would be if the boundary were perfectly reflecting. Asymptotic results, valid near the boundary, are obtained both for the case of finite impedance (the soft-boundary case) and for the limiting case in which the impedance becomes infinite (the hard-boundary case). In the latter, the wave amplitude in the farfield decreases essentially inversely as the horizontal propagation distance; in the former (if the surface-wave term is neglected), it decreases inversely as the square of the horizontal propagation distance.

Wenzel, A. R.↗

Nitric oxide formation by meteoroids in the upper atmosphere

The process of nitric oxide formation during atmospheric entry of meteoroids is analyzed theoretically. An ablating meteoroid is assumed to be a point source in a uniform flow with a continuum regime evolving in its wake. The amount of nitric oxide produced by high-temperature reactions of air in the continuum regime is calculated by numerical integration of chemical-rate equations. This is accomplished by assuming that flow properties are constant across the reacting region, its radius being determined from considerations of shock-wave formation and molecular diffusion. The results, when summed over the observed mass, velocity, and entry-angle distributions of meteoroids, provide annual global production rates of nitric oxide as a function of altitude. The peak production is found to occur between 90- and 100-km altitude, the total annual rate being around 40 million kg.

Menees, G. P.↗

Statistical interpretation of pollution data from satellites

The NIMBUS-G environmental monitoring satellite has an instrument (a gas correlation spectrometer) onboard for measuring the mass of a given pollutant within a gas volume. The present paper treats the problem: How can this type measurement be used to estimate the distribution of pollutant levels in a metropolitan area. Estimation methods are used to develop this distribution. The pollution concentration caused by a point source is modeled as a Gaussian plume. The uncertainty in the measurements is used to determine the accuracy of estimating the source strength, the wind velocity, diffusion coefficients and source location.

Smith, G. L.↗