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At least 937 records · Page 52

Refractive Index Effects on Radiation in an Absorbing, Emitting, and Scattering Laminated Layer

A simple set of equations is derived for predicting temperature radiative energy flow in a two-region semitransparent laminated layer in the limit of zero heat conduction. The composite is heated on its two sides by unequal amounts of incident radiation. The two layers of the composite have different refractive indices, and each material absorbs, emits, and isotropically scatters radiation. The interfaces are diffuse, and all interface reflections are included. To illustrate the thermal behavior that is readily calculated from the equations, typical results an given for various optical thicknesses and refractive indices of the layers. Internal reflections have a substantial effect on the temperature distribution and radiative heat flow.

Siegel, R.↗

Current sheet Formation in a Conical Theta Pinch Faraday Accelerator with Radio-Frequency Assisted Discharge

The inductive formation of current sheets in a conical theta pinch FARAD (Faraday Accelerator with Radio-frequency Assisted Discharge) thruster is investigated experimentally with time-integrated photography. The goal is to help in understanding the mechanisms and conditions controlling the strength and extent of the current sheet, which are two indices important for FARAD as a propulsion concept. The profiles of these two indices along the inside walls of the conical acceleration coil are assumed to be related to the profiles of the strength and extent of the luminosity pattern derived from photographs of the discharge. The variations of these profiles as a function of uniform back-fill neutral pressure (with no background magnetic field and all parameters held constant) provided the first clues on the nature and qualitative dependencies of current sheet formation. It was found that there is an optimal pressure for which both indices reach a maximum and that the rate of change in these indices with pressure differs on either side of this optimal pressure. This allowed the inference that current sheet formation follows a Townsend-like breakdown mechanism modified by the existence of a finite pressure-dependent radio-frequency-generated electron density background. The observation that the effective location of the luminosity pattern favors the exit-half of the conical coil is explained as the result of the tendency of the inductive discharge circuit to operate near its minimal self-inductance. Movement of the peak in the luminosity pattern towards the upstream side of the cone with increasing pressure is believed to result from the need of the circuit to compensate for the increase in background plasma resistivity due to increasing pressure.

Hallock, Ashley K.↗

100-GHz Phase Switch/Mixer Containing a Slot-Line Transition

A circuit that can function as a phase switch, frequency mixer, or frequency multiplier operates over a broad frequency range in the vicinity of 100 GHz. Among the most notable features of this circuit is a grounded uniplanar transition (in effect, a balun) between a slot line and one of two coplanar waveguides (CPWs). The design of this circuit is well suited to integration of the circuit into a microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) package. One CPW is located at the input end and one at the output end of the top side of a substrate on which the circuit is fabricated (see Figure 1). The input CPW feeds the input signal to antiparallel flip-chip Schottky diodes connected to the edges of the slot line. Phase switching is effected by the combination of (1) the abrupt transition from the input CPW to the slot line and (2) CPW ground tuning effected by switching of the bias on the diodes. Grounding of the slot metal to the bottom metal gives rise to a frequency cutoff in the slot. This cutoff is valuable for separating different frequency components when the circuit is used as a mixer or multiplier. Proceeding along the slot line toward the output end, one encounters the aforementioned transition, which couples the slot line to the output CPW. Impedance tuning of the transition is accomplished by use of a high-impedance section immediately before the transition.

Gaier, Todd↗

Exact intervals and tests for median when one sample value possibly an outliner

Available are independent observations (continuous data) that are believed to be a random sample. Desired are distribution-free confidence intervals and significance tests for the population median. However, there is the possibility that either the smallest or the largest observation is an outlier. Then, use of a procedure for rejection of an outlying observation might seem appropriate. Such a procedure would consider that two alternative situations are possible and would select one of them. Either (1) the n observations are truly a random sample, or (2) an outlier exists and its removal leaves a random sample of size n-1. For either situation, confidence intervals and tests are desired for the median of the population yielding the random sample. Unfortunately, satisfactory rejection procedures of a distribution-free nature do not seem to be available. Moreover, all rejection procedures impose undesirable conditional effects on the observations, and also, can select the wrong one of the two above situations. It is found that two-sided intervals and tests based on two symmetrically located order statistics (not the largest and smallest) of the n observations have this property.

Keller, G. J.↗

Analytical model for liquid rocket propellant feedline dynamics

A generalized analytical model and computer program have been developed to predict the frequency response of arbitrary liquid propellant feedline designs. The analytical model is based on an extension of an existing distributed parameter representation of a viscous fluid transmission line with laminar flow which was modified to include the effects of a turbulent mean flow. The effects of dissolved ullage gases, wall elasticity, localized gas or vapor bubbles, bellows, forced changes in length due to structural excitation, complex side branches, and structural mounting stiffness are also included. Each line component is written as a four-terminal, pressure-flow relationship in matrix form in the Laplace domain; the transfer function relating the pressure response at the line terminal (inducer inlet) to the external excitation is obtained in the computer program by sequential matrix substitution.

Holster, J. L.↗

Load and dynamic assessment of B-52B-008 carrier aircraft for finned configuration 1 space shuttle solid rocket booster deceleration subsystem drop test vehicle. Volume 4: Pylon load data

The pylon loading at the drop test vehicle and wing interface attack points is presented. The loads shown are determined using a stiffness method, which assumes the side stiffness of the forward hook guide and the fore and aft stiffness of each drag pin to be equal. The net effect of this assumption is that the forward hook guide reacts approximately 96% of the drop test vehicle yawing moment. For a comparison of these loads to previous X-15 analysis design loadings, see Volume 1 of this document.

Quade, D. A.↗

Sunspots and the physics of magnetic flux tubes. V - Mutual hydrodynamic forces between neighboring tubes

The mutual hydrodynamic forces between parallel cylinders in a moving fluid are illustrated through several formal examples. Parallel tubes in a uniform flow are attracted or repelled depending on whether they are side by side or one ahead of the other, respectively. A pulsating or undulating tube attracts all other neighboring tubes toward itself. These hydrodynamic effects suggest that the separate flux tubes beneath the sunspots exert significant attractive forces on each other.

Parker, E. N.↗

Acceleration of energetic particles

Acceleration of some particles from the background plasma to highly superthermal energies is a common feature of collisionless shocks in interplanetary space. The complete in situ measurements of bulk flows, thermal plasma, electromagnetic waves and energetic particles available for interplanetary shocks both suggest and test the models of shock acceleration in the solar system and the rest of the universe. This tutorial will review the present state of shock acceleration theory. Scatter-free acceleration by grad B drift in the plasma electric field E = -V x B/c, and diffusive acceleration resulting from scattering by Alfven waves in the plasma on both sides of the shock are discussed. The diffusive theory in simple steady state gives power-law spectra, but also shows the effects of time-dependent shocks and injection rates, escape and other losses, the self-consistent Alfven wave spectra, and plasma flow fields affected by diffusive energetic particle acceleration.

Forman, M. A.↗

Evaluation of influence coefficient matrices for an adaptive-wall wind tunnel and applications to one-step convergence scheme

Within the framework of ventilated adaptive-wall wind tunnel testing, experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence coefficients from the side-wall pressure distribution, the streamwise velocity distribution, and the vertical velocity distribution on two control surfaces. Consideration is given to the effects of Mach number, superposition, suction, blowing, and the presence of a nonlifting model. It is shown that a single-step convergence scheme reduces the testing time by eliminating the intermediate experimental iterations; however, its success depends on the accuracy of the influence coefficients.

Celik, Z. Z.↗

Combustion chamber heat transfer characterization of LOX/hydrocarbon-type propellants

The gas-side heat transfer rates for LOX/propane and LOX/ethanol are experimentally characterized using a 1000 lb thrust water-cooled calorimeter chamber. The effects of injector element type and fuel film cooling are defined as a function of mixture ratio. The interaction of fuel injected through the resonator cavities on heat transfer and wall soot buildup are displayed as a function of time, axial distance, fuel coolant flow rate, and mixture ratio. Comparisons between clean-burning ethanol and sooting propane show a large difference between the two fuels and significantly higher than expected heat flux levels for ethanol in the throat region.

Schoenman, Leonard↗

Measurements of pressures on the tail and aft fuselage of an airplane model during rotary motions at spin attitudes

The NASA-Langley Spin Tunnel was used to determine the empennage and aft fuselage surfaces of an aircraft model while it was rotated at spinning-event attitudes, in order to ascertain stern flow conditions and the effects of horizontal tail, as well as the wings, on the vertical tail. A substantial horizontal tail influence is noted on both sides of the vertical tail; the removal of the horizontal tail was found to change the propelling or damping moment characteristics of the vertical tail. The wing was also found to have a large influence on the magnitude of the pressures measured on both the empennage and the aft-fuselage areas.

Hultberg, Randy S.↗

Interaction of a streamwise vortex with a turbulent mixing layer

The interaction of a single streamwise vortex with a plane turbulent mixing layer is experimentally studied. Initially, near the mixing layer origin, the vortex rides just below the layer and only affects the mixing layer properties near the bottom side of the mixing layer. Once the vortex starts to become embedded within the mixing layer and active interaction has begun, the effect of the vortex is to grossly distort the mean velocity and turbulence contours over the whole width of the mixing layer. The induced cross-flow velocities in the mixing layer result in the production of additional normal Reynolds stresses which in turn act with mean flow gradients to generate extra shear stresses. In particular, the secondary shear stress (SSS) achieves an absolute peak value equivalent to about 40 percent of the maximum primary shear stress. The position and decay of the SSS peak are then found to be strongly correlated with those of the streamwise vortex.

Bell, James H.↗

An experimental study of forced streamwise vortical structures in a plane mixing layer

Streamwise structures have been shown to ride among the primary spanwise vortices in past flow visualization investigations of plane mixing layers. More recently, quantitative measurements were obtained which showed the origin and evolution of streamwise vortices within a mixing layer. In the present study, the effects of perturbing the mixing layer using two different mechanisms are investigated. A serration on the splitter plate trailing edge was found to have a relatively small effect, confined to the near-field development of the streamwise structures. The installation of cylindrical pegs in the high-speed side boundary layer, however, not only generated a regular array of vortex pairs, but also affected the mean development of the mixing layer far downstream. In both cases, the mean streamwise vorticity was found to decay rapidly with increasing downstream distance.

Mehta, Rabindra D.↗

Damping of thermal acoustic oscillations in hydrogen systems

Acoustic waves initiated by a large temperature gradient along a tube are defined as thermal acoustic oscillations (TAOs). These oscillations have been damped by introducing such sound absorbing techniques as acoustic filters, resonators, etc.. These devices serve as an acoustic sink that is used to absorb or dissipate the acoustic energy thereby eliminating or damping such oscillations. Several empirical damping techniques, such as attaching a resonator as a side branch or inserting a wire in the tube, have been developed in the past and have provided reasonable success. However, the effect of connecting tube radius, length, and resonator volume on the damping of thermal acoustic oscillations has not been evaluated quantitatively. Further, these methods have not been effective when the oscillating tube radius was relatively large. Detailed theoretical analyses of these techniques including a newly developed method for damping oscillations in a tube of relatively large radius are provided in this presentation.

Gu, Youfan↗

Bring'em Back Alive or at Least Carefully

Within the next decade, the world's space agencies plan to launch a variety of robotic spacecraft that will return samples from the surface of Mars, the tail of a comet, the nucleus of a comet, the surface of an asteroid, and the solar wind. Most of these places are not considered likely spots for life, but any mission returning from a location with the potential for harboring life will require special containment and handling because of the possible inclusion of living entities within returned samples. In its 1997 report on sample return from Mars, the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council (NRC) noted that the only risk of significant adverse effects would be from returning a replicating organism. Furthermore, the report noted: 'While the probability of returning a replicating biological entity in a sample from Mars' is judged to be low and the risk of pathogenic or ecological effects is lower still, the risk is not zero. Therefore, it is reasonable that NASA adopt a prudent approach, erring on the side of caution and safety when dealing with returned samples. More recently, a 1998 NRC report on small solar system bodies (asteroids, comets, planetary satellites, and interplanetary dust) recommended a similarly cautious approach for samples returned from anywhere else within the solar system that could have environmental conditions conducive for harboring life. We have not detected life elsewhere in the solar system, at least not yet. Nonetheless, the rationale behind the conservative approach to sample handling is similar to the environmental, health, and safety measures taken on Earth when transporting or handling infectious agents or importing non-native organisms to a new area. Better safe than sorry.

Race, Margaret S.↗

Free-Spinning-Tunnel Tests of a 1/24-Scale Model of the McDonnell XP-88 Airplane with a Conventional Tail

An investigation of the spin and recovery characteristics of a 1/24-scale model of the McDonnell XP-88 airplane has been conducted in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel. The effects of control settings and movements on the erect and inverted spin and recovery characteristics of the model in the normal loading were determined. Tests of the model in the long-range loading also were made. The investigation included tail-modification, spin-recovery parachute, pilot-escape, and rudder-pedal-force tests. Recoveries were generally satisfactory for spins in the normal loading provided the ailerons were not held against the spin. Satisfactory recoveries were obtained regardless of the aileron setting when the leading-edge flaps were deflected and normal recovery technique was used or when the horizontal tail was raised 70 inches, full scale. Recoveries were rapid from all inverted spins obtained. In the long-range loading with tanks on, it may be necessary to jettison the tanks in order to obtain recovery. A 12.0-foot spin-recovery parachute at the tail or a 4.0-foot parachute opened on the outer wing tip (drag coefficient of 0.66) was found to be effective for recoveries from demonstration spins. Test results showed that in an emergency the pilot should attempt to escape from the outboard side of the spinning airplane. The rudder-pedal forces in a spin were indicated to be within the capabilities of the pilot.

Berman, Theodore↗

4-Pass Pumping of Nd+3:YAG Slabs

A solid-state, side pumping scheme, designed to enhance pump energy absorption, has been adapted for use in small, side-pumped, Nd+3:YAG zigzag lasers. This technique allows for pump radiation to make four complete passes through the gain medium, effectively doubling the absorption length of the usual 2-pass geometry. This produces higher inversion densities, higher gains, broader operating temperature bands and overall higher efficiencies. The improved performance has been demonstrated with a small Nd+3:YAG, mJ-class oscillator, and will aid in the development for space-based remote sensing laser transmitters for altimetry and mapping instruments.

Coyle, D. Barry↗