Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “beta”

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 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Formation of model polar stratospheric cloud films

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to examine the competitive growth of films representative of polar stratospheric clouds. These experiments show that either crystalline nitric acid trihydrate (beta-NAT) or amorphous films with H2O:HNO3 ratios close to 3:1 formed at temperatures 3-7 K warmer than the ice frost point under stratospheric pressure conditions. In addition, with higher HNO3 pressure, we observed nitric acid dihydrate (NAD) formation at temperatures warmer than ice formation. However, our experiments also show that NAD surfaces converted to beta-NAT upon exposure to stratospheric water pressures. Finally, we determined that the net uptake coefficient for HNO3 on beta-NAT is close to unity, whereas the net uptake coefficient for H2O is much less.

Middlebrook, Ann M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The quasar proximity effect in an equivalent-width-limited sample of the Lyman-alpha forest

We have obtained a simple analytical approximation to the relationship between a rest-frame equivalent-width distribution for Ly-alpha forest absorption lines, N(W), and an H I column density distribution of the observed cloud number, N(N). Assuming a simple power-law form for N(N) proportional to N exp (1-beta), it is shown that beta = 1.4 turns out to agree fairly well with the observed form of N(W) in a broad range of column densities. We present a theoretical analysis of how the 'proximity effect' influences a W-limited sample of Ly-alpha forest lines. It is shown that this influence is considerably smaller than has been found before for a N-limited sample, for which an approximate value of beta was assumed rather than derived as has been done, for a W-limited sample, in the present paper. As a result, available observational data appear to be still consistent with the conjecture that the observed population of QSOs is the major source of the UV background at redshifts z about 2-4.

Chernomordik, Viktor V.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Optical constants from mirror reflectivities measured at synchrotrons

Improved mirror reflectivity measurement techniques have been introduced to permit more accurate determinations of optical constants delta and beta in the complex index of refraction n = 1 - delta - i(beta) over the energy range 50 to 5000 eV. When the density has been determined by X-ray or other means, one can calculate the real and imaginary parts, f-prime and f-double prime, of the complex atomic scattering factor f = f(o) + f-prime + if-double prime from delta and beta. Preliminary results are given for the Ni LIII edge around 852 eV, and the Au M edge region from 2150 to 3500 eV. Since these are the first experimental evaluations of delta for these element edges, they are compared with appropriate reservations to semiempirical tabulations. There is much potential for this technique applied to synchrotron sources.

Blake, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Micromechanical thermal analysis of interphase region in a titanium aluminide MMC

The high reactivity between the fiber and matrix in silicon carbide/titanium aluminide MMCs leads to the formation of brittle reaction products at the fiber/matrix (F/M) interface. Also, the high thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between the fiber and matrix leads to high tensile residual stresses at the F/M interface, and this can lead to premature cracking during cooldown. One solution to these problems is the use of a metallic fiber coating like Ta which acts as an F/M diffusion barrier and reacts with the matrix to form a beta stabilized compliant layer. A finite element micromechanics analysis was performed to study the effects of Ta and beta interphase layers on the thermal residual stresses during consolidation. A 5-micron-thick beta layer reduced cool-down stresses by 8 percent compared to a 2 percent reduction computed for a Ta layer of the same thickness. Plastic yielding in the Ta was not effective in reducing cool-down stresses. Compliant alpha-2 particles next to the stiffer gamma particles reduced stresses in the gamma particles by less than 2 percent. A simple closed form analysis was developed to calculate thermal residual stresses in a fiber/interphase/matrix system. A 2-micron-thick Ag interphase layer was found to reduce residual stresses by about 11 percent.

Naik, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The evidence for clumpy accretion in the Herbig Ae star HR 5999

Analysis of IUE high- and low-dispersion spectra of the young Herbig Ae star HR 5999 (HD 144668) covering 1978-1992 revealed dramatic changes in the Mg II h and k (2795.5, 2802.7 A) emission profiles, changes in the column density and distribution in radial velocity of accreting gas, and flux in the Ly(alpha), O I, and C IV emission lines, which are correlated with the UV excess luminosity. Variability in the spectral type inferred from the UV spectral energy distribution, ranging from A5 IV-III in high state to A7 III in the low state, was also observed. The trend of earlier inferred spectral type with decreasing wavelength and with increasing UV continuum flux has previously been noted as a signature of accretion disks in lower mass pre-main sequence stars (PMS) and in systems undergoing FU Orionis-type outbursts. Our data represent the first detection of similar phenomena in an intermediate mass (M greater than or equal to 2 solar mass) PMS star. Recent IUE spectra show gas accreting toward the star with velocities as high as plus 300 km/s, much as is seen toward beta Pic, and suggest that we also view this system through the debris disk. The absence of UV lines with the rotational broadening expected given the optical data (A7 IV, V sini=180 plus or minus 20 km/s for this system) also suggests that most of the UV light originates in the disk, even in the low continuum state. The dramatic variability in the column density of accreting gas, is consistent with clumpy accretion, such as has been observed toward beta Pic, is a hallmark of accretion onto young stars, and is not restricted to the clearing phase, since detectable amounts of accretion are present for stars with 0.5 Myr less than t(sub age) less than 2.8 Myr. The implications for models of beta Pic and similar systems are briefly discussed.

Perez, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Processing and testing of high toughness silicon nitride ceramics

High toughness silicon nitride ceramics were processed with the addition of small quantities of beta-Si3N4 whiskers in a commercially available alpha-Si3N4 powder. These whiskers grew preferentially during sintering resulting in large, elongated beta-grains, which acted to toughen the matrix by crack deflection and grain pullout. The fracture toughness of these samples seeded with beta-Si3N4 whiskers ranged from 8.7 to 9.5 MPa m(exp 0.5) depending on the sintering additives.

Tikare, Veena↗
NASA NTRS1994

Tail lobe ion composition at energies of 0.1 to 16 keV/e: Evidence for mass-dependent density gradients

A large set of energetic (0.1 to 16 keV/e) ion composition data from the central magnetotail, obtained by the ISEE 1 spacecraft between 10 and 23R(sub E) from Earth, is sorted according to measured total ion beta value, in order to investigate whether bulk properties of different ions vary in different ways between plasma sheets and lobes, as suggested by a comparison of certain experimental and theoretical results in the literature. Despite inevitable difficulties with extracting statistically valid data at very low beta (10(exp -2) or lower), the results seem to support a recent theoretical model suggesting that lighter ions have a steeper density gradient than heavier ions, especially when comparing H(+) ions with O(+) ions. The results also indicate that ion velocity distributions are fairly isotropic even at low beta, at least those of H(+) ions, although field-aligned flows are common. The results are evaluated in the context of plasma transport and are found to lend some support to the notion that tail lobe convection may be directed inward from the dawn and dusk flanks.

Lennartsson, O. W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The proton cyclotron instability and the anisotropy/B inverse correlation

Spacecraft observations in the strongly compressed subsolar magnetosheath show an inverse correlation between the proton temperature anistrophy (T(sub perpendicular to p)/T(sub parallel to p) greater than 1 where perpendicular to and parallel to denote directions perpendicular and parallel to the background magnetic field) and the parallel proton beta (beta(sub parallel to p). This manuscript uses one-dimensional hybrid simulations of the proton cyclotron anisotropy instability in homogeneous electron-proton plasmas to study this correlation which may represent a limited closure relation for fluid theories of anisotropic space plasmas. The emphasis is on driven simulation which increase the temperature anisotropy by periodically reducing the magnetic-field-aligned velocities of the protons. The late-time states from ensembles of both initial value and driven simulations yield very similar expressions for the proton anisotropy/beta(sub parallel to P) inverse correlation, and provide a basis for explaining differences between sheath observations from different spacecraft. The driven simulations also yield expressions for the maximum instability growth rate and the fluctuating field energy as functions of beta (sub parallel to p) and a parameter characterizing the anisotropy driver.

Gary, S. Peter↗
NASA NTRS1994

Magnetocentrifugally driven flows from young stars and disks. 2: Formulation of the dynamical problem

We formulate the dynamical problem of a cool wind centrifugally driven from the magnetic interface of a young star and an adjoining Keplerian disk. We examine the situation for mildly accreting T Tauri stars that rotate slowly as well as rapidly accreting protostars that rotate near break-up. In both cases a wind can be driven from a small X-region just outside the stellar magnetopause, where the field lines assume an open geometry and are rooted to material that rotates at an angular speed equal both to the local Keplerian value and to the stellar angular speed. Assuming axial symmetry for the ideal magnetohydrodynamic flow, which requires us to postpone asking how the (lightly ionized) gas is loaded onto field lines, we can formally integrate all the governing equations analytically except for a partial equation that describes how streamlines spread in the meridional plane. Apart from the difficulty of dealing with PDEs of mixed type, finding the functional forms of the conserved quantities along streamlines - the ratio beta of magnetic field to mass flux, the specific energy H of the fluid in the rotating frame, and the total specific angular momentum J carried in the matter and the field - constitutes a standard difficulty in this kind of (Grad-Shafranov) formalism. Fortunately, because the ratio of the thermal speed of the mass-loss regions to the Keplerian speed of rotation of the interface constitutes a small parameter epsilon, we can attack the overall problem by the method of matched asymptotic expansions. This procedure leads to a natural and systematic technique for obtaining the relevant functional dependences of beta, H, and J. Moreover, we are able to solve analytically for the properties of the flow emergent from the small transsonic region driven by gas pressure without having to specify the detailed form of any of the conserved functions, beta, H, and J. This analytical solution provides inner boundary conditions for the numerical computation in a companion paper by Najita & Shu of the larger region where the main acceleration to terminal speeds occurs.

Shu, Frank H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The evidence for clumpy accretion in the Herbig Ae star HR 5999

Analysis of IUE high- and low-dispersion spectra of the young Herbig Ae star HR 5999 (HD 144668) covering 1978-1992 has revealed dramatic changes in the Mg II h and k (2795.5, 2802.7 A) emission profiles, changes in the column density and distribution in radial velocity of accreting gas, and flux in the Ly(alpha), O I and C IV emission lines, which are correlated with the UV excess luminosity. We also observe variability in the spectral type inferred from the UV spectral energy distribution, ranging from A5 IV-III in high state to A7 III in the low state. The trend of earlier inferred spectral type with decreasing wavelength and with increasing UV continuum flux has previously been noted as a signature of accretion disks in lower mass pre-main sequence stars (PMS) and in systems undergoing FU Orionis-type outbursts. Our data represent the first detection of similar phenomena in an intermediate mass (M equal to or greater than 2 solar mass) PMS star. Recent IUE spectra show gas accreting toward the star with velocities as high as +300 km/s, much as is seen toward beta Pic, and suggest that we also view this system through the debris disk. The absence of UV lines with the rotational broadening expected given the optical data (A7 IV, upsilon sin i = 180 plus or minus 20 km/s) for this system also suggests that most of the UV light originates in the disk, even in the low continuum state. The dramatic variability in the column density of accreting gas, consistent with clumpy accretion, such as has been observed toward beta Pic, is a hallmark of accretion onto young stars, and is not restricted to the clearing phase, since detectable amounts of accretion are present for stars, and is not restricted to the clearing phase, since detectable amounts of accretion are present for stars with 0.5 less than t(sub age) less than 2.8 Myr. The implications for models of beta Pic and similar systems are briefly discussed.

Perez, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Tail lobe ion composition at energies of 0.1 to 16 keV/e: Evidence for mass-dependent density gradients

A large set of energetic (0.1- to 16-keV/e) ion composition data from the central magnetotail, obtained by the International Sun Earth Explorer (ISEE) 1 spacecraft between 10 and 23 R(sub E) from Earth, is sorted according to measured total ion beta value, in order to investigate whether bulk properties of different ions vary in different ways between plasma sheet and lobes, as suggested by a comparison of certain experimental and theoretical results in the literature. Despite inevitable difficulties with extracting statistically valid data at very low beta (10(exp -2) or lower), the results seem to support a recent theoretical model suggesting that lighter ions have a steeper density gradient than heavier ions, especially when comparing H(+) ions with O(+) ions. The results also indicate that ion velocity distributions are fairly isotropic even at low beta, at least those of H(+) ions, although field-aligned flows are common. The results are evaluated in the context of plasma transport and are found to lend some support to the notion that tail lobe convection may be directed inward from the dawn and dusk flanks.

Lennartsson, O. W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Electron injection and acceleration at nonlinear shocks: Results of numerical simulations

We present results of numerical simulations of electron injection and acceleration at nonlinear high Mach number shocks. The electrons are assumed to be heated at the thermal subshock to an energy E(sub inj), which is treated as a free parameter, above which they are injected by self-generated whistlers to momentum m(sub p) x V(sub A). This injection mechanism requires Mach numbers greater than (43/(beta(sub -)))(((k T(sub e))/(E(sub inj)))(exp 1/2)), where T(sub e) and beta (sub -) are the upstream electron temperature and plasma beta parameter. Above m(sub p) x V(sub A) electrons are trapped in the shock by Alfven waves. In the proton precursor region the Alfven waves are assumed to be generated by protons accelerated at the shock, and have nonlinear intensities. Below GeV, however, electrons of a given rigidity propagate faster than protons with a similar rigidity and therefore diffuse to regions ahead of the proton precursor. In those regions the Alfven waves are generated by the electrons themselves. The diffusion coefficient appears to increase with decreasing acceleration efficiency. As a result, the number of electrons accelerated to energies GeV and above and, hence, the electron to proton ratio, depend only weakly on the extent of electron heating at the subshock. The negative feedback also renders the electron spectra insensitive to shock compression ratio and smoothing length scale. The estimated e/p ratio at GeV is between approximately 1%-10%.

Levinson, Amir↗
NASA NTRS1994

Interaction of chronic reatine depletion and muscle unloading effects on postural and locomotor muscles

In this study, creatine depletion was induced separately and in combination with non-weight-bearing activity to determine if the response to lowering this metabolite would counter the MHC transitions expected from non-weight-bearing. Creatine depletion was induced by feeding rats a diet supplemented with the creatine analogue beta-guanidinopropionic acid (beta-GPA). Animals were fed a diet containing the creatine analogue for 68 days. Hindlimb non-weight-bearing in BS and NS animals was accomplished by tail suspension for the final 30 days of this period. Beta-GPA feeding lowered the creatine content of muscles sampled by 65%. Creatine depletion resulted in a 16% increase in citrate synthase activity in the soleus (SOL) and a 24% increase in the plantaris (PLN). In two postural muscles, the SOL and vastus intermedius (VI), tail suspension resulted in large decreases in the type I MHC expression and increases in type IIx and IIb MHCs. In two locomotor muscles, the PLN and medial gastrocnemius, type I MHC declined and type IIb increased with suspension. Creatine depletion did not prevent the suspension-induced decline in type I MHC in any of these muscles. The increase in type IIb MHC was either prevented or reduced by creatine depletion before and during suspension in the SOL, VI, and PLN. Creatine depletion alone resulted in small increases in type I and IIa MHCs in the two locomotor muscles, but it had no effect on the MHC profile of the postural muscles studied. These results indicate that the mechanical signal generated by the hindlimb non-weight-bearing state dominated over the metabolic stimulus of creatine depletion with respect to the primary adaptation involving a reduction in type I MHC.

Adams, Gregory R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Hot proton anisotropies and cool proton temperatures in the outer magnetosphere

The hot protons of the outer magnetosphere typically exhibit a temperature anistropy such that T(sub perp)/T(sub parallel) greater than 1, where perpendicular and parallel symbols denote directions relative to the background magnetic field. If this anisotrpy is sufficiently large, the electomagneitc proton cyclotron anistropy instability may be excited. This instability is studied using linear Vlasov theory and one-dimensional hybrid simulations for a homogeneous plasma model representative of conditions in the outer magnetosphere with a hot anisotropic proton component (denoted by subscript h) and a cool, initially isotropic proton component (subscript c). Linear theory yields an instability threshold condition on the hot proton temperature anistropy where as the simulations imply an upper bound on T(sub perp h)/T(sub parallel h); both the threshold and the upper bound have similar scaling with the maximum growth rate gamma (sub m), the parallel beta of the hot component, beta(sub parallel h), and the relative density of the hot component n(sub h)/n(sub e). An anlysis of plasma observations from the Los Alamos magnetospheric plasma analyzer (MPA) in geosynchronous orbits finds that the maximum value of the hot proton temperature anisotropy approximately satisfies the predicted scaling with beta(sub parallel h) and nu(sub h)/n(sub e) and yields the proportionality factor that quantifies this upper bound. The simulations are also used to examine the heating of the cool proton cyclotron instability. The simulations yield a scaling for the dimensionless late-time cool proton average temperature T(sub c)/T(sub parallel h) as (n(sub h)/n(sub e))/beta(sub parallel h exp 0.5). Analysis of MPA data shows that the observed values of T(sub c)/T(sub parallel h) have similar scaling and again yield the proportionality factor which quantifies this relationship.

Gary, S. Peter↗
NASA NTRS1995

A theoretical derivation of the dependence of the remotely sensed reflectance of the ocean on the inherent optical properties

An expression for the ratio of the upwelling nadir radiance L(pi, z) and the downwelling scalar irradiance E(sub od)(Z) is derived from the following equation of radiative transfer. This expression is given by RSR(z) = (L(pi, z))/E(sub od) = (f(sub b)(z)b(sub b)(z))/2 pi(k(pi, z) + c(z) - F(sub L)(z)b(sub f)(z)), where b(sub b)(z) is the backscattering coefficient, k(pi, z) is the vertical attenuation coefficient of the nadir radiance, c(z) is the beam attenuation coefficient, and f(sub b)(z) and f(sub L)(z) are shape parameters that depend on the shape of the volume scattering function and the radiance distribution. Successive approximations are subsequently applied to the above exact equation. These are f(sub b)(z) = (2 pi beta(pi - theta(sub m), z)/(b(sub b)(z))), where beta(pi - theta(sub m), z) is the volume scattering function at 180 deg minus the zenith angle of the maximum radiance, and k(pi, z) = am = c(1 - 0.52 b/c - 0.44 (b/c)(exp 2)), where m is a parameter that is numerically equal to the inverse of the average cosine of the asymptotic light field for a medium with the same inherent optical properties, a is the absorption coefficient, and b/c is the single scattering albedo. Together with f(sub L)(z) = 1.05 and application of Gershun's equation, it is shown that for nearly all oceanic cases RSR(z) identical to L(pi, z)/E(sub od)(z) = (Beta(pi - theta(sub m), z))/(a(z)(1 + m(z))).

Zaneveld, J. Ronald V.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Theta(1) and gamma Tauri: Understanding the coronal structure of Hyades giants. EUV spectroscopy of BY Dra systems

These programs involve: (1) analysis and interpretation of EUVE spectrometer observations of the active giant beta Cet in comparison to the Hyades giant theta(1) Tau, and (2) analysis and interpretation of EUVE spectrometer observations of the BY Dra systems FK Aqr, DH Leo, and BH Lyn. EUVE carried out observations of beta Cet, but has yet to perform an observation of theta(1) Tau. In beta Cet, a number of Fe lines from high ionization species were observed, up to Fe XXIV. The spectrum overall resembles that seen in the active binary Capella (alpha Aur). All three BY Dra systems were observed by EUVE, and show evidence of high temperature (approximately 10(exp 7) K) plasma; FK Aqr and DH Leo show significant variability in their Deep Survey lightcurves. In FK Aqr, spectral differences between its 'quiescent' and 'active' states suggest possible differences in the plasma density. In DH Leo, the Deep Survey lightcurve, taken over nearly 8 days, shows a distinct period of approximately 1.05 days, similar to the photometric period. The emission measure distributions of all three systems are rather similar in shape, and can be well-represented by a power law with slope approximately 1.5 from 6.2-7.0 in log T.

Stern, Robert A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Spectral Irradiance Calibration in the Infrared: 1.2-35 micrometer Spectra of Six Standard Stars - Part 4

Five new absolutely calibrated continuous stellar spectra from 1.2 to 35 microns are presented. The spectra were constructed as far as possible from actual observed spectral fragments taken from the ground, the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), and the IRAS Low Resolution Spectrometer (LRS). These stars (beta Peg, alpha Boo, beta And, beta Gem, and alpha Hya) augment the author's already created complete absolutely calibrated spectrum for alpha Tau. All these spectra have a common calibration pedigree. The wavelength coverage is ideal for calibration of many existing and proposed ground-based, airborne, and satellite sensors.

Cohen, Martin↗
NASA NTRS1997

Mathematical Analysis and Optimization of Infiltration Processes

A variety of infiltration techniques can be used to fabricate solid materials, particularly composites. In general these processes can be described with at least one time dependent partial differential equation describing the evolution of the solid phase, coupled to one or more partial differential equations describing mass transport through a porous structure. This paper presents a detailed mathematical analysis of a relatively simple set of equations which is used to describe chemical vapor infiltration. The results demonstrate that the process is controlled by only two parameters, alpha and beta. The optimization problem associated with minimizing the infiltration time is also considered. Allowing alpha and beta to vary with time leads to significant reductions in the infiltration time, compared with the conventional case where alpha and beta are treated as constants.

Chang, H.-C.↗