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At least 937 records · Page 52

Turbulence Modeling with Nek5000/RS, SOD2D and Alya

We present Validation and Verification (V & V) study of two high-order spectral element method (SEM) based Computational Fluid Dyanimcs (CFD) codes that we will utilize for work on turbulence modeling: Nek5000 and SOD2D. While the former solves the incompressible form of Navier-Stokes equation, the latter works with compressible set of equations and uses an entropy-viscosity formulation to account for the discontinuities for high Mach number flows. We demonstrate the accuracy of these codes for two benchmark sub-sonic turbulent flows: periodic channel and pipe flow, by carrying out first and second order statistical analysis, grid convergence and turbulent structure analysis using wall-resolved large eddy simulations (WRLES). Later, we report on the implementation and testing of various wall-modeling strategies for large eddy simulation of turbulent flows in Nek5000. These include both classical log-law based and decision-tree based machine-learning models. Accuracy of these closure strategies are analyzed and necessary future work is outlined.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Polar Aerosol Vertical Structures and Characteristics Observed with a High Spectral Resolution Lidar at the ARM NSA Observatory

Aerosol vertical distributions impact both the direct and indirect radiative effects of aerosols. High Spectra Resolution Lidar (HSRL) separates between atmospheric molecular signals and aerosol particle signals and therefore can provide reliable measurements of aerosol properties. Six years of HSRL measurements between 2014 and 2019 from the Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) North Slope of Alaska (NSA) atmospheric observatory at Utqiaqvik are used to statistically analyze Arctic aerosol vertical distributions. The annual cycle of aerosol vertical distributions in terms of aerosol particulate backscatter coefficient ($β_p$), lidar scattering ratio (SR), and aerosol particulate depolarization ratio ($δ_p$) profiles at the wavelength of 532 nm shows that Arctic Haze events are prevalent in later winter and spring at the NSA site. Mineral dust is frequently presented in strong aerosol layers in the spring, fall, and winter seasons. Over the summer season, the NSA site has large aerosol loadings that are dominated by small spherical aerosol particles.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Spiraling Away from Vesta: Design of the Transfer from the Low to High Altitude Dawn Mapping Orbits

Dawn has successfully completed its orbital mission at Vesta and is currently en route to an orbital rendezvous with Ceres in 2015. The longest duration and most complex portion of the Vesta departure trajectory was the transfer from the low to high altitude science orbit. This paper describes the design of this low-thrust trajectory optimized assuming a minimum-propellant mass objective. The transfer utilized solar-electric ion propulsion applied over 139 spacecraft revolutions about Vesta. Science drivers, operational constraints, and robustness to statistical uncertainties are addressed. The 45-day transfer trajectory was successfully implemented in early 2012.

low thrust↗

Analysis on H Spectral Shape During the Early 2012 SEPs with the PAMELA Experiment

The satellite-borne PAMELA experiment has been continuously collecting data since 2006.This apparatus is designed to study charged particles in the cosmic radiation. The combination of a permanent magnet, a silicon strip tracker and a silicon-tungsten imaging calorimeter, and the redundancy of instrumentation allow very precise studies on the physics of cosmic rays in a wide energy range and with high statistics. This makes PAMELA a very suitable instrument for Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) observations. Not only does its pan the energy range between the ground-based neutron monitor data and the observations of SEPs from space,but PAMELA also carries out the first direct measurements of the composition for the highest energy SEP events, including those causing Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs).In particular, PAMELA has registered many SEP events during solar cycle 24,offering unique opportunities to address the question of high-energy SEP origin. A preliminary analysis on proton spectra behaviour during this event is presented in this work.

Protons↗

Uncovering the truth about M101, NGC 3938, and their significant others through radiative transfer

ABSTRACT Solving the inverse problem in spiral galaxies, that allows the derivation of the spatial distribution of dust, gas, and stars, together with their associated physical properties, directly from panchromatic imaging observations, is one of the main goals of this work. To this end, we used radiative transfer models to decode the spatial and spectral distributions of the nearby face-on galaxies M101 and NGC 3938. In both cases, we provide excellent fits to the surface-brightness distributions derived from GALEX, SDSS, 2MASS, Spitzer, and Herschel imaging observations. Together with previous results from M33, NGC 628, M51, and the Milky Way, we obtain a small statistical sample of modelled nearby galaxies that we analyse in this work. We find that in all cases Milky Way-type dust with Draine-like optical properties provide consistent and successful solutions. We do not find any ‘submm excess’, and no need for modified dust-grain properties. Intrinsic fundamental quantities like star-formation rates (SFR), specific SFR (sSFR), dust opacities, and attenuations are derived as a function of position in the galaxy and overall trends are discussed. In the SFR surface density versus stellar mass surface density space, we find a structurally resolved relation (SRR) for the morphological components of our galaxies, that is steeper than the main sequence (MS). Exception to this is for NGC 628, where the SRR is parallel to the MS.

Pricopi, D.↗

Random vibration of compliant wall

The paper is concerned with the realistic case of two-dimensional random motion of a membrane with bending stiffness supported on a viscoelastic spring substrate and on an elastic base plate under both subsonic and supersonic boundary layer turbulence. The cross-power spectral density of surface displacements is solved in terms of design variables of the compliant wall - such as the dimensions and material properties of the membrane (Mylar), substrate (PVC foam), and panel (aluminum) - so that a sensitivity analysis can be made to examine the influence of each design variable on the surface response statistics. Three numerical examples typical of compliant wall design are worked out and their response statistics in relation to wave drag and roughness drag are assessed. The results can serve as a guideline for experimental investigation of the drag reduction concept through the use of a compliant wall.

Yang, J.-N.↗

Cometary NH - Ultraviolet and submillimeter emission

A description is presented of the results of computer calculations on the molecule NH, which is an important constituent of cometary comae, and a probable, but an as yet undetected, interstellar species. Attention is given to spectroscopic properties, the treatment of solar spectral data, and radiative transfer calculations. The results of calculations for the Einstein A-coefficients are given in an appendix, where the entries for the X-X and A-A transitions depend on the assumed permanent electric-dipole moment squared. Rotational-spin-Lambda-doublet energy levels used for statistical equilibrium population densities are listed in a table.

Litvak, M. M.↗

Physical conditions in the cool parts of prominences

A spectral analysis of the cool parts of seven prominences reported by Shin-Huei (1961) and Yakovkin and Zel'dina (1964) is presented. The analysis requires only measurements of the Na and Sr(+) resonance lines and the middle H Balmer lines, all of which are optically thin, and uses the Na and Sr(+) statistical equilibrium solutions of Landman (1983). It is shown that the Na/H integrated intensity ratios alone are sufficient to determine the degree of H ionization. The major result of this investigation is that the degree of H ionization in the cool prominence parts is very low and the total gas pressure very high.

Landman, D. A.↗

Transient ionization and solar flare X-ray spectra

In this paper the effects of a transiently ionizing solar flare plasma on the X-ray spectrum of iron between 1.85 and 1.92 A are considered. The atomic physics of the nonequilibrium spectrum is discussed, and reasons for differences in appearance from ionization equilibrium spectra are explained. The effect of spectral resolution on the ability to detect transient ionization in the iron X-ray spectrum is illustrated by synthetic spectra. A synthetic transiently ionizing spectrum is applied to the interpretation of spectra obtained from the SOX 1 spectrometer on the Japanese Hinotori spacecraft. Some indications of transient ionization are found, although counting statistics negate a strong conclusion. A hypothetical spectrometer with about one order of magnitude more sensitivity than the SOX 1 Hinotori or the bent crystal spectrometer flown on the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) is also considered. The ranges of plasma parameters such as plasma emission measure and density that are necessary for transient ionization to be detected by such an instrument are discussed.

Doschek, G. A.↗

Properties of high-redshift Lyman-alpha clouds. I - Statistical analysis of the Schneider-Schmidt-Gunn quasars

Techniques for statistical analysis of the Lyman-alpha forest in high-redshift quasars are developed, and applied to the low-resolution (25 A) spectra of 29 of the 33 quasars in the Schneider-Schmidt-Gunn sample. We extrapolate each quasar's continuum shortward of Lyman-alpha emission, then consider each spectral bin of each quasar to be an (approximately) independent measurement of the absorption due to the Lyman-alpha clouds. With several thousand such measurements thus available, we can obtain good determinations of some interesting properties of clouds in the redshift range 2.5-4.3 without actually resolving any single cloud. We find that the mean absorption increases with z approximately as a power law (1 + z) exp (gamma + 1) with gamma = 2.46 +/- 0.37. The mean ratio of Lyman-alpha to Lyman-beta absorption in the clouds is 0.476 +/- 0.054. We also detect, and obtain ratios, for Lyma-gamma, delta, and possibly epsilon.

Press, William H.↗

Maximum-likelihood analysis of the COBE angular correlation function

We have used maximum-likelihood estimation to determine the quadrupole amplitude Q(sub rms-PS) and the spectral index n of the density fluctuation power spectrum at recombination from the COBE DMR data. We find a strong correlation between the two parameters of the form Q(sub rms-PS) = (15.7 +/- 2.6) exp (0.46(1 - n)) microK for fixed n. Our result is slightly smaller than and has a smaller statistical uncertainty than the 1992 estimate of Smoot et al.

Seljak, Uros↗

Distorted turbulence submitted to frame rotation: RDT and LES results

The objective of this effort is to carry the analysis of Lee et al. (1990) to the case of shear with rotation. We apply the RDT approximation to turbulence submitted to frame rotation for the case of a uniformly sheared flow and compare its mean statistics to results of high resolution DNS of a rotating plane channel flow. In the latter, the mean velocity profile is modified by the Coriolis force, and accordingly, different regions in the channel can be identified. The properties of the plane pure strain turbulence submitted to frame rotation are, in addition, investigated in spectral space, which shows the usefulness of the spectral RDT approach. This latter case is investigated here. Among the general class of quadratic flows, this case does not follow the same stability properties as the others since the related mean vorticity is zero.

Godeferd, Fabien S.↗

Evaluation of two fiber optic-based solar collection and distribution systems for advanced space life support

Growing plants in an enclosed controlled environment is crucial in developing bioregenerative life-support systems (BLSS) for space applications. The major challenge currently facing a BLSS is the extensive use of highly energy-intensive electric light sources, which leads to substantial energy wastes through heat dissipations by these lamps. An alternative lighting strategy is the use of a solar irradiance collection, transmission, and distribution system (SICTDS). Two types of fiber optic-based SICTDS, a Fresnel-lens Himawari and a parabolic-mirror optical waveguide (OW) lighting system, were evaluated. The overall efficiency for the OW SICTDS of 40.5% exceeded by 75% that for the Himawari of 23.2%. The spectral distributions of the light delivered by the Himawari and the OW SICTDS were almost identical and had practically no difference from that of terrestrial solar radiation. The ratios of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) to total emitted radiation (k) of 0.39 +/- 0.02 for the Himawari and 0.41 +/- 0.04 for the OW SICTDS were statistically indistinguishable, were not significantly different from that of 0.042 +/- 0.01 for terrestrial solar radiation, and were comparable to that of 0.35 for a high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamp. The coefficients of variation (CV) of 0.34 and 0.39 for PPF distributions, both at 50 mm X 50 mm square grid arrays, corresponding to the Himawari and the OW SICTDS, respectively, were comparable with each other but were both significantly greater than the CV of 0.08 corresponding to the HPS lamp. The average fresh weight or dry weight of lettuce grown in the solar chamber with either the Himawari or the OW SICTDS showed no statistical difference from the average fresh weight or dry weight of lettuce grown in the reference chamber with the HPS lamp. The results of this study suggest that an SICTDS could help reduce the electric power demand in a BLSS.

NASA Discipline Life Support Systems↗

Observations of the Circinus X-1 region

The X-ray telescope on board the OSO-7 satellite has provided observations of the Cir X-1 region for over 110 days between December 1971 and March 1973. Although statistically significant fluctuations in the 7- to 11-keV flux were measured, no periodicities in the range between 5 hours and 100 days were found to an upper limit of about 40 percent amplitude. Intensities in the 7- to 57-keV range show variability by a factor of approximately 25 and changes in the spectral shape reflected by a number spectral index varying from about 1.1 to about 3.0. There is a positive correlation between intensity and spectral shape, with a steeper spectrum at times of peak intensity. Although power-law, exponential, and blackbody spectral shapes are equally good fits to these data alone, examination of all the available data appears to rule out a simple blackbody spectrum, at least at times of maximum intensity.

Baity, W. A.↗

Investigations of the Mars Cratered Terrain: Smooth Plains Boundary in the Eastern Equatorial Region

As part of an ongoing study to place geologic constraints on, and to interpret the origin of the ancient cratered terrain - smooth plains boundary on Mars, structural features in the eastern hemisphere were mapped, looking at wide-scale variations in aereal percentage of crater vocer and distinctive landforms. Maps and a digitized data set for graben, scarps, ridges and elongate plateaus in the eastern hemisphere were completed for 30 deg N to 30 deg. In the equatorial region, results indicate a marked change from the N oriented ridges north of the boundary to the NW orientations of those in the inter and intracrater plains south of the boundary. The WNW orientation of the boundary itself is matched by similar orientations of graben and scraps in the southern terrain. In order to determine whether outlying plateaus and isolated knobby hills found north of the boundary are formed from material of the ancient cratered terrain, the Viking 2 approach color data were used to discriminate surface materials in the eastern hemisphere. In the southern half of the Amenthes quadrange (MC-14), several correlations exist among surficial spectral reflectance and observed geologic units. Old terrain on the eastern rim of the Isidis basin is much redder than the smooth volcanic plains on either side of the rim, even though the plains unit east of the rim is located several kilometers higher than the plains on the floor of Isidis. Based on statistics derived from the color data, the plains within Isidis were found to differ from those north of the boundary zone.

Maxwell, T. A.↗

An IUE survey of interstellar H I Ly alpha absorption. 2: Interpretations

We present an analysis of interstellar neutral hydrogen column densities obtained from archival Ly alpha absorption line data toward the complete sample of B2 and hotter stars observed at high spectral resolution with the IUE satellite. The full sample includes 554 stars and more than doubles the number of lines of sight previously observed. Many of the B2 and B1.5 stars exhibit contamination from stellar Ly alpha absorption, and were excluded from the subsequent analysis. The final working sample includes 393 stars. We present statistical averages for a number of quantities derived for the sample. The stars range in distance from 0.12 to 11 kpc with an average distance of 2.1 kpc. Values for average sight-line density range from 0.017 to 8.62 atoms cm(exp -3), with an overall average of 0.23 atoms cm(exp -3). Neutral hydrogen and dust are well correlated, with N(H I)/E(B - V) = 4.93 x 10(exp 21) cm(exp -2) mag(exp -1), and N(H I)/E(Bump) = 2.17 x 10(exp 21) cm(exp -2) mag(exp -1). There is an increase in the H I to dust ratios for the densest sight lines. Evidently, the H I to dust ratios in dense clouds are higher than in the lower density medium between the clouds and in interarm directions. The effect is probably an indication of dust modification in the dense clouds. The H I to dust ratios are approx. 17% smaller for the sight lines to O stars compared to the ratios found toward B stars. We have identified sight lines with anomalously large and small values of N(H I)/E(B - V) and H(H I)/E(Bump). Some of these sight lines are well-known examples of peculiar extinction (i.e., HD 147933 and HD 37061 (NU Ori)). Others are less well known and may provide important new examples of regions with highly modified dust. The number of stars with anomalously low H I to dust ratios is disproportionately larger than the number of stars with anomalously high H I to dust ratios. The distribution of the gas away form the Galactic plane for the sample of objects is complex. For the subset of 375 stars whose lines of sight have a statistically low probablility of intersecting a large cloud, the distribution may be roughly approximated by an exponential density distribution, with a midplane density of 0.366 atoms cm(exp -3), a scale height of 195 pc, and a random logarithmic scattering parameter sigma (sub p) of 0.159 dex. For the same sample of stars, interstellar dust is found to be confined closer to the plane than the H I, with (E(B - V)/r)(sub 0) = 0.257 mag kpc(exp -1), scale height h = 152 pc, and sigma(sub p) = 0.263 dex. The dust distribution is more inhomogeneous than the gas distribution. The observed distribution of H I away from the Galactic plane can also be fitted with a two-component exponential model including the effects of patchiness. Unfortunately, the foreground contamination produced by the cloudy and more confined component of H I makes it difficult to estimate the scale height of the extended component without invoking an independent estimate of its midplane density. Assuming n(sub 2)(0) = 0.16 cm(exp -3) from the Copernicus satellite H I/H(sub 2) survey, we obtain n(sub 1)(0) = 0.247 cm(exp -3), h(sub 1) = 73 PC, and h(sub 2) + 357 pc.

Diplas, Athanassios↗

Supervised Classification Techniques for Hyperspectral Data

The recent development of more sophisticated remote sensing systems enables the measurement of radiation in many mm-e spectral intervals than previous possible. An example of this technology is the AVIRIS system, which collects image data in 220 bands. The increased dimensionality of such hyperspectral data provides a challenge to the current techniques for analyzing such data. Human experience in three dimensional space tends to mislead one's intuition of geometrical and statistical properties in high dimensional space, properties which must guide our choices in the data analysis process. In this paper high dimensional space properties are mentioned with their implication for high dimensional data analysis in order to illuminate the next steps that need to be taken for the next generation of hyperspectral data classifiers.

Jimenez, Luis O.↗

GRO J1655-40: Early Stages of the 2005 Outburst

The black-hole X-ray binary transient GRO J1655-40 underwent an outburst beginning in early 2005. We present the results of our multi-wavelength observational campaign to study the early outburst spectral and temporal evolution, which combines data from X-ray (RXTE, INTEGRAL), radio (VLA) and optical (ROTSE, SMARTS) instruments. During the reported period the source left quiescence and went through four major accreting black hole states: low-hard, hard intermediate, soft intermediate and high-soft. We investigated dipping behavior in the RXTE band and compare our results to the 1996-1997 case, when the source was predominantly in the high-soft state, finding significant differences. We consider the evolution of the low frequency quasi-periodic oscillations and find that the frequency strongly correlates with the spectral characteristics, before shutting off prior to the transition to the high-soft state. We model the broad-band high-energy spectrum in the context of empirical models, as well as more physically motivated thermal and bulk-motion Comptonization and Compton reflection models. RXTE and INTEGRAL data together support a statistically significant high energy cut-off in the energy spectrum at approximately equal to 100 - 200 keV during the low-hard state. The RXTE data alone also show it very significantly during the transition, but cannot see one in the high-soft state spectra. We consider radio, optical and X-ray connections in the context of possible synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton origins of X-ray emission in low-hard and intermediate states. In this outburst of GRO J1655-40, the radio flux does not rise strongly with the X-ray flux.

Shaposhnikov, N.↗