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At least 955 records · Page 53

NASA-UCLA Workshop on Computational Techniques in Identification and Control of Flexible Flight Structures, Lake Arrowhead, CA, Nov. 2-4, 1989, Proceedings

The present conference on the identification and control of flexible flight structures with computational techniques encompasses existing and planned testbeds, modeling techniques, adaptive control, and numerical computation and simulation. Specific issues addressed include the NASA/MFSC ground test facility, an active control test on the NASA Minimast, the Astrex testbed for large precision space structures, the dynamic analysis of truss-beam modeling, combined structure-controls-integrated optimization, distributed parameter modeling applicable to the control of flexible flight structures, and approaches to nonclassically damped dynamic systems. Also addressed are adaptive control concepts, techniques for vibration and decentralized slew maneuver control, the discretization of second-order-in-time differential equations which are applicable to nonlinear wave problems, the finite-dimensional approximations of Riccati equations, and numerical simulations of actively controlled space structures.

Balakrishnan, A. V.↗

Chapman Conference on the Hydrologic Aspects of Global Climate Change, Lake Chelan, WA, June 12-14, 1990, Selected Papers

The present conference on the hydrological aspects of global climate change discusses land-surface schemes for future climate models, modeling of the land-surface boundary in climate models as a composite of independent vegetation, a land-surface hydrology parameterizaton with subgrid variability for general circulation models, and conceptual aspects of a statistical-dynamical approach to represent landscape subgrid-scale heterogeneities in atmospheric models. Attention is given to the impact of global warming on river runoff, the influence of atmospheric moisture transport on the fresh water balance of the Atlantic drainage basin, a comparison of observations and model simulations of tropospheric water vapor, and the use of weather types to disaggregate the prediction of general circulation models. Topics addressed include the potential response of an Arctic watershed during a period of global warming and the sensitivity of groundwater recharge estimates to climate variability and change.

Lettenmaier, Dennis P.↗

An ancient inner lake in Maadim Vallis

The survey of Ma'adim Vallis and crater Gusev area by the new topographic Aeolis southeast map allows to document the hydrodynamics processes which occurred in the valley. The inner Ma'adim Vallis hypsometric and volume deposits analyses point out that Gusev impact was subsequent to the first incision of Ma'adim Vallis in the craterized upland. The study of the deposit distributions as revealed by the topography leads to reconstruct the chronology of three major events in the Aeolis Region : Ma'adim incision, Gusev impact, and Apollinaris Patera/flow interactions.

Cabrol, N. A.↗

Oxygen isotopes as tracers of tektite source rocks: An example from the Ivory Coast tektites and Lake Bosumtwi Crater

Oxygen isotope studies of tektites and impact glasses provide an important tool to help in identifying the target lithologies for terrestrial impacts, including the K-T boundary impact. However, such studies may be complicated by modification of the original oxygen isotope values of some source rocks during the tektite formation process either by vapor fractionation or incorporation of meteoric water. To further investigate the relationship between the oxygen isotopic composition of tektites and their source rocks, Ivory Coast tektites and samples of impact glasses and bedrock lithologies from the Bosumtwi Crater in Ghana--which is widely believed to be the source crater for the Ivory Coast tektites--were studied. Our preliminary results suggest that the phyllites and metagraywackes from the Bosumtwi Crater were the predominant source materials for the impact glasses and tektites and that no significant oxygen isotope modification (less than 1 percent delta(O-18)) took place during impact melting. This contrasts with previous studies of moldavites and Australasian tektites and their sedimentary source materials which suggests a 4 to 5 percent lowering of delta(O-18) due to meteoric water incorporation during impact melting.

Blum, Joel D.↗

Sedimentation, volcanism, and ancestral lakes in the Valles Marineris: Clues from topography

Compilation of a simplified geologic/geomorphic map onto a digital terrain model of Valles Marineris has permitted quantitative evaluations of topographic parameters. The study showed that, if their interior layered deposits are lacustrine, the ancestral Valles Marineris must have consisted of isolated basins. If, on the other hand, the troughs were interconnected as they are today, the deposits are most likely to volcanic origin, and the mesas in the peripheral troughs may be table mountains. The material eroded from the trough walls was probably not sufficient to form all of the interior layered deposits, but it may have contributed significantly to their formation.

Lucchitta, B. K.↗

Evidence for an ice sheet/frozen lake in Utopia Planitia, Mars

Previous workers noted evidence for a lacustrine basin in Utopia Planitia, Mars. Geomorphic features within the basin that collectively suggest that water or ice may once have been present include channels within the basin, channels peripheral to the basin, etched basin floor, 'thumbprint' terrain (whorled patterns), polygonal outlines, smooth floors (infilled), shoreline indicators (terraces, platforms, lineaments), and small cratered cones (pseudo craters or pingos). The authors interpret these data to suggest that the basin may have been the locus of a large paleolake in the northern lowlands of Mars. Alternatively, the area was proposed to be part of an ancient circumpolar ocean. The hypothetical paleolake was probably frozen to some depth. In fact, features now present at its boundaries suggest that the edges may have been frozen solid. Plains units at the southwestern boundary of Utopia Planitia show ridges that were compared with those that form at the mouths of Antarctic ice streams, thumbprint terrain, and young, high deposits having lobate margins that suggest mudflows. Thumbprint terrains were interpreted as recessional moraines, ice-pushed ridges, or subglacially eroded tunnel valleys with eroded eskers. At the east boundary of Utopia Planitia, geologic mapping at 1:500,000 scale of the Granicus Valles area (MTM quadrangles 30227, 30222, and 25227) indicates the presence of a basal scarp around the northwest flank of Elysium that formed the east boundary of an ancient ice sheet.

Chapman, M. G.↗

Briny lakes on early Mars? Terrestrial intracrater playas and Martian candidates

Recently, salt-rich aqueous solutions have been invoked in the preterrestrial alteration of the Nakhla and Lafayette SNC meteorites. The findings substantiate the long-standing suspicion that salts are abundant on Mars and, more importantly, that brines have played a significant role in Martian hydrogeological history. Adding to the growing body of evidence, I report here on the identification of several unusual intracrater high-albedo features in the ancient cratered highlands of Mars, which I interpret as possible saline playas, or salt pans.

Lee, P.↗

Aerolian erosion, transport, and deposition of volcaniclastic sands among the shifting sand dunes, Christmas Lake Valley, Oregon: TIMS image analysis

Remote sensing is a tool that, in the context of aeolian studies, offers a synoptic view of a dune field, sand sea, or entire desert region. Blount et al. (1990) presented one of the first studies demonstrating the power of multispectral images for interpreting the dynamic history of an aeolian sand sea. Blount's work on the Gran Desierto of Mexico used a Landsat TM scene and a linear spectral mixing model to show where different sand populations occur and along what paths these sands may have traveled before becoming incorporated into dunes. Interpretation of sand transport paths and sources in the Gran Desierto led to an improved understanding of the origin and Holocene history of the dunes. With the anticipated advent of the EOS-A platform and ASTER thermal infrared capability in 1998, it will become possible to look at continental sand seas and map sand transport paths using 8-12 mu m bands that are well-suited to tracking silicate sediments. A logical extension of Blount's work is to attempt a similar study using thermal infrared images. One such study has already begun by looking at feldspar, quartz, magnetite, and clay distributions in the Kelso Dunes of southern California. This paper describes the geology and application of TIMS image analysis of a less-well known Holocene dune field in south central Oregon using TIMS data obtained in 1991.

Edgett, Kenneth S.↗

Clastic Breccias at the Slates Islands Complex Impact Structure, Northern Lake Superior

About 150 impact craters are known on Earth and each year several structures are added to this number. The general geology of the Slate Islands archipelago has been described by Sage (1991) and a short summary based on Sage's work is given in Dressler et al. (1995). The reader is referred to these publications for information on the bedrock geology of the island group. Early studies on the Slate Islands impact structure include: Halls and Grieve (1976), Grieve and Robertson (1976) and Stesky and Halls (1983). In this report, we provide a summary of the impact process as presently understood. We also present some of the results of our laboratory investigations conducted in 1995 and 1996. We describe in some detail the various clastic breccias encountered on the islands during our 1994 and 1995 field work and relate them to the various phases of the impact process. A more encompassing treatise on the breccias has been submitted for publication. (Dressler and Sharpton 1996).

Dressler, B. O.↗

Observations of Thermospheric Horizontal Winds at Watson Lake, Yukon Territory (lambda=65 Deg N)

Fabry-Perot interferometer observations of the thermospheric O I (6300 A) emission have been conducted from an airglow observatory at a dark field site in the southeastern Yukon Territory, Canada, for the period November 1991 to April 1993. The experiment operated in unattended, remote fashion, has resulted in a substantial data set from which mean neutral winds have been determined. Dependent upon geomagnetic activity, the nocturnal location of the site is either equatorward of the auroral oval or within oval boundaries. The data set is rich enough to permit hourly binning of neutral winds based upon the K(sub p) geomagnetic disturbance index as well as the season. For cases of low geomagnetic activity the averaged vector horizontal neutral wind exhibits the characteristics of a midlatitude site displaying antisunward pressure-gradient-driven winds. As the geomagnetic activity rises in the late afternoon and evening winds slowly rotate sunward in an anticlockwise direction, initially remaining near 100 m/s in speed but eventually increasing to 300 m/s for K(sub p) greater than 5. For the higher levels of activity the observed neutral wind flow pattern resembles a higher-latitude polar cap pattern characterized by ion drag forcing of thermospheric neutral gases. In addition, rotational Coriolis forcing on the dusk side enhances the ion drag forcing, resulting in dusk winds which trace out the clockwise dusk cell plasma flow. On the dawn side the neutral winds also rotate in an anticlockwise direction as the strength of geomagnetic disturbances increase. Since the site is located at a transition latitude between the midlatitude and the polar cap the data set provides a sensitive test for general circulation models which attempt to parameterize the contribution of magnetospheric processes. A comparison with the Vector Spherical Harmonic (VSH) model indicates several regions of poor correspondence for December solstice conditions but reasonable agreement for the vernal equinox.

Niciejewski, R. J.↗

Highland Valley Networks and Ephemeral Lake Basins, Libya Montes, SW Isidis Basin Margin

This summarizes the analysis of geology and surface engineering criteria for an area on the southwestern border of Isidis Planitia. In this area basin plains adjoin volcanic plains of Syrtis Major Planum and dissected ancient highlands of Libya Montes. Previously three general categories of landing site have been discussed for this area: scarp-like terrain along the western margin of Isidis Planitia, marginal ridged plains, and terminus of a significant valley network basin draining Libya Montes. On the basis of geologic mapping and reconnaissance around the southwest perimeter, the plains marginal slopes adjacent to Libya Montes appear to best satisfy the thematic, geologic, and engineering goals and constraints of the Mars Surveyor program.

Crumpler, L. S.↗

Evidence for Impact-induced Hydrothermal Alteration at the Lonar Crater, India, and Mistastin Lake, Canada

The 50,000 year old, 1.8km diameter Lonar crater is located in Maharashtra, India. This relatively small crater is of particular interest because of its unique morphological and mineralogical properties, which make it a valid analogue for similar craters on the surface of Mars. We show that even in this relatively small crater, substantial hydrothermal alteration of shocked breccias in the floor of the crater has occurred, probably due to the thermal effects of the impact event. The 38 my old, 28 km diameter, Mistastin crater contains an 80 m thick impact melt sheet. We have also documented the presence of alteration phases in the material from this larger crater.

Newsom, H. E.↗

Mars Express MARSIS Radar: A Prediction of the Effect of Overlying Ice on Detecting Polar Basal Lakes and Inter-Glacial Aquifers

The penetration of the MARSIS radar signal into the polar ice mass is modeled to determine the capability of the instrument to locate sub-glacial aquifers. As a ground penetrating radar, the orbiting MARSIS transmits a signal greater than 1 W between 1-5 MHz. In this work we will investigate the effect of ice conductive losses on the radar-detection of subsurface aquifers. Based on wave propagation analysis, it is found that for a bulk ice conductivity below 10-5 S/m, conductive losses in the medium are not significant. However, if the bulk ice conductivity is relatively large (greater than 10-5 S/m), the reflected signal from any deep aquifer will be absorbed as it propagates in the lossy ice medium limiting the probing depth.

Farrell, W. M.↗

Nitrogen Isotopic Imaging of Tagish Lake Carbon Globules

Chondritic meteorites and interplanetary dust particles commonly exhibit significant enrichments in deuterium (D) and N-15 relative to terrestrial materials. These anomalies are usually ascribed to low temperature chemical processes occurring in a presolar cold molecular cloud and/or physically similar regions of the outer solar nebula. The sizes of these anomalies vary considerably among different classes of meteorites, in some cases on a microscopic scale, reflecting differing degrees of alteration and dilution of the presolar components owing to parent body processing.

Messenger, S.↗

Multi-Discipline Analytical Modeling of a Cracked Disk in a Turbine Engine: Applied to TF41 Experiment at China Lake

The investigated crack detection method is based on the fact that the development of a disk crack results in a distorted strain field within the component. As a result, a minute deformation in the disk's geometry as well as a change in the system's center of mass occurs. Finite element analyses were conducted concerning a notched disk in order to define the sensitivity of the method. The notch was used to simulate an actual crack and will be the method utilized for upcoming experiments. Various notch sizes were studied and the geometric deformations and shifts of center of mass were documented as a function of rotational speed. In addition, a rotordynamic analysis of a two-bearing, disk and shaft system was conducted. The results of the FE analyses of the disk indicated that the overall changes in the disk's geometry and center of mass were rather small. Comparing the 9.25 in. disk's maximum radial displacements due centrifugal forces at 8000 RPM between an un-notched and a 0.962 in. notched disk, the difference was on the order of 0.00014 in. The shift in center of mass was also of this magnitude. The next step involves running experiments to verify the analysis.

Sawicki, Jerzy T.↗