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At least 973 records · Page 54

Characteristics of magnetospheric radio noise spectra

Magnetospheric radio noise spectra (30 kHz to 10 MHz) taken by IMP-6 and RAE-2 exhibit time-varying characteristics which are related to spacecraft position and magnetospheric processes. In the mid-frequency range (100-1,000 kHz) intense noise peaks rise by a factor of 100 or more above background; 80% of the peak frequencies are within the band 125 kHz to 600 kHz, and the peak occurs most often (18% of the time) at 280 kHz. This intense mid-frequency noise has been detected at radial distances from 1.3 Re to 60 Re on all sides of the Earth during magnetically quiet as well as disturbed periods. Maximum occurrence of the mid-frequency noise is in the evening to midnight hours where splash-type energetic particle precipitation takes place. ""Magnetospheric lightning'' can be invoked to explain the spectral shape of the observed spectra.

Herman, J. R.↗

The Skylab S019 ultraviolet spectra of HD 153919 (=3U 1700-37) and HDE 226868 (=Cyg X-1)

Ultraviolet spectra of HD153919 (=3U1700-37) and HDE226868 (=Cyg X-1) were obtained with the ultraviolet objective-prism spectrograph of Skylab Experiment S019. The data consist of unwidened spectra which extend to 1,600A for HD153919 and to 2,400A for HDE226868. The wavelength resolution is about 2A to 1,400A and 12A at 2,000A. For HD153919, an unwidened spectrum of fair quality and extending to a wavelength of 1,600A was obtained at 22 sup h 08 sup m on 1 September 1973. The energy distribution in this spectrum generally resembles that of other reddened O stars. A break in continuum intensity seems to occur at a wavelength of about 1,720A. There is a suggestion of an emission line on the longward edge of the break but this could be either a chance clumping of grains or else a photographic edge-effect caused by the break.

Kondo, Y.↗

Apollo 16 far-ultraviolet imagery and spectra of the Large Magellanic Cloud

The Large Magellanic Cloud was observed by the far ultraviolet camera spectrograph from the lunar surface during the Apollo 16 mission 22 April 1972. Images were obtained with about 3 arc min resolution, in the 1,050 to 1,600 and 1,250 to 1,600 A wavelength ranges, of nearly the entire LMC. Spectra were also obtained in the 1,050 to 1,600 and 900 to 1,600 A ranges along a strip 1/4 deg wide (determined by the instrument's grid collimator) passing across the LMC. The images and spectra have been scanned with a PDS microdensitometer, and isodensity contour plots have been prepared using the Univac 1108 computer.

Page, T.↗

Observation of possible Fe XVII 2p5 3p/1S0/ - 2p5 3s/1P1, 3P1/ transitions in spectra of a solar active region and flare

Expected wavelengths and relative intensities are obtained from previous calculations for the hitherto unobserved transitions 2p5 3p(1SO) - 2p5 3s(1P1, 3P1) in Fe XVII. A candidate pair of lines at 197.05 A and 242.09 A was found in laboratory spectra and appears to be present in the spectra of a solar active region observed by the OSO-7 Goddard spectroheliograph as well as in the spectrum of a Skylab-observed solar flare.

Kastner, S. O.↗

Infrared spectra of carbonaceous chondrites and the composition of interstellar grains

Infrared spectra (7 to 40 microns) of the Cold Bokkeveld, Murray, and Orgueil carbonaceous chondrites are compared with phyllosilicate-mineral and interstellar-grain spectra. Similarities in the position and shape of the silicate feature near 9.8 microns suggest that similar silicate minerals are present in primitive meteorites and the interstellar dust.

Zaikowski, A.↗

SEC Vidicon spectra of Geminid meteors, 1972

The SEC Vidicon, a low light level closed circuit television system, was used to obtain 137 spectrographic records of meteors at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, during the Geminid meteor shower in December 1972. Seven of the best Geminid meteor spectra are studied here in detail. The near infrared, out to wavelengths near 9000 A, is recorded for the first time for Geminids. The spectra, in general, exhibit the elements previously found in photographic records of this shower but show a surprising frequency of occurrence of the forbidden green line of O I at 5577 A. This line is normally absent from meteors moving as slowly as the Geminids (36 km/sec) and its presence in these records may be due to the added sensitivity available with the SEC Vidicon. The average green line duration in Geminid meteors with a luminosity near zero absolute visual magnitude is 0.73 sec at a mean height of 95 km, 11 km lower than the green line peak in Perseid meteors of the same luminosity.

Millman, P. M.↗

Large-scale kinetic energy spectra from Eulerian analysis of EOLE wind data

A data set of 56,000 winds determined from the horizontal displacements of EOLE balloons at the 200 mb level in the Southern Hemisphere during the period October 1971-February 1972 is utilized for the computation of planetary- and synoptic-scale kinetic energy space spectra. However, the random distribution of measurements in space and time presents some problems for the spectral analysis. Two different approaches are used, i.e., a harmonic analysis of daily wind values at equi-distant points obtained by space-time interpolation of the data, and a correlation method using the direct measurements. Both methods give similar results for small wavenumbers, but the second is more accurate for higher wavenumbers (k above or equal to 10). The spectra show a maximum at wavenumbers 5 and 6 due to baroclinic instability and then decrease for high wavenumbers up to wavenumber 35 (which is the limit of the analysis), according to the inverse power law k to the negative p, with p close to 3.

Desbois, M.↗

Remote sensing of trace constituents from atmospheric infrared emission and absorption spectra

Atmospheric infrared emission and absorption spectra obtained from aircraft and balloon-borne spectrometers are presented. From such spectra, mixing ratio vs altitude profiles are derived for several minor constituents. Recent results for HNO3, CF2Cl2, CFCl3, and HF are presented. In addition, the feasibility of infrared detection of other trace constituents, such as HCl, HF, NH3, NO and SO2, against the rest of the atmospheric background is studied. From this study, made on a line-by-line basis for 'state of the art' airborne spectrometers, potential spectral features for detection of the trace constituents are isolated.

Barker, D. B.↗

X-ray spectra of the Puppis A and the Vela supernova remnants

Low-energy X-ray spectra are presented for the entire Vela supernova remnant (SNR), the two most intense subregions of the Vela SNR, and the Puppis A SNR. Acceptable chi-squared fits are obtained from the model of a high-temperature low-density plasma with Allen cosmic abundances when thermal bremsstrahlung, radiative recombination, line emission, and interstellar absorption are included. A suggested increase of 45-fold in the Si abundance for the entire Vela SNR is found unacceptable by chi-squared tests of the present spectra. The two enhanced regions of Vela are found to have different temperatures. A deficiency of at least a factor of 3 is seen in the O VII and O VIII emission from the entire Vela SNR. Because ultraviolet observations indicate a normal abundance of oxygen, this is interpreted as evidence for the existence of nonequilibrium conditions in the emitting plasma.

Moore, W. E.↗

Laboratory reflection spectra for the determination of chemical composition of ice bodies

The visible (0.3 to 1.03 microns) spectral reflectances of N2O, NH3, H2S, and NH4HS frosts and mixtures of these frosts as well as their UV-irradiated products have been measured. These spectra are compared with the spectra of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter, Saturn's rings, and Saturn's satellites to place limits on their surface compositions.

Lebofsky, L. A.↗

Faster optical-spectra recording and analysis

Optical spectra are recorded and rapidly analyzed by system that links multichannel analyzer and desk-top programable calculator. Cassette-memory storage is provided. System can be programed to automate background subtraction, axis expansion, and other data-analysis techniques and can store several hundred spectra for immediate or delayed analysis and comparisons.

Richmond, R. G.↗

Spectra of Her X-1 near a turn-on in the 35-day cycle

X-ray spectra for Her X-l are presented for times before, during, and after a turn-on in the 35 day on-off cycle, as well as during an anomalous dip in the X-ray intensity. All four spectra are well represented by a power law of number index approximately .9 with a high energy cutoff near 20 keV. However, the column density of cold matter along the line of sight as estimated by the low energy cutoff varies substantially among the four intervals. The low level flux present prior to turn-on does not pulse and shows very little low energy absorption, in contrast to the X-rays observed during the turn-on and the anomalous dip. It seems likely that the pre-turn-on flux is composed of X-rays scattered into the line of sight by material away from the accretion disk.

Becker, R. H.↗

Feasibility of using S-191 infrared spectra for geological studies from space

Use of the S-191 spectrometer system aboard the SKYLAB(SL3) mission shows that geologically meaningful spectra can be extracted from the data by which terrain target can be differentiated. The Si-O bond in all silicates (which form most surface rocks) produced an emission minimum which is characteristic of a mineral, or a set of minerals, in a rock. The underflight RB57 mission was far more successful, primarily because of its much slower velocity allowing a higher signal/noise, and hence better spectral resolution for any given area terrain. With the RB57 spectra, areas can be differentiated and significant differences in rock targets demonstrated. The geological provenance of some alluvial outwash in the nearby mountains over which the aircraft also flew its flight strip can be indicated.

Lyon, R. J. P.↗

Apollo 17 far-ultraviolet spectra in the Large Magellanic Cloud

During the Apollo 17 mission, low-resolution far-ultraviolet spectra were obtained for two parts of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra are reasonably well fit by a model of a 30,000-K star reddened by a (B-V) color excess of 0.3 magnitude, but other combinations of temperature and reddening provide equally good fits.

Henry, R. C.↗

Line blocking factors in the ultraviolet spectra of 35 B6 to A0 stars

Observed line-blocking factors for stars of spectral types B6 to A0 are presented which were measured on spectral tracings observed over the wavelength ranges from 2064 to 2158 A, 2496 to 2590 A, and 2775 to 2867 A with the S 59 spectrometer on the ESRO TD 1A satellite. Twenty-six stars having normal spectra were observed along with 12 stars having abnormal spectra. The results for normal and abnormal stars are compared to determine the changes in line blocking related to each type of spectral peculiarity. Detailed descriptions are given of the line-blocking factors in different spectral channels for a B8 supergiant, three Be stars, a shell star, two eclipsing binaries, an Hg-Mn star, and several peculiar B and A stars.

Underhill, A. B.↗

Electronic absorption spectra of lunar minerals

Techniques for obtaining information on the crystal chemistry of transition-metal ions from measurement of the electronic absorption spectra of lunar minerals are reviewed along with the theory of spectral interpretation. Typical polarized absorption spectra are examined for lunar pyroxenes, pyroxferroite, olivine, and plagioclase feldspars. Oxidation states of Fe, Ti, and Cr in lunar minerals are discussed, and conditions under which they crystallized are considered. It is shown how information on the gross mineralogy and petrology of different regions of the moon's surface may be extracted from remote reflectivity measurements of that surface.

Vaughan, D. J.↗

Laser probe for measuring 2-D wave slope spectra of ocean capillary waves

A laser-optical instrument for use in determining the two-dimensional wave-slope spectrum of ocean capillary waves is described. The instrument measures up to a 35-deg tip angle of the surface normal by measuring the position of a refracted laser beam directed vertically upward through a water surface. A telescope, a continuous two-dimensional Schottky barrier photodiode, and a pair of analog dividers render the signals independent of water height and insensitive to laser-beam intensity fluctuations. Calibration is performed entirely in the laboratory before field use. Sample records and wave-slope spectra are shown for one-dimensional wave-tank tests and for two-dimensional ocean tests. These are presented along with comparison spectra for calm and choppy water conditions. A mechanical wave follower was used to adjust the instrument position in the presence of large ocean swell and tides.

Palm, C. S.↗

Spectra of Hercules X-1 near a turn-on in the 35 day cycle

X-ray spectra for Her X-1 are presented for times before, during, and after a turn-on in the 35 day on-off cycle, as well as during an anomalous dip in the X-ray intensity. All four spectra are well represented by a power law of number index 0.9 with a high-energy cutoff near 20 keV. However, the column density of cold matter along the line of sight as estimated by the low-energy cutoff varies substantially among the four intervals. The low level flux present prior to turn-on was not seen to pulse and showed very little low-energy absorption, in contrast to the X-rays observed during the turn-on and the anomalous dip. It seems likely that the pre-turn-on flux is composed of X-rays scattered into the line of sight by material away from the accretion disk. An accurate determination of the pulsation period for Her X-1 during 1975 August finds the period has decreased to 1.2378065 plus or minus 0.0000001 s.

Becker, R. H.↗