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At least 1,081 records · Page 60
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NASA NTRS2002

Video Observations Encompassing the 2002 Leonid Storm: First Results and a Revised Photometric Procedure for Video Meteor Analysis

During the 2001 Leonid storm, Marshall Space Flight Center, with the cooperation of the University of Western Ontario and the United States Air Force, deployed 6 teams of observers equipped with intensified video systems to sites located in North America, the Pacific, and Mongolia. The campaign was extremely successful, with the entire period of enhanced Leonid activity (over 16 hours) captured on video tape in a consistent manner. We present the first results from the analysis of this unique, 2 terabyte data set and discuss the problems involved in reducing large amounts of video meteor data. In particular, the question of how to determine meteor masses though photometric analysis will be re-examined, and new techniques will be proposed that eliminate some of the deficiencies suffered by the techniques currently employed in video meteor analysis.

Cooke, William J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Video Observations Encompassing the 2002 Leonid Storm: First Results and a Revised Photometric Procedure for Video Meteor Analysis

During the 2001 Leonid storm, Marshall Space Flight Center, with the cooperation of the University of Western Ontario and the United States Air Force, deployed 6 teams of observers equipped with intensified video systems to sites located in North America, the Pacific, and Mongolia. The campaign was extremely successful, with the entire period of enhanced Leonid activity (over 16 hours) captured on video tape in a consistent manner. We present the first results from the analysis of this unique, 2 terabyte data set and discuss the problems involved in reducing large amounts of video meteor data. In particular, the question of how to determine meteor masses though photometric analysis will be re-examined, and new techniques will be proposed that eliminate some of the deficiencies suffered by the techniques currently employed in video meteor analysis.

Cooke, William J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

RHESSI Observations of Flares During the Storms Period from 14 to 24 April 2002

The Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) observes X-rays and gamma rays from solar flares in the energy range from 3 keV to 17 MeV with a duty cycle of about 50%. The RHESSI observations of the flares during the Storms Workshop period from 14 to 24 April, 2002, will be reviewed. Many Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) C- and M-class flares were observed including the M2.6 flare on 17 April that was followed by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). The X1.5 flare on 21 April was particularly well observed with RHESSI in X-rays from its start at 00:40 UT until 01:33 UT on the first orbit, just before the soft X-ray peak. Footpoint emission was detected to energies as high as 200 keV, and a spatially-separated coronal source was identified at energies below about 30 keV. The coronal X-ray source was followed for over 12 more hours on subsequent orbits as it gradually rose to over 130,000 km above the limb. The X-ray images and spectra of this flare will be presented in relation to the Transitional Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) images in the 195-angstrom band and the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment (LASCO) images of the associated CME.

Rabin, Douglas↗
NASA NTRS2002

Determination of Storm Flashing/Non-Flashing Condition From Convective and Environmental Observations

A simple and fundamental problem in cloud electrification is whether or not a cloud can be determined to be producing lightning or not producing lightning, based solely on knowledge of its microphysical (and perhaps environmental) state. A merged database of TRMM radar, microwave and lightning observations and NCEP reanalysis environmental parameters is used to answer this question, for the tropics. The formal skill of traditional, univariate rule-based approaches (e.g., 35 dBZ occurrence at 6 km altitude) is quantified (via the probability of detection (POD), false alarm rate (FAR) and critical skill index (CSI)). Under indiscriminate application to the tropics, peak rule-based CSI for categorization of flashing storms is approximately 50%, with peak POD approximately 67% and minimum FAR approximately 33%, with peak CSI found for radar reflectivity-based parameters at 7-7.5 km altitude (near -15C). Separation of land and ocean domains yields approximately 5-10% gains in CSI over land. Conventional multivariate categorization techniques (discriminant analysis) are then applied, and less conventional (neural network) categorization techniques are also discussed.

Boccippio, Dennis J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Magnetospheric Convection Electric Field Dynamics and Stormtime Particle Energization: Case Study of the Magnetic Storm of May 4,1998

It is shown that narrow channels of high electric field are an effective mechanism for injecting plasma into the inner magnetosphere. Analytical expressions for the electric field cannot produce these channels of intense plasma flow, and thus result in less entry and energization of the plasma sheet into near-Earth space. For the ions, omission of these channels leads to an underprediction of the strength of the stormtime ring current and therefore an underestimation of the geoeffectiveness of the storm event. For the electrons, omission of these channels leads to the inability to create a seed population of 10-100 keV electrons deep in the inner magnetosphere. These electrons can eventually be accelerated into MeV radiation belt particles.

Khazanov, George V.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Preliminary Optical And Electric Field Pulse Statistics From Storm Overflights During The Altus Cumulus Electrification Study

The Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) was conducted during the month of August, 2002 in an area near Key West, Florida. One of the goals of this uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) study was to collect high resolution optical pulse and electric field data from thunderstorms. During the month long campaign, we acquired 5294 lightning generated optical pulses with associated electric field changes. Most of these observations were made while close to the top of the storms. We found filtered mean and median 10-10% optical pulse widths of 875 and 830 microns respectively while the 50-50% mean and median optical pulse widths are 422 and 365 microns respectively. These values are similar to previous results as are the 10-90% mean and median rise times of 327 and 265 microns. The peak electrical to optical pulse delay mean and median were 209 and 145 microns which is longer than one would expect from theoretical results. The results of the pulse analysis will contribute to further validation of the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) satellites. Pre-launch estimates of the flash detection efficiency were based on a small sample of optical pulse measurements associated with less than 350 lightning discharges collected by NASA U-2 aircraft in the early 1980s. Preliminary analyses of the ACES measurements show that we have greatly increased the number of optical pulses available for validation of the LIS and other orbital lightning optical sensors. Since the Altus was often close to the cloud tops, many of the optical pulses are from low-energy pulses. From these low-energy pulses, we can determine the fraction of optical lightning pulses below the thresholds of LIS, OTD, and any future satellite-based optical sensors such as the geostationary Lightning Mapping Sensor.

Mach, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The Nonlinear Coupling of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron and Lower Hybrid Waves in the Ring Current Region: The Magnetic Storm May 1-7 1998

The excitation of lower hybrid waves (LHWs) is a widely discussed mechanism of interaction between plasma species in space, and is one of the unresolved questions of magnetospheric multi-ion plasmas. In this paper we present the morphology, dynamics, and level of LHW activity generated by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves during the May 2-7, 1998 storm period on the global scale. The LHWs were calculated based on our newly developed self-consistent model that couples the system of two kinetic equations: one equation describes the ring current (RC) ion dynamic, and another equation describes the evolution of EMIC waves. It is found that the LHWs are excited by helium ions due to their mass dependent drift in the electric field of EMIC waves. The level of LHW activity is calculated assuming that the induced scattering process is the main saturation mechanism for these waves. The calculated LHWs electric fields are consistent with the observational data.

Khazanov, G. V.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Modeling the Seasonal South Polar Cap Sublimation Rates at Dust Storm Conditions

Carbon dioxide is the principal component of the Martian atmosphere and its interaction with the polar caps forms the CO2 seasonal cycle on the planet. A significant fraction of the atmospheric constituent condenses on the surface during the polar winter and sublimes back during spring. The basic aspects of the CO2 cycle have been outlined by Leighton and Murray and a number of follow-up theoretical models ranging from energy balance to general circulation models have been used to study the physical processes involved in the cycle. This paper presents a modeling study on the seasonal south polar cap subliminiation rate under dust storm conditions. Mars Global Surveyor observations are also presented.

P P Bonev↗
NASA NTRS2003

Reply to Comment on “Coronal Mass Ejections, Interplanetary Ejecta and Geomagnetic Storms” by Gopalswamy Et Al.

The comment of Gopalswamy et al. (thereafter GMY) relates to a letter discussing coronal mass ejections (CMEs), interplanetary ejecta and geomagnetic storms. GMY contend that Cane et al. incorrectly identified ejecta (interplanetary CMEs) and hypothesize that this is because Cane et al. fail to understand how to separate ejecta from "shock sheaths" when interpreting solar wind and energetic particle data sets. They (GMY) are wrong be cause the relevant section of the paper was concerned with the propagation time to 1 AU of any potentially geoeffective structures caused by CMEs, i.e. upstream compression regions with or without shocks, or ejecta. In other words, the travel times used by Cane et al. were purposefully and deliberately distinct from ejecta travel times (except for those slow ejecta, approx. 30% of their events, which generated no upstream features), and no error in identification was involved. The confusion of GMY stems from the description did not characterize the observations sufficiently clearly.

Cane, H. V.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lightning Optical Pulse Statistics from Storm Overflights During the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study

The Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) was conducted during the month of August, 2002 in an area near Key West, Florida. One of the goals of this uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) study was to collect time resolved optical pulse data from thunderstorms. During the month long campaign, we acquired 5294 lightning generated optical pulses. Most of these observations were made while close to the top of the storms. We divided our data into two amplitude groups based on prior NASA U2 aircraft optical data and our pulse characteristics. The group of large pulses with radiance greater than 2.1 mW /sq m sr had mean and median 10 - 10% optical pulse widths of 765 and 735 microns respectively, the 50-50% pulse widths of 396 and 355 microns respectively, and 10-90% rise times of 290 and 260 microns. These values are very similar to the previous U2 based optical results The other group of pulses consisting of slightly more than a quarter of the total pulses observed had radiances less than the minimum values detected in the U2 study. The small pulses were narrower than the large pulses with 5040% mean and median values of 198 and 160 ps respectively. Only 12 % of the flashes contained only small pulses, minimizing the impact of this data on the estimates of detection efficiencies of the orbital instruments, the Lightning Imaging Sensor and Optical Transient Detector.

Mach, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Observations of Florida Convective Storms using Dual Wavelength Airborne Radar

NASA conducted the Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers (CRYSTAL) Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (FACE) during July 2002 for improved understanding of tropical cirrus. One of the goals was to improve the understanding of cirrus generation by convective updrafts. The reasons why some convective storms produce extensive cirrus anvils is only partially related to convective instability and the vertical transport ice mass by updrafts. Convective microphysics must also have an important role on cirrus generation, for example, there are hypotheses that homogeneous nucleation in convective updrafts is a major source of anvil ice particles. In this paper, we report on one intense CRYSTAL-FACE convective case on 16 July 2002 that produced extensive anvil. During CRYSTAL-FACE, up to 5 aircraft flying from low- to high-altitudes, were coordinated for the study of thunderstorm-generated cirrus. The NASA high-altitude (20 km) ER-2 aircraft with remote sensing objectives flew above the convection, and other aircraft such as the WB-57 performing in situ measurements flew below the ER-2. The ER-2 remote sensing instruments included two nadir viewing airborne radars. The CRS 94 GHz radar and the EDOP 9.6 GHz radar were flown together for the first time during CRYSTAL-FACE and they provided a unique opportunity to examine the structure of 16 July case from a dual-wavelength perspective. EDOP and CRS are complementary for studying convection and cirrus since CRS is more sensitive than EDOP for cirrus, and EDOP is considerably less attenuating in convective regions. In addition to the aircraft, coordinated ground-based radar measurements were taken with the NPOL S-Band (3 GHz) multiparameter radar. One of the initial goals was to determine whether dual-wavelength airborne measurements could identify supercooled water regions.

Heymsfield, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Ionospheric Variability and Storms on Mars

The goal of this grant was to conduct the first-ever study of ionospheric variability on Mars. To do so, we used data from the Radio Science (RS) experiment onboard the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) satellite. Dr. David Hinson of the RS team at Stanford University was a most helpful and valuable colleague throughout the studies we conducted. For the initial RS datasets available from the MGS mission, there were no severe storms caused by solar wind activity, so we concentrated on day-to-day effects. This turned out to be a wise approach since understanding "normal variability" had to be done before any claim could be made about "space weather" effects. Our approach was three-fold: (1) select a good dataset for characterization of ionosphere variability at Mars, one for which excellent terrestrial data were also available. This turned out to be the period 9-27 March 1999; (2) once the variability at Mars was described, develop and use a new photochemical model of the martian ionosphere to find the extent to which solar variability on those days caused or contributed to the observed patterns; (3) use the results from the above, together with additional datasets from the MGS/RS experiment, to describe some practical consequences that the martian ionosphere would have upon NASA s proposed navigation and communications systems for Mars. The results of these studies showed that: (a) solar variability is the dominant source of ionospheric variability at Mars (during periods of quiet solar wind), (b) that current models do a good job in portraying such effects at the height of the ionospheric peak electron density, and (c) that ionospheric structure on Mars can affect attempts at precise position-fixing at Mars should relatively high (GPS-like) frequencies not be used in a Mars communications and navigation system.

Mendillo, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2004

Observations of Florida Convective Storms Using Dual Wavelength Airborne Radar

NASA conducted the Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers (CRYSTAL) Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (FACE) during July 2002 for improved understanding of tropical cirrus. One of the goals was to improve the understanding of cirrus generation by convective updrafts. The reasons why some convective storms produce extensive cirrus anvils is only partially related to convective instability and the vertical transport ice mass by updrafts. Convective microphysics must also have an important role on cirrus generation, for example, there are hypotheses that homogeneous nucleation in convective updrafts is a major source of anvil ice particles. In this paper, we report on one intense CRYSTAL- FACE convective case on 16 July 2002 that produced extensive anvil.

Heymsfield, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Satellite Studies of Storm-Time Thermospheric Winds

In this project we have studied the climatology and storm-time dependence of longitude-averaged mid- and low-latitude thermospheric neutral winds observed by the WINDII instrument on board the UARS satellite. This satellite is in a circular, 57 deg inclination orbit at a height of 585 km; the orbit precesses at a rate of 5 deg per day. WINDII is a Michelson interferometer that measures Doppler shifts of the green line (557.7 nm) and red line (630.0 nm) airglow emissions at the Earth's limb, covering latitudes up to 72 deg.

Fejer, Bela G.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Retrieving Storm Electric Fields From Aircraft Field Mill Data. Part I: Theory

It is shown that the problem of retrieving storm electric fields from an aircraft instrumented with several electric field mill sensors can be expressed in terms of a standard Lagrange multiplier optimization problem. The method naturally removes aircraft charge from the retrieval process without having to use a high voltage stinger and linearly combined mill data values. It also allows a variety of user-supplied physical constraints (the so-called side constraints in the theory of Lagrange multipliers). Additionally, this paper introduces a novel way of performing the absolute calibration of an aircraft that has several benefits over conventional analyses. In the new approach, absolute calibration is completed by inspecting the time derivatives of mill and pitch data for a pitch down maneuver performed at high (greater than 1 km) altitude. In Part II of this study, the above methods are tested and then applied to complete a full calibration of a Citation aircraft.

Koshak, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Weekend Effect" in Summertime U.S. Rainfall: Evidence for Midweek Intensification of Storms by Pollution

Persistent and strong dependence of rain rate on the day of the week has been found in Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite estimates of summer afternoon rainfall over the southeast U.S. and the nearby Atlantic from 1998 to 2005. Midweek (Tue-Thu) rain rates and rain area appear to increase over land, and this increase is accompanied by a corresponding diminution of rainfall over nearby waters. Reanalysis data from atmospheric models, suggest that there is a corresponding weekly variation in atmospheric winds consistent with the changes in rainfall. These variations are almost certainly caused by weekly variations in human activity. The most likely cause of the observed changes in rainfall is the well documented weekly variation in atmospheric pollution. Particulate pollution is highest in the middle of the week. Considerable observational and modeling evidence has accumulated concerning the effects of aerosols on precipitation. Most of this evidence relates to the suppression of precipitation by aerosols, but it has been argued that storms in highly unstable moist environments can be invigorated by aerosols, and some modeling studies seem to confirm this. The strong weekly cycle in rainfall observed over the southeast U.S. along with what appears to be dynamical suppression of rainfall over the nearby Atlantic, and the lack of an observable cycle over the southwest U.S., are consistent with this theory.

Bell, Thomas L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The extreme magnetic storm of 1??eptember 1859

Using empirical results on the interplanetary magnetic field strengths of magnetic clouds versus velocities, we show that the 1 September 1859 Carrington solar flare most likely had an associated intense magnetic cloud ejection which led to a storm on Earth of DST ~ -1760 nT.

solar flares space weather↗