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At least 1,081 records · Page 60

Sungrazing comets observed by the Solar Maximum Mission coronagraph

The 10 sun-grazing comets (all members of the Kreutz group) detected by the white-light coronagraph of the SMM satellite during its 6-year operational lifetime are described. Numerical data are summarized in tables, and images are provided. Consideration is given to the question of detectability, apparent motions and orbits, coma brightness variations, tail behavior, and occurrence rates. The data are shown to confirm the episodic nature of sun-grazing events, as suggested by Marsden (1967).

Macqueen, R. M.↗

Helioseismology with the ACRIM instrument on the Solar Maximum Mission

The Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM) instrument on board SMM pioneered high-precision solar photometry from space, and provided the first detection of solar p-mode oscillations at low degree by this technique. The observations extended from February, 1980, until December, 1989, with a hiatus of low sampling rate in 1981-1984. During summer 1989, the instrument operated in a 'no-shutter' mode with continuous viewing between the orbital gaps. This resulted in a fourfold increase of the duty cycle, and an effective increase in the Nyquist frequency from 3.815 mHz to some tens of mHz. This review discusses the initial results from this campaign along with a general review of the analyses to date of the entire ACRIM data set.

Hudson, Hugh S.↗

Use of the maximum entropy method to retrieve the vertical atmospheric ozone profile and predict atmospheric ozone content

A method is developed for prediction of ozone levels in planetary atmospheres. This method is formulated in terms of error covariance matrices, and is associated with both direct measurements, a priori first guess profiles, and a weighting function matrix. This is described by the following linearized equation: y = A(matrix) x X + eta, where A is the weighting matrix and eta is noise. The problems to this approach are: (1) the A matrix is near singularity; (2) the number of unknowns in the profile exceeds the number of data points, therefore, the solution may not be unique; and (3) even if a unique solution exists, eta may cause the solution to be ill conditioned.

Turner, B. Curtis↗

Empirical models of the latitudinal variations of Te and Ne in the ionosphere at solar maximum

A global spectral model of electron temperature and density is developed in which only the latitudinal variations observed in narrow altitude and local time bands are used. The measurements for this purpose are obtained during intervals that are short as compared to a season. By suppressing all variables except latitude the model can use 17th-order polynomials and generates a latitudinal structure that is similar to that described by the observational data. The treatment is designed to correct for the eccentricity and slow evolution of the data-collection satellite orbit so that small-scale features can be resolved. By comparing the results of a global model and the present latitudinal model to observational measurements of electron temperature and density it is shown that auroral-zone and midlatitude trough structures are not resolved in latitudinal models. The observational data can be used to study the response of electron density and temperature to solar EUV flux variations and geomagnetic activity.

Brace, L. H.↗

Adaptive filtering and maximum entropy spectra with application to changes in atmospheric angular momentum

The spectral resolution and statistical significance of a harmonic analysis obtained by low-order MEM can be improved by subjecting the data to an adaptive filter. This adaptive filter consists of projecting the data onto the leading temporal empirical orthogonal functions obtained from singular spectrum analysis (SSA). The combined SSA-MEM method is applied both to a synthetic time series and a time series of AAM data. The procedure is very effective when the background noise is white and less so when the background noise is red. The latter case obtains in the AAM data. Nevertheless, reliable evidence for intraseasonal and interannual oscillations in AAM is detected. The interannual periods include a quasi-biennial one and an LF one, of 5 years, both related to the El Nino/Southern Oscillation. In the intraseasonal band, separate oscillations of about 48.5 and 51 days are ascertained.

Penland, Cecile↗

Hard X-ray and gamma-ray imaging spectroscopy for the next solar maximum

The objectives and principles are described of a single spectroscopic imaging package that can provide effective imaging in the hard X- and gamma-ray ranges. Called the High-Energy Solar Physics (HESP) mission instrument for solar investigation, the device is based on rotating modulation collimators with germanium semiconductor spectrometers. The instrument is planned to incorporate thick modulation plates, and the range of coverage is discussed. The optics permit the coverage of high-contrast hard X-ray images from small- and medium-sized flares with large signal-to-noise ratios. The detectors allow angular resolution of less than 1 arcsec, time resolution of less than 1 arcsec, and spectral resolution of about 1 keV. The HESP package is considered an effective and important instrument for investigating the high-energy solar events of the near-term future efficiently.

Hudson, H. S.↗

The secondary outburst maximum of T Coronae Borealis - Implications for the physics of accretion disks

The hypothesis of Webbink (1976) that the accretion of a torus of matter onto a main-sequence star caused secondary maxima during the 1866 and 1946 eruptions of the recurrent nova T CrB is examined. Simple 1D calculations show that the accretion disk viscosity must increase with time to produce light curves resembling observations. It is inferred that the physical mechanism responsible for producing the viscous dissipation in the accretion disk has a fast growth rate and saturates to a viscosity parameter of order unity. The good agreement between parameters estimated from observations and those derived from a physical mechanism suggests that the growth rate instability identified by Balbus and Hawley (1991) is a promising source for accretion disk viscosity.

Cannizzo, John K.↗

Designing minimal space telerobotics systems for maximum performance

The design of the remote site of a local-remote telerobot control system is described which addresses the constraints of limited computational power available at the remote site control system while providing a large range of control capabilities. The Modular Telerobot Task Execution System (MOTES) provides supervised autonomous control, shared control and teleoperation for a redundant manipulator. The system is capable of nominal task execution as well as monitoring and reflex motion. The MOTES system is minimized while providing a large capability by limiting its functionality to only that which is necessary at the remote site and by utilizing a unified multi-sensor based impedance control scheme. A command interpreter similar to one used on robotic spacecraft is used to interpret commands received from the local site. The system is written in Ada and runs in a VME environment on 68020 processors and initially controls a Robotics Research K1207 7 degree of freedom manipulator.

Backes, Paul G.↗

Application of maximum entropy optimal projection design synthesis to the NASA Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE)

The scope of this study covered steady-state, continuous-time vibration control under disturbances applied to the Space Shuttle and continuous-time models of actuators, sensors, and disturbances. Focus was on a clear illustration of the methodology, therefore sensor/actuator dynamics were initially ignored, and a finite element model of the NASA Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE) was conducted, including products of inertia and offset of reflector CM from the mast tip.

Hyland, Dave↗

Performance experiments with alternative advanced teleoperator control modes for a simulated solar maximum satellite repair

Experiments are described which were conducted at the JPL Advanced Teleoperator Lab to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of various teleoperator control modes in the performance of a simulated Solar Max Satellite Repair (SMSR) task. THe SMSR was selected as a test because it is very rich in performance capability requirements and it actually has been performed by two EVA astronauts in the Space Shuttle Bay in 1984. The main subtasks are: thermal blanket removal; installation of a hinge attachment for electrical panel opening; opening of electrical panel; removal of electrical connectors; relining of cable bundles; replacement of electrical panel; securing parts and cables; re-mate electrical connectors; closing of electrical panel; and reinstating thermal blanket. The current performance experiments are limited to thermal blanket cutting, electrical panel unbolting and handling electrical bundles and connectors. In one formal experiment even different control modes were applied to the unbolting and reinsertion of electrical panel screws subtasks. The seven control modes are alternative combinations of manual position and rate control with force feedback and remote compliance referenced to force-torque sensor information. Force-torque sensor and end effector position data and task completion times were recorded for analysis and quantification of operator performance.

Das, H.↗

Maximum entropy approach to fuzzy control

For the same expert knowledge, if one uses different &- and V-operations in a fuzzy control methodology, one ends up with different control strategies. Each choice of these operations restricts the set of possible control strategies. Since a wrong choice can lead to a low quality control, it is reasonable to try to loose as few possibilities as possible. This idea is formalized and it is shown that it leads to the choice of min(a + b,1) for V and min(a,b) for &. This choice was tried on NASA Shuttle simulator; it leads to a maximally stable control.

Ramer, Arthur↗

Cosmic ray modulation near the onset and maximum phases of solar activity cycle 22

Using data obtained with neutron monitors we study the cosmic-ray modulation of the five-year developmental phase of solar activity cycle (SAC) 22. The main characteristics of the observed modulation are compared with those of cycle 19. The similarities and differences between the two cycles are noted. The data indicate that the amplitude of the observed modulation is larger at higher and lower primary rigidities than that for cycle 19, which still remains the most active cycle. The lowest ever monthly-mean counting rates were obtained in June 1991. Even so, based upon our prior experience, we expect the recovery of the cosmic ray intensity in SAC 22 to follow the pattern observed for cycles 20 and 18, rather than that for cycle 19.

Ahluwalia, H. S.↗

SUSIM/UARS observations of the 120 to 300 nm flux variations during the maximum of the solar cycle - Inferences for the 11-year cycle

Since October 1991, the Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor on board the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite has been measuring the solar spectral irradiance from 120 to 400 nm with low (5 nm) and moderate (1.1 nm) resolution on a daily basis. By scaling the modulation measured over four solar rotations to proxy indicators of solar activity, we estimate the amplitude of the solar ultraviolet irradiance variation during the 11-year activity cycle, extending the wavelength coverage of existing empirical variability models to 120 nm and distinguishing the variability of the emission lines from that of the underlying solar continuum. These estimates are compared with results from another empirical variability model and from direct measurements.

Lean, Judith↗

The reversal of the solar polar magnetic fields. IV - The polar fields near sunspot maximum

The evolution of solar polar magnetic fields between Carrington rotations 1815 and 1834 is described using magnetic data from the Mount Wilson Observatory and the National Solar Observatory. The observations are compared with simulations using the flux transport equation. It is shown that the evolution of the polar field cannot be reproduced accurately by simulations of the diffusion and poleward drift of the emerging active regions at sunspot latitudes. Histograms of the distribution of the field intensities derived from daily magnetograms are presented which indicate that flux emerges at high latitudes and contributes to the evolution of the magnetic patterns.

Murray, N.↗