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At least 1,153 records · Page 64

Preliminary analysis of tone-excited two-stream jet velocity decay

Acoustic research related to jet flows has established that sound, by amplifying the naturally occuring large-scale structures in turbulent shear layers, can cause a more rapidly decay of the jet plume velocity and temperature and an increase in jet spreading rate. One possible application of this sound-flow interaction phenomenon is to future STOL aircraft that may require modified jet plume characteristics in order to reduce the loads and temperatures on the deflected flaps during take-off and landing operations. The tone-excitation effect on the velocity decay of model-scale, two-stream jet plumes is analyzed. Measured data are correlated in terms of parameters that include excitation sound level and outer-to-inner stream velocity ratio. The effect of plume tone-excitation on far-field jet noise is examined and its implication for large-scale two-stream jets is discussed.

Vonglahn, U. H.↗

Solar neutrinos, solar flares, solar activity cycle and the proton decay

It is shown that there may be a correlation between the galactic cosmic rays and the solar neutrino data, but it appears that the neutrino flux which may be generated during the large solar cosmic ray events cannot in any way effect the solar neutrino data in Davis experiment. Only initial stage of mixing between the solar core and solar outer layers after the sunspot maximum in the solar activity cycle can explain the higher (run number 27 and 71) of solar neutrino data in Davis experiment. But solar flare induced atmospheric neutrino flux may have effect in the nucleon decay detector on the underground. The neutrino flux from solar cosmic rays may be a useful guide to understand the background of nucleon decay, magnetic monopole search, and the detection of neutrino flux in sea water experiment.

Raychaudhuri, P.↗

Search for proton decay in the Frejus experiment

The status of the Frejus experiment and the preliminary results obtained in the search for nucleon decay are discussed. A modular, fine grain tracking calorimeter was installed in the Frejus laboratory in the period extending from October 1983 to May 1985. The 3300 cubic meter underground laboratory, located in the center of the Frejus tunnel in the Alps, is covered in the vertical direction by 1600 m of rocks (4400 m w.e.). The average number of atmospheric muons in the lab is 4.2 square meters per day. The 912 ton detector is made of 114 modules, each one including eight flash chamber and one Geiger vertical planes of (6 x 6) square meters dimensions. The flash chamber (and Geiger) planes are alternatively crossed to provide a 90 deg. stereo reconstruction. No candidate for the nucleon decay into charged lepton is found in the first sample of events.

Berger, C.↗

Pion production via isobar giant resonance formation and decay

A spin, isotopic-spin formalism for the production of pions due to decays of isobar giant resonances formed in peripheral heavy-ion collisions is presented. The projectile nucleus isobar giant resonance state is assumed to coherently form and then incoherently decay to produce the pions. Total spin and isotopic spin for the system are conserved through the concomitant excitation of the target nucleus to an isobaric analog giant resonance state. Comparisons of the predicted total pion cross sections, over a range of energies, are made with heavy-ion pion data.

Townsend, L. W.↗

Beta-decay, Bremsstrahlen, and the origin of molecular chirality

A brief review is presented of the Vester-Ulbricht beta-decay Bremsstrahlen hypothesis for the origin of optical activity, and of subsequent experiments designed to test it. Certain experiments along these lines, begun in 1974 and involving the irradiation of racemic and optically active amino acids in a 61.7 KCi Sr-90-Y-90 Bremsstrahlen source, have now been completed and are described. After 10.89 years of irradiation with a total Bremsstrahlen dose of 2.5 x 10 to the 9th rads, crystalline DL-leucine, norleucine, and norvaline suffered 47.2, 33.6, and 27.4 percent radiolysis, respectively, but showed no evidence whatsoever of asymmetric degradation. Dand L-Leucine underwent about 48 percent radiolysis and showed 2.4-2.9 percent radioracemization. Other samples in solution were too severely degraded to analyze. Probable intrinsic reasons for the failure of the Vester-Ulbricht mechanism to afford asymmetric radiolysis in the present and related experiments involving beta-decay Bremsstrahlen are enumerated.

Bonner, W. A.↗

Analysis of Satellite Drag and Spin Decay Data

Work was begun as an effort to obtain satellite drag and upper atmospheric wind data from a spinning spherical satellite to be launched from the space shuttle scheduled for the STS-11 flight. The satellite was an inflated sphere having high area-to-mass ratio which would result in measurable orbital decay due to aerodynamic drag forces experienced by the satellite in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The satellite would also experience a spin decay due to the aerodynamic torque acting to slow the satellite spinning. The original proposal was to develop data analysis procedures to be employed to extract the desired information. Work was performed concerning the data analysis procedure prior to the STS-11 launch; however, the major effort was to begin after the data had been obtained. Unfortunately, the launch of the inflatable sphere on STS-11 was a failure in that the sphere did not inflate properly and no data was obtained. The emphasis of the work planned under this effort was then changed to develop a proposal for a series of experiments similar to the one originally planned for STS-11.

Karr, G. R.↗

Gravitino decay and the cosmic gamma-ray background

It is argued that the cosmic gamma-ray background (CGB) spectrum does not exhibit evidence for the decay of light gravitinos, in contradiction to the suggestion by Olive and Silk (1985), who observed a bump near 1 MeV in the CGB radiation spectrum. It is suggested that better fits to the CGB spectrum would be provided by mechanisms generating a power-law spectrum which is flattened below about 2 MeV. Olive and Silk maintain that the decays of a long-lived particle such as the gravitino may be responsible for features in the gamma-ray spectrum near 1 MeV.

Stecker, F. W.↗

Direct observation of the excited-state proton transfer and decay kinetics of internally hydrogen-bonded photostabilizers in copolymer films

The excited-state dynamics of a 2-hydroxyphenylbenzotriazole (HPB) photostabilizer copolymerized with polystyrene are reported. HPB fluorescence from these copolymer films is observed at approximately 630 nm, characteristic of the proton-transferred excited state of HPB, and it has a risetime of less than 10 ps and a decay time of 28 + or - 4 ps at room temperature. Measurement of the relative fluorescence quantum yield as a function of temperature gives the activation energy for nonradiative decay of this state to be E/hc = 259 + or 25/cm.

Oconnor, D. B.↗

Temperature dependence of the time decay of the magnetization in particulate media

The time decay of magnetization in commercial CrO2, gamma-Fe2O3, and Co-doped gamma-Fe2O3 tapes is investigated experimentally at temperatures 6, 50, 100, 200, 250, and 300 K. The decay is found to be linearly dependent on temperature in all four tapes tested, but when the curves are extrapolated to 0 K, there is a large finite intercept - in contrast to similar measurements on ferromagnetic materials and rocks.

Oseroff, S. B.↗

Motion and decay of vortex rings submerged in a rotational flow

The interaction between vortex rings of finite strength and an axisymmetric rotational background flow is studied by a singular perturbation method, because it is difficult to use a finite-difference method to analyze the viscous decay in the small core of a vortex ring. The analysis is carried out by combining a composite solution of a vortex ring and an unsteady Euler solution for the background rotational flow. Using the method of averaging, a numerical scheme is developed to obtain an Euler solution in which the grid and time-step sizes depend solely on the length and velocity scales of the background flow. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the interaction between the trajectories and decay rates of the vortex rings and the background rotational flow.

Ishii, K.↗

Decay of electrostatic hydrogen cyclotron waves into ion acoustic modes in auroral field lines

The coherent three-wave decay of a linearly unstable electrostatic hydrogen cyclotron (EHC) wave into stable EHC and ion acoustic modes is considered. The general problem of the three weakly interacting electrostatic normal modes in a Maxwellian plasma is discussed. EHC is examined in a fluid description, and the results are used to guide a similar study in a Vlasov plasma system intended to model the aurora acceleration region parameters. The time dependence of the decay in a simple three-wave interaction is presented in order to show how wave saturation can arise.

Bergmann, R.↗

Observation of nonlinear wave decay processes in the solar wind by the AMPTE IRM plasma wave experiment

Nonlinear wave decay processes have been detected in the solar wind by the plasma wave experiment aboard the Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE) IRM spacecraft. The main process is the generation of ultralow-frequency ion acoustic waves from the decay of Langmuir waves near the electron plasma frequency. Frequently, this is accompanied by an enhancement of emissions near twice the plasma frequency. This enhancement is most likely due to the generation of electromagnetic waves from the coalescence of two Langmuir waves. These processes occur within the electron foreshock in front of the earth's bow shock.

Koons, H. C.↗

Alpha-decay-induced fracturing in zircon - The transition from the crystalline to the metamict state

Zonation due to alpha-decay damage in a natural single crystal of zircon from Sri Lanka is discussed. The zones vary in thickness on a scale from one to hundreds of microns. The uranium and thorium concentrations vary from zone to zone such that the alpha decay dose is between 0.2 x 10 to the 16th and 0.8 x 10 to the 16th alpha-events per milligram. The transition from the crystalline to the aperiodic metamict state occurs over this dose range. At doses greater than 0.8 x 10 to the 16th alpha events/mg there is no evidence for long-range order. This type of damage will accumulate in actinide-bearing, ceramic nuclear waste forms. The systematic pattern of fractures would occur in crystalline phases that are zoned with respect to actinide radionuclides.

Chakoumakos, Bryan C.↗

On the correlation of plume centerline velocity decay of turbulent acoustically excited jets

Acoustic excitation was shown to alter the velocity decay and spreading characteristics of jet plumes by modifying the large-scale structures in the plume shear layer. The present work consists of reviewing and analyzing available published and unpublished experimental data in order to determine the importance and magnitude of the several variables that contribute to plume modification by acoustic excitation. Included in the study were consideration of the effects of internal and external acoustic excitation, excitation Strouhal number, acoustic excitation level, nozzle size, and flow conditions. The last include jet Mach number and jet temperature. The effects of these factors on the plume centerline velocity decay are then summarized in an overall empirical correlation.

Vonglahn, Uwe H.↗

Evidence of the in situ decay of Al-26 in a Semarkona chondrule

A long-standing problem in the study of meteorites, with broad implications for the evolution of the solar system, is the source of heat for melting small planets. Meteorites, such as the eucrites, were obviously the result of a melting process on a small planet, yet the decay of the long-lived radionuclides present on the earth, K-40, U-235, U-238, and Th-232, could not have provided nearly enough heat to initiate melting approximately 4.5 aeons ago, even on bodies 1000 km in diameter. This problem addressed by H.C. Urey in 1955, who recognized that the presence of short-lived (and now extinct) radionuclides such as Al-26 (half-life of approximately 720,000 y) in the early solar system would have provided an abundant heat source for melting small asteroid-size bodies. Since any Al-26 initially present in the solar nebula would have completely decayed after only a few tens of millions of years, the problem became one of finding evidence of Al-26, in the form of excess Mg-26, in meteorites. The search for evidence of the Al-26 is briefly examined.

Hutcheon, I. D.↗

On the correlation of plume centerline velocity decay of turbulent acoustically excited jets

Acoustic excitation has been shown to alter the velocity decay and spreading characteristics of jet plumes by modifying the large-scale structures in the plume shear layer. The present work consists of reviewing and analyzing available published and unpublished experimental data in order to determine the importance and magnitude of the several variables that contribute to plume modification by acoustic excitation. Included in the study were consideration of the effects of internal or external acoustic excitation, excitation Strouhal number, acoustic excitation level, nozzle size and flow conditions. The last include jet Mach number and jet temperature. The effects of these factors on the plume centerline velocity decay are then summarized in an overall empirical correlation.

Von Glahn, Uwe H.↗

The effect of decay of the amplitude of oscillation on random process models for QPO X-ray stars

Random process models provide a useful mathematical framework for analysis of the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPO) recently discovered in the X-ray emission from certain luminous Galactic X-ray stars. In this paper, consideration is given to the effects of the power spectrum of the decay of the amplitude of oscillation that is expected in some physical models for the QPO phenomena. The resulting changes in the power spectrum depend on the ratio of the decay time of the amplitude of oscillation to the lifetime of the shot envelope. For values of this ratio less than about 10, it is found that incoherent QPO peaks in the power spectrum are significantly reduced in height and total power and are broadened in width, making them more difficult to detect. Coherent terms in the power spectrum, if present, are reduced in height and total power, but their width is unaffected. The red noise component remains unchanged. The present results are applied to the beat-frequency modulated accretion model in order to set constraints on the physical properties of the boundary layer between the inner edge of the accretion disk and the neutron star magnetosphere.

Shibazaki, N.↗

Assessment of the hydrogen external tank pressure decay anomaly on Space Transportation System (STS) 51-L

Following the Challenger tragedy, an evaluation of the integrated main propulsion system flight data revealed a premature decay in the hydrogen external tank ullage pressure. A reconstruction of predicted ullage pressure versus time indicated an inconsistency between predicted and measured ullage pressure starting at approximately 65.5 seconds into the flight and reaching a maximum value between 72 and 72.9 seconds. This discrepancy could have been caused by a hydrogen gas leak or by a liquied hydrogen leak that occurred either in the pressurization system or in the external tank. The corresponding leak rates over the time interval from 65.5 to 72.9 seconds were estimated to range from 0.28 kg/s (0.62 lbm/s) + or - 41 percent to between 0.43 and 0.51kg/s (0.94 and 1.12lbs/s) + or - 1 percent for a gas leak and from 72.9 kg/s (160.5 lbs/s) + or - 41 percent to between 111.6 and 133.2 kg/s (245.8 and 293.3 lbs/s) + or - 1 percent for a liquid leak. No speculation is made to ascertain whether the leak is liquid or gas, as this cannot be determined from the analysis performed. Four structural failures in the hydrogen external tank were considered to explain the leak rates. A break in the 5-cm (2 in) pressurization line, in the 13-cm (5 in) vent line, or in the 43-cm (17 in) feedline is not likely. A break in the 10-cm (4 in) recirculation line with a larger structural failure occurring in the 72 to 73-second time period, the time of the visibly identified premature pressure decay, does seem plausible and the most likely of the four modes considered. These modes are not all-inclusive and do not preclude the possibility of a leak elsewhere in the tank.

Buckley, Theresa M.↗