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At least 1,189 records · Page 66

Effect of motion frequency spectrum on subjective comfort response

In order to model passenger reaction to present and future aircraft environments, it is necessary to obtain data in several ways. First, of course, is the gathering of environmental and passenger reaction data on commercial aircraft flights. In addition, detailed analyses of particular aspects of human reaction to the environment are best studied in a controllable experimental situation. Thus the use of simulators, both flight and ground based, is suggested. It is shown that there is a reasonably high probability that the low frequency end of the spectrum will not be necessary for simulation purposes. That is, the fidelity of any simulation which omits the very low frequency content will not yield results which differ significantly from the real environment. In addition, there does not appear to be significant differences between the responses obtained in the airborne simulator environment versus those obtained on commercial flights.

Jacobson, I. D.↗

Real-Time 12-Lead High-Frequency QRS Electrocardiography for Enhanced Detection of Myocardial Ischemia and Coronary Artery Disease

Several studies have shown that diminution of the high-frequency (HF; 150-250 Hz) components present within the central portion of the QRS complex of an electrocardiogram (ECG) is a more sensitive indicator for the presence of myocardial ischemia than are changes in the ST segments of the conventional low-frequency ECG. However, until now, no device has been capable of displaying, in real time on a beat-to-beat basis, changes in these HF QRS ECG components in a continuously monitored patient. Although several software programs have been designed to acquire the HF components over the entire QRS interval, such programs have involved laborious off-line calculations and postprocessing, limiting their clinical utility. We describe a personal computer-based ECG software program developed recently at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that acquires, analyzes, and displays HF QRS components in each of the 12 conventional ECG leads in real time. The system also updates these signals and their related derived parameters in real time on a beat-to-beat basis for any chosen monitoring period and simultaneously displays the diagnostic information from the conventional (low-frequency) 12-lead ECG. The real-time NASA HF QRS ECG software is being evaluated currently in multiple clinical settings in North America. We describe its potential usefulness in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia and coronary artery disease.

Software↗

Plasma Waves Observed During CUSP Energetic Particle Events and Their Correlation With Polar and Akebono Satellite and Ground Data

We present Polar plasma wave data during cusp energetic particle (CEP) events at 6-9 R(sub E). These data suggest the presence of coherent electrostatic structures that are highly localized and that have typical velocities on the order of hundreds to thousands of kilometers per second along the ambient magnetic field. Some of the wave signatures are solitary waves and some are wave packets. The Polar wave instrument also provides evidence that some of the bursts of electromagnetic waves (with frequencies of a few hundred Hz and just below the electron cyclotron frequency around 800 Hz to 1-2 kHz) that are observed are coher&nt and propagating both up and down the field lines. Electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves are often detected but their duration is usually short (less than 1 second). Low Frequency (less than 1 kHz), broadband, bursty electromagnetic waves are also present. The Polar wave data results are used to obtain a better understanding of the macro/microphysics during a CEP event that takes place on September 11, 1996, by correlating various Polar (approximately 7.0 R(sub E)) and Akebono (approximately 1.4 R(sub E)) data while both spacecraft are in or near the cusp/cleft region and nearly on the same field line, and magnetometer data from the Canadian Intermagnet and Canopus ground stations, which lie near the base of the magnetic footprint passing through Polar. Solar wind and magnetic field data from the interplanetary medium and magnetosheath are provided by the Geotail and IMP-8 satellites, respectively. Some of the cusp waves may be indicators of the reconnection process taking place through the cusp, the result of mixing of magnetosheath with magnetospheric plasma, and the consequence of an anisotropic electron population in a depressed magnetic field. The low frequency electromagnetic waves are still under study to determine their role, if any, in the heating and acceleration of the MeV He ions during CEP events.

Pickett, J. S.↗

Parametric Investigation on the Use of Lateral and Logitudinal Rotor Trim Flapping for Tiltrotor Noise Reduction

This paper presents an acoustics parametric study of the effect of varying lateral and longitudinal rotor trim flapping angles (tip-path-plane tilt) on noise radiated by an isolated 26-ft diameter proprotor, similar to that of the AW609 tiltrotor, in edgewise flight. Three tip-path-plane angle of attack operating conditions of -9, 0 and 6 deg, at 80 knots, were investigated. Results showed that: 1) minimum noise was attained for the tip-path-plane angle of attack value of -9 deg, and 2) changing the cyclic trim state (i.e., controls) altered the airloads and produced noticeable changes to the low-frequency (LF) and blade-vortex interaction (BVI) radiated-noise magnitude and directionality. In particular, by trimming the rotor to a positive (inboard) lateral flapping angle of 4 deg, further reductions up to 3 dB in the low-frequency noise sound pressure level were attained without significantly impacting the BVI noise for longitudinal tip-path-plane angles of -9 and 6 deg.

Noise Reduction↗

Spectral components of human cardiovascular responses to step changes in Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) before and after 22 hour of 6 deg head down bed rest

Changes in autonomic outflow to peripheral organs during the development of bedrest induced orthostatic intolerance have not been determined. Recent studies have indicated that spectral analysis provides an indirect assessment of these changes. Eight male subjects were studied before and after 22 hours of 6 degree head down bedrest plus Lasix (40 mg. P.P.). Cardiovascular spectra (using an autoregressive technique) were determined for heart rate (HR, ECG), arterial pressure (AP, Finapres), radial artery flow (RF, Hokansen) and respiration rate (RR, BoMed). Spectra were obtained from 2.5 minute segments during control, lower body negative pressure (minus 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 mmHg) and recovery. Bedrest increased HR spectra power in the low frequency (.001 to .041 Hz) range, increased RF power in the low and mid (.04 to .18 Hz) range and increased AP power in the high (.18 to .50 Hz) frequency range. Increasing levels of lower body negative pressure decreased HR power and increased RF power in the high frequency range and decreased AP power in the low frequency range. Since spectral power of HR in the high frequency range has been shown to indicate parasympathetically mediated regulation and power in the low and mid frequency ranges indicates a sympathetic / parasympathetic mixture, then both bedrest and lower body negative pressure appeared to shift sympathetic / parasympathetic balance toward sympathetic regulation of HR. The interpretation of the spectral content of AP and RF with respect to their autonomic origins remains unclear.

Knapp, C. F.↗

Hectometric and kilometric solar radio emission observed from satellites in August 1972

Type II, type III, and continuum solar radio events, as well as intense terrestrial magnetospheric radio emissions, were observed at low frequencies (10 MHz to 30 kHz) by the IMP-6 satellite during the period of high solar activity in August 1972. This review covers briefly the unique direction-finding capability of the experiment, a detailed chronology of the low-frequency radio events, and, where possible, their association with both ground-based radio observations and solar flares. The attempted observation of solar bursts in the presence of intense magnetospheric noise may, as illustrated, lead to erroneous results in the absence of directional information. The problem of assigning an electron-density scale and its influence on determining burst trajectories is reviewed. However, for the disturbed conditions existing during the period in question, it is felt that such trajectories cannot be determined accurately by this method. The capabilities, limitations, and observing programs of present and future satellite experiments are briefly discussed.

Malitson, H. H.↗

Development of a moon-based magnetospheric and coronal imager using a large broadband array

The 'Missions to and from Planet Earth' mandated by President Bush in 1989 provide a unique opportunity for magnetospheric and coronal plasma physicists to cooperate with low frequency radio astronomers in the development of an advanced experiment designed for the lunar surface. A large active lunar based array would sound the Earth's magnetosphere at VLF frequencies and the solar corona at decametric wavelengths allowing plasma physicists to map both the Earth's magnetosphere and those regions in the solar corona that trigger precursors to solar flares. With the transmitter silent, the array would become the ideal low frequency radio telescope, examining both geospace emissions such as auroral kilometric radiation and extraterrestrial signals from the planets, pulsars, supernova remnants, and active galactic nuclei. Both experiments satisfy requirements mandated in both 'Mission to Planet Earth' and in 'Mission from Planet Earth.' By proposing a cooperative effort both communities (plasma physicists and radio astronomers) stand to benefit. Jim Green, Director of the NASA Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) at GSFC; Tony Phillips, Research Fellow at California Institute of Technology; T. D. Carr, Director of the University of Florida Radio Observatory (UFRO) and the author are enlisting the cooperation of the scientific community in defining the system specifications. Some components, such as the receivers, will be standard 'off-the-shelf' items, and hence will require little developmental research. However, the individual antenna elements and the phasing and matching networks will require some R&D to satisfy the frequency requirements (20 KHz-40 MHz). By flying the experiment in Earth orbit first, Dr. Green proposes to gather valuable magnetospheric data as well as to prove the principle of the large moon based experiment. He claims that funding for the preliminary ground based studies at the UFRO may be available as early as FY-92.

Lebo, George↗

Testing and Design of Discriminants for Local Seismic Events Recorded during the Redmond Salt Mine Monitoring Experiment

The Redmond Salt Mine (RSM) Monitoring Experiment in Utah was designed to record seismoacoustic data at distances less than 50 km for algorithm testing and development. During the experiment from October 2017 to July 2019, six broadband seismic stations were operating at a time, with three of them having fixed locations for the duration, whereas the three other stations were moved to different locations every one-and-half to two-and-half months. RSM operations consist of nighttime underground blasting several times per week. The RSM is located in proximity to a belt of active seismicity, allowing direct comparison of natural and anthropogenic sources. Using the recorded data set, we built 1373 events with local magnitude (M L ) of -2.4 and lower to 3.3. For 75 blasts (RMEs) from the Redmond Salt Mine and 206 tectonic earthquakes (EQs), both M L and the coda duration magnitude (MC) are well constrained. We used these events to test and design discriminants that separate the RMEs from the EQs and are effective at local distances. The discriminants consist of M L -M C , low-frequency Sg to high-frequency Sg, Pg/Sg phase-amplitude ratios, and Rg/Sg spectral amplitude ratios, as well as different combinations of two or more of these classifiers. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of 0.92–1.0 for M L -M C , low-frequency Sg to high-frequency Sg, and Rg/Sg indicate that these discriminants are very effective. Conversely, the AUC of only 0.57 for Pg/Sg suggests that this discriminant is only slightly better than a random classifier. Among the effective classifiers, Rg/Sg, shows the lowest likelihood of misclassification (4.3%) for the populations. In conclusion, results of joint discriminant analyses suggest that even the arguably ineffective single classifier, like Pg/Sg in this case, can provide some value when used in combination with others.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Alpha particle heating at comet-solar wind interaction regions

The satellite observations at comet Halley have shown strong heating of solar wind alpha particles over an extended region dominated by high-intensity, low-frequency turbulence. These waves are excited by the water group pickup ions and can energize the solar wind plasma by different heating processes. The alpha particle heating by the Landau damping of kinetic Alfven waves and the transit time damping of low-frequency hydromagnetic waves in this region of high plasma beta are studied in this paper. The Alfven wave heating was shown to be the dominant mechanism for the observed proton heating, but it is found to be insufficient to account for the observed alpha particle heating. The transit time damping due to the interaction of the ions with the electric fields associated with the magnetic field compressions of magnetohydrodynamic waves is found to heat the alpha particles preferentially over the protons. Comparison of the calculated heating times for the transit time damping with the observations from comet Halley shows good agreement. These processes contribute to the thermalization of the solar wind by the conversion of its directed energy into the thermal energy in the transition region at comet-solar wind interaction.

Sharma, A. S.↗

Physics of compact nonthermal sources. III - Energetic considerations

The energy content of the compact incoherent electron-synchrotron sources 3C 84, 3C 120, 3C 273, 3C 279, 3C 454.3, CTA 102, 3C 446, PKS 2134+004, VRO 42.22.01 and OJ 287 is calculated on the assumption that the low-frequency turnovers in the radio spectrum are due to self-absorption and that the electron distribution is isotropic. The dependence of the source parameters on various modifications of the standard assumptions is determined. These involve relativistic motions, alternate explanations for the low-frequency turnover, proton-synchrotron radiation, and distance to the source. The canonical interpretation is found to be accurate in many respects; some of the difficulties and ways of dealing with them are discussed in detail.

Burbidge, G. R.↗

Aeroservoelastic stabilization technique refinement for hypersonic flight vehicles

Conventional gain-stabilization techniques introduce low frequency effective time delays which can be troublesome from the viewpoint of SSTOV vehicles' flying qualities. These time delays can be alleviated through a blending of gain-stabilization and phase-stabilization techniques; the resulting hybrid phase stabilization (HPS) for the low-frequency structural modes has been noted to have greater residual response than a conventional gain-stabilizer design. HPS design procedures are presently refined, and residual response metrics are developed.

Cheng, Peter Y.↗

Performance analysis of flexible aircraft with active control

Small perturbation equations of motion of a flexible aircraft with an active control technology (ACT) system were developed to evaluate the stability and performance of the controlled aircraft. The total aircraft system was formulated in state vector format and the system of equations was completed with fully unsteady and low frequency aerodynamics for arbitrary, complex configurations based on a potential aerodynamic method. The ACT system equations were incorporated in the digital computer program FCAP (Flight Control Analysis Program) which can be used for the analysis of complete aircraft configurations, including control system, with either low frequency or fully unsteady aerodynamics. The application of classical performance analyses including frequency response, poles and zeros, mean square response, and time response in FCAP in state vector format was discussed.

Noll, R. B.↗

Modeling of Electro Optic Polymer Electrical Characteristics in a 3 layer Optical Waveguide Modulator

The electrical characteristics of electro optic polymer waveguide modulators are often described by the bulk reactance of the individual layers. However, the resistance and capacitance between the layers can significantly alter the electrical performance of a waveguide modulator. These interface characteristics are related to the boundary charge density and are strongly affected by the adhesion of the layers in the waveguide stack. An electrical reactance model has been derived to investigate this phenomenon at low frequencies. The model shows the waveguide stack frequency response has no limiting effects below the microwave range and that a true DC response requires a stable voltage for over 1000 hours. Thus, reactance of the layers is the key characteristic of optimizing the voltage across the core layer, even at very low frequencies (> 10(exp -6) Hz). The results of the model are compared with experimental data for two polymer systems and show quite good correlation.

Watson, Michael D.↗

Response analysis of flexible aircraft with active control

The small-perturbation equations of motion of a flexible aircraft with an active control technology (ACT) system are developed to evaluate the stability and performance of the controlled aircraft. The total aircraft system is formulated in state vector format and the system of equations is completed with fully unsteady and low-frequency aerodynamics for arbitrary, complex configurations based on a potential aerodynamic method. The ACT system equations are incorporated in the digital computer program FCAP (Flight Control Analysis Program) which can be used for the analysis of complete aircraft configurations, including control system, with either low-frequency or fully unsteady aerodynamics. The application of classical performance analyses including frequency response, poles and zeros, mean-square response, and time response in FCAP in state vector format is discussed.

Noll, R. B.↗

Resonance Effects in the NASA Transonic Flutter Cascade Facility

Investigations of unsteady pressure loadings on the blades of fans operating near the stall flutter boundary are carried out under simulated conditions in the NASA Transonic Flutter Cascade facility (TFC). It has been observed that for inlet Mach numbers of about 0.8, the cascade flowfield exhibits intense low-frequency pressure oscillations. The origins of these oscillations were not clear. It was speculated that this behavior was either caused by instabilities in the blade separated flow zone or that it was a tunnel resonance phenomenon. It has now been determined that the strong low-frequency oscillations, observed in the TFC facility, are not a cascade phenomenon contributing to blade flutter, but that they are solely caused by the tunnel resonance characteristics. Most likely, the self-induced oscillations originate in the system of exit duct resonators. For sure, the self-induced oscillations can be significantly suppressed for a narrow range of inlet Mach numbers by tuning one of the resonators. A considerable amount of flutter simulation data has been acquired in this facility to date, and therefore it is of interest to know how much this tunnel self-induced flow oscillation influences the experimental data at high subsonic Mach numbers since this facility is being used to simulate flutter in transonic fans. In short, can this body of experimental data still be used reliably to verify computer codes for blade flutter and blade life predictions? To answer this question a study on resonance effects in the NASA TFC facility was carried out. The results, based on spectral and ensemble averaging analysis of the cascade data, showed that the interaction between self-induced oscillations and forced blade motion oscillations is very weak and can generally be neglected. The forced motion data acquired with the mistuned tunnel, when strong self-induced oscillations were present, can be used as reliable forced pressure fluctuations provided that they are extracted from raw data sets by an ensemble averaging procedure.

Lepicovsky, J.↗

Low Pathogenicity H7N3 Avian Influenza Viruses Have Higher Within-Host Genetic Diversity Than a Closely Related High Pathogenicity H7N3 Virus in Infected Turkeys and Chickens

Within-host viral diversity offers a view into the early stages of viral evolution occurring after a virus infects a host. In recent years, advances in deep sequencing have allowed for routine identification of low-frequency variants, which are important sources of viral genetic diversity and can potentially emerge as a major virus population under certain conditions. We examined within-host viral diversity in turkeys and chickens experimentally infected with closely related H7N3 avian influenza viruses (AIVs), specifically one high pathogenicity AIV (HPAIV) and two low pathogenicity AIV (LPAIVs) with different neuraminidase protein stalk lengths. Consistent with the high mutation rates of AIVs, an abundance of intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs) at low frequencies of 2–10% was observed in all samples collected. Furthermore, a small number of common iSNVs were observed between turkeys and chickens, and between directly inoculated and contact-exposed birds. Notably, the LPAIVs have significantly higher iSNV diversities and frequencies of nonsynonymous changes than the HPAIV in both turkeys and chickens. These findings highlight the dynamics of AIV populations within hosts and the potential impact of genetic changes, including mutations in the hemagglutinin gene that confers the high pathogenicity pathotype, on AIV virus populations and evolution.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A Discussion of Zero Spring Rate Mechanisms Used for the Active Isolation Mount Experiment

In the summer of 1995 the Structural Dynamics Branch at NASA Langley Research Center set out to conceive a small, lightweight, low frequency isolation mount that could be used for spaceflight experiments. The Engineering Design Branch undertook the task of developing the isolation mount. This report describes the engineering process that led to three phases of a study entitled "Active Isolation Mounts" (AIM). A zero spring rate mechanism was used to achieve low fundamental frequencies for a payloads in the 1 to 10 pound range. It worked by balancing both a positive and a negative stiffness so that the net result was a small positive stiffness. The study demonstrated devices that could reduce the initial corner frequency by a factor of six for brief periods and a factor of two for extended periods. The designs were relatively simple and minimized weight, volume, and power. They could be scaled down and they were made of spaceflight compatible materials. All designs offered the ability to continuously vary the fundamental frequency. Yet, the goal of reducing the frequency by an order of magnitude was not achieved because the systems were too unstable at low frequencies. There was a trade between performance and stability.

Teter, John E., Jr.↗