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At least 1,207 records · Page 67
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NASA NTRS2016

Forward Modeling of Ceres' Gravity Field for Planetary Protection Assessment

The Dawn spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet Ceres in early 2015 after a two and a half-year cruise in deep space after departing Vesta. The nominal plan for Dawn included successively lower science orbits, the last of which is called the Low Altitude Mapping Orbit that also serves as the disposal orbit after the end of mission. Prior to Dawn’s arrival at Ceres, it was identified that Dawn would have to meet planetary protection requirements at Ceres by remaining on a stable orbit for 20 years past the end of the mission. With little a priori knowledge on Ceres’ interior we analyzed what gravitational perturbations influence the long-term dynamical evolution of Dawn around Ceres and validated that the gravitational model of Ceres with the then-current best estimate of the density distribution model does not exceed the permissible bounds. The forward modeling of gravity fields from various shape models and density distribution was deemed valid to satisfy the planetary protection guidelines. This analysis was further confirmed after a new shape model based on the actual optical images was created. The gravity field as measured in the High Altitude Mapping Orbit also fits within the bounds of gravitational field studied pre-arrival at Ceres to substantiate our methodology used to satisfy the planetary protection requirement.

Takahashi, Yu↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Review of Noise Metric Sensitivities for Analysis of Quiet Supersonic Overflight

Six different noise metrics (PL, ASEL, BSEL, DSEL, ESEL, and ISBAP) are currently used to quantify sonic boom levels from overflight of supersonic aircraft. A previous meta-analysis using laboratory subjective data identified these metrics, each of which correlated well with human perception of low-boom sounds both indoors and outdoors. Because the analysis did not identify a single metric that was significantly superior, no internationally agreed-upon metric has been chosen for the quiet supersonic aircraft noise certification procedures currently under development. Other analyses of metric sensitivities using existing empirical and simulation datasets, however, have shown significant differences between metrics. Variability of metrics due to macro-atmospheric effects and atmospheric turbulence perturbations have been explored, as well as variability in measurements due to microphone setup configurations, array layouts, and ambient noise effects. This paper reviews these prior studies, summarizes the current understanding of metric sensitivities, and discusses how they may impact future downselection of metrics for certification procedures.

sonic boom↗
NASA NTRS2000

Influence of central set on anticipatory and triggered grip-force adjustments

The effects of predictability of load magnitude on anticipatory and triggered grip-force adjustments were studied as nine normal subjects used a precision grip to lift, hold, and replace an instrumented test object. Experience with a predictable stimulus has been shown to enhance magnitude scaling of triggered postural responses to different amplitudes of perturbations. However, this phenomenon, known as a central-set effect, has not been tested systematically for grip-force responses in the hand. In our study, predictability was manipulated by applying load perturbations of different magnitudes to the test object under conditions in which the upcoming load magnitude was presented repeatedly or under conditions in which the load magnitudes were presented randomly, each with two different pre-load grip conditions (unconstrained and constrained). In constrained conditions, initial grip forces were maintained near the minimum level necessary to prevent pre-loaded object slippage, while in unconstrained conditions, no initial grip force restrictions were imposed. The effect of predictable (blocked) and unpredictable (random) load presentations on scaling of anticipatory and triggered grip responses was tested by comparing the slopes of linear regressions between the imposed load and grip response magnitude. Anticipatory and triggered grip force responses were scaled to load magnitude in all conditions. However, regardless of pre-load grip force constraint, the gains (slopes) of grip responses relative to load magnitudes were greater when the magnitude of the upcoming load was predictable than when the load increase was unpredictable. In addition, a central-set effect was evidenced by the fewer number of drop trials in the predictable relative to unpredictable load conditions. Pre-load grip forces showed the greatest set effects. However, grip responses showed larger set effects, based on prediction, when pre-load grip force was constrained to lower levels. These results suggest that anticipatory processes pertaining to load magnitude permit the response gain of both voluntary and triggered rapid grip force adjustments to be set, at least partially, prior to perturbation onset. Comparison of anticipatory set effects for reactive torque and lower extremity EMG postural responses triggered by surface translation perturbations suggests a more general rule governing anticipatory processes.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1991

Fluid-structure interaction forces at pump-impeller-shroud surfaces for axial vibration analysis

The axial forces developed on a pump impeller shroud surfaces are analyzed using a bulk-flow model of the leakage path between the impeller and the housing. Shear stresses at the impeller and the housing surfaces are modeled according to Hirs's turbulent lubrication model. The calculated results yield predictions of resonance peaks of the fluid within the annulus formed by the impeller shroud and housing. Numerical results are presented for a double-suction single-stage pump, showing that the direct stiffness of the perturbed impeller shroud forces is negligible; the forces become important only for pumps with very low axial natural frequencies in comparison to the running speed.

Childs, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Singular perturbation techniques for on-line optimal flight path control

This paper presents a partial evaluation on the use of singular perturbation methods for developing computer algorithms for on-line optimal control of aircraft. The evaluation is based on a study of the minimum time intercept problem using F-4 aerodynamic and propulsion data as a base line. The extensions over previous work on this subject are that aircraft turning dynamics (in addition to position and energy dynamics) are included in the analysis, the algorithm is developed for a moving end point and is adaptive to unpredictable target maneuvers, and short range maneuvers that do not have a cruise leg are included. Particular attention is given to identifying those quantities that can be precomputed and stored (as a function of aircraft total energy), thus greatly reducing the onboard computational load. Numerical results are given that illustrate the nature of the optimal intercept flight paths, and an estimate is given for the execution time and storage requirements of the control algorithm.

Calise, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Analysis of 16 plasma vortex events in the geomagnetic tail

The analysis of 16 plasma vortex occurrences in the magnetotail plasma sheet of Hones et al. (1983) is extended. Two- and three-dimensional plasma measurements and three-dimensional magnetic field measurements were used to study phase relations, energy propagation, and polarization properties. The results point toward an interpretation as a slow strongly damped MHD eigenmode which is generated by tailward traveling perturbations at the low-latitude interface between plasma sheet and magnetosheath.

Birn, J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

On the nonlinear stability of the unsteady, viscous flow of an incompressible fluid in a curved pipe

The stability of the flow of an incompressible, viscous fluid through a pipe of circular cross-section curved about a central axis is investigated in a weakly nonlinear regime. A sinusoidal pressure gradient with zero mean is imposed, acting along the pipe. A WKBJ perturbation solution is constructed, taking into account the need for an inner solution in the vicinity of the outer bend, which is obtained by identifying the saddle point of the Taylor number in the complex plane of the cross-sectional angle co-ordinate. The equation governing the nonlinear evolution of the leading order vortex amplitude is thus determined. The stability analysis of this flow to periodic disturbances leads to a partial differential system dependent on three variables, and since the differential operators in this system are periodic in time, Floquet theory may be applied to reduce this system to a coupled infinite system of ordinary differential equations, together with homogeneous uncoupled boundary conditions. The eigenvalues of this system are calculated numerically to predict a critical Taylor number consistent with the analysis of Papageorgiou. A discussion of how nonlinear effects alter the linear stability analysis is also given, and the nature of the instability determined.

Shortis, Trudi A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Theory of the lattice Boltzmann Method: Dispersion, Dissipation, Isotropy, Galilean Invariance, and Stability

The generalized hydrodynamics (the wave vector dependence of the transport coefficients) of a generalized lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) is studied in detail. The generalized lattice Boltzmann equation is constructed in moment space rather than in discrete velocity space. The generalized hydrodynamics of the model is obtained by solving the dispersion equation of the linearized LBE either analytically by using perturbation technique or numerically. The proposed LBE model has a maximum number of adjustable parameters for the given set of discrete velocities. Generalized hydrodynamics characterizes dispersion, dissipation (hyper-viscosities), anisotropy, and lack of Galilean invariance of the model, and can be applied to select the values of the adjustable parameters which optimize the properties of the model. The proposed generalized hydrodynamic analysis also provides some insights into stability and proper initial conditions for LBE simulations. The stability properties of some 2D LBE models are analyzed and compared with each other in the parameter space of the mean streaming velocity and the viscous relaxation time. The procedure described in this work can be applied to analyze other LBE models. As examples, LBE models with various interpolation schemes are analyzed. Numerical results on shear flow with an initially discontinuous velocity profile (shock) with or without a constant streaming velocity are shown to demonstrate the dispersion effects in the LBE model; the results compare favorably with our theoretical analysis. We also show that whereas linear analysis of the LBE evolution operator is equivalent to Chapman-Enskog analysis in the long wave-length limit (wave vector k = 0), it can also provide results for large values of k. Such results are important for the stability and other hydrodynamic properties of the LBE method and cannot be obtained through Chapman-Enskog analysis.

Lallemand, Pierre↗
NASA NTRS1989

Assessment of autonomic response by broad-band respiration

We present a technique for introducing broad-band respiratory perturbations so that the response characteristics of the autonomic nervous system can be determined noninvasively over a wide range of physiologically relevant frequencies. A subject's respiratory bandwidth was broadened by breathing on cue to a sequence of audible tones spaced by Poisson intervals. The transfer function between the respiratory input and the resulting instantaneous heart rate was then computed using spectral analysis techniques. Results using this method are comparable to those found using traditional techniques, but are obtained with an economy of data collection.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Longitudinal Properties of a Solar Energetic Particle Event Investigated Using Modern Solar Imaging

We use combined high-cadence, high-resolution, and multi-point imaging by the Solar-Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory to investigate the hour-long eruption of a fast and wide coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2011 March 21 when the twin STEREO spacecraft were located beyond the solar limbs. We analyze the relation between the eruption of the CME, the evolution of an Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) wave, and the onset of a solar energetic particle (SEP) event measured in situ by the STEREO and near-Earth orbiting spacecraft. Combined ultraviolet and white-light images of the lower corona reveal that in an initial CME lateral "expansion phase," the EUV disturbance tracks the laterally expanding flanks of the CME, both moving parallel to the solar surface with speeds of approx 450 km/s. When the lateral expansion of the ejecta ceases, the EUV disturbance carries on propagating parallel to the solar surface but devolves rapidly into a less coherent structure. Multi-point tracking of the CME leading edge and the effects of the launched compression waves (e.g., pushed streamers) give anti-sunward speeds that initially exceed 900 km/s at all measured position angles. We combine our analysis of ultraviolet and white-light images with a comprehensive study of the velocity dispersion of energetic particles measured in situ by particle detectors located at STEREO-A (STA) and first Lagrange point (L1), to demonstrate that the delayed solar particle release times at STA and L1 are consistent with the time required (30-40 minutes) for the CME to perturb the corona over a wide range of longitudes. This study finds an association between the longitudinal extent of the perturbed corona (in EUV and white light) and the longitudinal extent of the SEP event in the heliosphere.

acceleration of particles↗
NASA NTRS2014

OASIS Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space

The Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space (OASIS) project comprises a series of experiments that will probe the interfacial and hydrodynamic behavior of freely suspended liquid crystal films in space. These are the thinnest known stable condensed phase structures, making them ideal for studies of fluctuation and interface phenomena. The experiments seek to verify theories of coarsening dynamics, hydrodynamic flow, relaxation of hydrodynamic perturbations, and hydrodynamic interactions of a near two-dimensional structure. The effects of introducing islands or droplets on a very thin bubble will be studied, both as controllable inclusions that modify the flow and as markers of flow.

liquid crystals↗
NASA NTRS2013

Earth-Moon Libration Point Orbit Stationkeeping: Theory, Modeling and Operations

Collinear Earth-Moon libration points have emerged as locations with immediate applications. These libration point orbits are inherently unstable and must be maintained regularly which constrains operations and maneuver locations. Stationkeeping is challenging due to relatively short time scales for divergence effects of large orbital eccentricity of the secondary body, and third-body perturbations. Using the Acceleration Reconnection and Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) mission orbit as a platform, the fundamental behavior of the trajectories is explored using Poincare maps in the circular restricted three-body problem. Operational stationkeeping results obtained using the Optimal Continuation Strategy are presented and compared to orbit stability information generated from mode analysis based in dynamical systems theory.

Folta, David C.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Intercomparison of the representations of the atmospheric chemistry of pre-industrial methane and ozone in earth system and other global chemistry-transport models

An intercomparison has been set up to study the representation of the atmospheric chemistry of the pre-industrial troposphere in earth system and other global tropospheric chemistry-transport models. The intercomparison employed a constrained box model and utilised tropospheric trace gas composition data for the pre-industrial times at ninety mid-latitude surface locations. Incremental additions of four organic compounds: methane, ethane, acetone and propane, were used to perturb the constrained box model and generate responses in hydroxyl radicals and tropospheric ozone at each location and with each chemical mechanism. Although the responses agreed well across the chemical mechanisms from the selected earth system and other global tropospheric chemistry-transport models, there were differences in the detailed responses between the chemical mechanisms that could be tracked down by sensitivity analysis to differences in the representation of C1–C3 chemistry. Inter-mechanism ranges in NOx compensation points were about 0.17 ± 0.12 when expressed relative to the inter-mechanism average. Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis carried out with a single chemical mechanism put the intra-mechanism range a factor of three higher at 0.50 ± 0.12. Similar differences between inter-mechanism and intra-mechanism ranges were found for hydroxyl radical depletion but were up to a factor of six wider for ozone formation from incremental additions of organic compounds. The cause of the discrepancies between the inter- and intra-mechanism ranges was found to be the large uncertainties that are present in the laboratory determinations of the rate coefficients and product channel branching ratios of some key chemical reactions involving organic peroxy radicals and hydroperoxides. Whilst these large uncertainties are present in the laboratory determinations, there will be irreducible uncertainties in the predictions from the earth system and other chemistry-transport models of methane and tropospheric ozone trends since pre-industrial times and hence their contributions to the radiative forcing of climate change. Further definitive laboratory studies of the reaction rates and product yields of the reactions of the simple organic peroxy radicals and hydroperoxides are required to resolve and reduce current uncertainties in earth system and chemistry-transport model predictions.

atmospheric chemistry↗
NASA NTRS1978

On the determination and investigation of the terrestrial ionospheric refractive indices using GEOS-3/ATS-6 satellite-to-satellite tracking data

When the radio link between two satellites (GEOS-3/ATS-6) is intercepted by the earth's ionosphere and neutral atmosphere, a change in the Doppler frequency results. Travel through the atmosphere causes the Doppler phase to be advanced in the ionosphere's portion and retarded in the neutral portion of the atmosphere. Analysis of the shortening and lengthening of the phase of the Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (SST) data that passed within 40-700 km above the earth's surface during its ATS-6 to GEOS-3 to ATS-6 path, caused by the atmosphere, results in refractivity versus height profiles. The SST Doppler data were used directly to adjust the GEOS-3 orbit. Perturbation from the Moon, Sun and a 15th order/degree earth gravity field were included in the orbit solution. This orbit was continued through the occultation period and a model ionosphere was estimated by a least-square adjustment of the Chapman ionosphere parameters from the SST data residuals. The refractivity profile obtained by this model ionosphere was compared to a refractivity profile obtained by a direct integral inversion of the SST data residuals. Systematic differences between the 2 methods were caused by orbital errors, which propagated into the solution. The SST data yielded refractive index profiles in a novel economical manner because no additional or special on-board equipment were required.

Liu, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Shuttle entry trajectory reconstruction using inflight accelerometer and gyro measurements

An error analysis has been made of a Shuttle postflight entry trajectory reconstruction process to obtain trajectory state estimation errors and to assess the impact of these errors on Shuttle aerodynamic force coefficient extraction. In this analysis, the entry trajectory is assumed to be reconstructed via numerical integration of onboard accelerometer and gyro measurements and constrained to satisfy ground-based radio tracking. The trajectory state estimation errors are calculated using a Kalman-Schmidt sequential filter assuming various measurement error models and combinations of ground-based tracking. The resultant trajectory estimation errors are analyzed in a simplified perturbation process to establish the accuracy to which postflight aerodynamic force coefficients can be determined. Results are presented which show that the principal error sources affecting the trajectory reconstruction and thus the force coefficient extraction, assuming perfect atmospheric density knowledge, are the accelerometer and gyro resolution, acceleration-sensitive gyro drifts, and the alignment uncertainties associated with integration on the Shuttle.

Compton, H. R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

SRB combustion dynamics analysis computer program (CDA-1)

A two-dimensional numerical model is developed for the unsteady oscillatory combustion of the solid propellant flame zone. Variations of pressure with low and high frequency responses across the long flame, such as in the double-base propellants, are accommodated. The formulation is based on a premixed, laminar flame with a one-step overall chemical reaction and the Arrhenius law of decomposition for the gaseous phase with no condensed phase reaction. Numerical calculations are carried out using the Galerkin finite elements, with perturbations expanded to the zeroth, first, and second orders. The numerical results indicate that amplification of oscillatory motions does indeed prevail in high frequency regions. For the second order system, the trend is similar to the first order system for low frequencies, but instabilities may appear at frequencies lower than those of the first order system. The most significant effect of the second order system is that the admittance is extremely oscillatory between moderately high frequency ranges.

Chung, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Nonlinear instability of a forced baroclinic Rossby wave

The nonlinear instability of forced baroclinic Rossby waves to finite-amplitude perturbations was investigated using a simple two-layer quasi-geostrophic weakly nonlinear model and a low-order spectral model, developed for this purpose. The results were applied to a study of the interaction of planetary-scale stationary eddies with synoptic-scale transient eddies. A comparison of the energetics of the weakly nonlinear solution with that seen in observational analysis and in GCM experiments indicate three basic properties of the interaction between the two types of eddies: (1) eddy available potential energy is transferred from the planetary-scale stationary eddies to the synoptic-scale transient eddies, (2) eddy kinetic energy is transferred in the opposite direction, and (3) the eddy available potential energy transfer dominates the transfer of eddy kinetic energy. It is concluded that the simple weakly nonlinear model used in these studies does indeed capture much of the fundamental behavior of wave-wave interactions seen in the atmosphere.

Feldstein, Steven B.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Theoretical, Experimental, and Computational Evaluation of Several Vane-Type Slow-Wave Structures

Several types of periodic vane slow-wave structures were fabricated. The dispersion characteristics were found by theoretical analysis, experimental testing, and computer simulation using the MAFIA code. Computer-generated characteristics agreed to approximately within 2 percent of the experimental characteristics for all structures. The theoretical characteristics, however, deviated increasingly as the width to height ratio became smaller. Interaction impedances were also computed based on the experimental and computer-generated resonance frequency shifts due to the introduction of a perturbing dielectric rod.

Wallett, Thomas M.↗