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At least 1,243 records · Page 69

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NASA NTRS1986

A survey of the state of the art and focused research in range systems, task 2

Many communication, control, and information processing subsystems are modeled by linear systems incorporating tapped delay lines (TDL). Such optimized subsystems result in full precision multiplications in the TDL. In order to reduce complexity and cost in a microprocessor implementation, these multiplications can be replaced by single-shift instructions which are equivalent to powers of two multiplications. Since, in general, the obvious operation of rounding the infinite precision TDL coefficients to the nearest powers of two usually yield quite poor system performance, the optimum powers of two coefficient solution was considered. Detailed explanations on the use of branch-and-bound algorithms for finding the optimum powers of two solutions are given. Specific demonstration of this methodology to the design of a linear data equalizer and its implementation in assembly language on a 8080 microprocessor with a 12 bit A/D converter are reported. This simple microprocessor implementation with optimized TDL coefficients achieves a system performance comparable to the optimum linear equalization with full precision multiplications for an input data rate of 300 baud. The philosophy demonstrated in this implementation is dully applicable to many other microprocessor controlled information processing systems.

Yao, K.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A discrete control model of PLANT

A model of the PLANT system using the discrete control modeling techniques developed by Miller is described. Discrete control models attempt to represent in a mathematical form how a human operator might decompose a complex system into simpler parts and how the control actions and system configuration are coordinated so that acceptable overall system performance is achieved. Basic questions include knowledge representation, information flow, and decision making in complex systems. The structure of the model is a general hierarchical/heterarchical scheme which structurally accounts for coordination and dynamic focus of attention. Mathematically, the discrete control model is defined in terms of a network of finite state systems. Specifically, the discrete control model accounts for how specific control actions are selected from information about the controlled system, the environment, and the context of the situation. The objective is to provide a plausible and empirically testable accounting and, if possible, explanation of control behavior.

Mitchell, C. M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

ATRAN3S: An unsteady transonic code for clean wings

The development and applications of the unsteady transonic code ATRAN3S for clean wings are discussed. Explanations of the unsteady, transonic small-disturbance aerodynamic equations that are used and their solution procedures are discussed. A detailed user's guide, along with input and output for a sample case, is given.

Guruswamy, G. P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Differential photometry of magnetic faculae

New observations extending the differential continuum photometry technique to the near-infrared are presented which demonstrate that the main factor determining the facular visibility near the solar disk center is the difference in H(-) opacity (and thus in penetration depth) between the continuum passbands. It is shown how the difference signal obtained depends on the temperature gradient difference between the two faculae and photosphere. The measured facular temperature gradient is compared with that given by empirical facular models based on Fraunhofer line observations, and with theoretical predictions. An explanation for the enhanced visibility of faculae against granular noise in the difference signal is suggested.

Foukal, P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Performance analysis of a fault inferring nonlinear detection system algorithm with integrated avionics flight data

This paper presents the performance analysis results of a fault inferring nonlinear detection system (FINDS) using integrated avionics sensor flight data for the NASA ATOPS B-737 aircraft in a Microwave Landing System (MLS) environment. First, an overview of the FINDS algorithm structure is given. Then, aircraft state estimate time histories and statistics for the flight data sensors are discussed. This is followed by an explanation of modifications made to the detection and decision functions in FINDS to improve false alarm and failure detection performance. Next, the failure detection and false alarm performance of the FINDS algorithm are analyzed by injecting bias failures into fourteen sensor outputs over six repetitive runs of the five minutes of flight data. Results indicate that the detection speed, failure level estimation, and false alarm performance show a marked improvement over the previously reported simulation runs. In agreement with earlier results, detection speed is faster for filter measurement sensors such as MLS than for filter input sensors such as flight control accelerometers. Finally, the progress in modifications of the FINDS algorithm design to accommodate flight computer constraints is discussed.

Caglayan, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Growth of the 889 per cm infrared band in annealed electron-irradiated silicon

Isothermal annealing of electron-irradiated Czochralski silicon has been studied at four different temperatures ranging from 304 to 350 C using infrared spectroscopy. At annealing temperatures above 300 C the irradiation-induced band at 830 per cm, usually attributed to a vacancy-oxygen complex (the A center), disappears and a new band at 889 per cm grows up. Within the experimental accuracy, the activation energy for the growth of this band is found to be identical with the value given by Stavola et al. for 'anomalous' oxygen diffusion in silicon. Also the frequency factors for the two processes are in reasonable agreement. The results show that a vacancy-assisted process may provide an explanation for enhanced motion of oxygen in silicon.

Svensson, B. G.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Lead, platinum, and other heavy elements in the primary cosmic radiation - HEAO 3 results

An observation of the abundances of cosmic-ray lead-group and platinum-group nuclei is reported, using data from the HEAO 3 Heavy Nuclei Experiment. From an analysis of 580 days of exposure, 322 nuclei were selected with reasonable charge resolution, E at least 1.3 GeV/nucleon and Z at least 50. The data show a defined abundance peak in the 'platinum' region (Z from 74 to 80), a small abundance of 'lead' (Z from 81 to 83), and a significant number of 'secondary' nuclei in the range of Z between 62 and 73. Possible explanations are offered for the deduced ratio in space of 0.25 plus or minus 0.09 for 'Pb/Pt' being distinctly lower than that predicted by any of the standard models for cosmic-ray sources and propagation effects.

Binns, W. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A precise measurement of the cosmic microwave background temperature from optical observations of interstellar CN

Very precise observations (with S/N greater than 2000) of the 3874-angstrom band of interstellar CN toward zeta Per and omicron Per are presented. In the zeta Oph, zeta Per, and omicron Per lines of sight, the saturation-corrected CN line strengths yield respective excitation temperatures of 2.72 plus or minus 0.05 K, 2.76 plus or minus 0.05 K, and 2.78 plus or minus 0.07 K for the J = 0-1 rotational transition at 2.64 mm. By confirming the blackbody character of the cosmic microwave background spectrum at wavelengths near the peak of its flux, the simplest explanation of the background as primeval fireball radiation from a hot bang is reinforced.

Meyer, D. M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Can cometary bombardment disrupt synchronous rotation of planetary satellites?

The distribution of craters on Jupiter's Galilean satellites Ganymede and Callisto and on Saturn's midsized airless moons is much more symmetric and uniform than theoretical analysis predicts. A number of explanations for this situation have been considered, taking into account also the possibility that impacts due to cometary bombardment might disrupt the synchronous rotation of the moons. The feasibility of such a disruption is explored in the present study. The results of this study are presented in a table. It is found that a disruption of the synchronous rotation of the considered moons by impacts is very unlikely.

Lissauer, J. J.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Expert systems for Space Station automation

The expert systems required for automating key functions of the Manned Space Station (MSS) are explored. It is necessary that the expert systems developed be flexible, degrade gracefully in the case of a failure, and be able to work with incomplete data. The AI systems will have to perform interpretation and diagnosis, design, prediction and induction, and monitoring and control functions. Both quantitative and qualitative reasoning capabilities need improvements, as do automatic verification techniques, explanation and learning capabilities, and the use of metaknowledge, i. e., knowledge about the knowledge contained in the knowledge base. Information retrieval, fault isolation and manufacturing process control demonstrations are needed to validate expert systems for the MSS.

Georgeff, M. P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The generation of electrostatic noise in the plasma sheet boundary layer

The one and two ion beam instability is considered as a possible explanation for the observations of broadband electrostatic noise in the plasma sheet region of the geomagnetic tail. When only hot streaming plasma sheet boundary layer ions are present, no broadband waves are excited. Cold, streaming ionospheric ions can generate electrostatic broadband waves propagating in the slow beam acoustic mode, but the growth rates of the waves are significantly enhanced when hot boundary layer ions are present. (Both the slow and fast beam acoustic modes can be excited, depending on the relative ion drift.) This model predicts that the wave intensity of the broad band noise should peak in the plasma sheet boundary layer. Observations of less intense electrostatic waves in the lobes and plasma sheet are likely a result of the absence of hot ion beams or large ion temperatures, respectively, which result in smaller growth rates. The ion beam instability may play an important role in the formation of the central plasma sheet.

Dusenbery, P. B.↗

NASA NTRS1985

High-latitude convection on open and closed field lines for large IMF B(y)

S3-3 electric field observations for August 23, 1976, show a single convection cell engulfing the northern polar cap. The flow direction is that for a positive IMF B(y) component. The particle data indicate that nearly half the duskside sunward flow occurs on closed field lines whereas the dawnside flow is entirely on open field lines. This is interpreted in terms of an IMF B(y)-induced deformation in the polar cap boundary, where the deformation moves with the convective flow. Thus, convection streamlines cross the deformed polar cap boundary, but no flow crosses the boundary because it is carried by the flow. Since southern hemisphere convection is expected to occur with the opposite sense of rotation, closed field lines that will be forced to tilt azimuthally are predicted. On the nightside the tilt produces a y component of the magnetic field in the same direction as the IMF for either sign of IMF B(y). This interpretation is consistent with observations of a greater y component in the plasma sheet than the tail lobes, which are difficult to understand in terms of the common explanation of IMF penetration. Alternatives to this interpretation are also discussed.

Moses, J. J.↗

NASA NTRS1984

High-temperature thermoelectric energy conversion. II - Materials survey

The current status of materials research for high-temperature thermoelectric energy conversion is reviewed. Two general classes of materials show promise for high temperature figure of merit (Z) values, viz, the rare-earth chalcogenides and the boron-rich borides. The electronic transport properties of the rare-earth chalcogenides are explicable on the basis of degenerate or partially degenerate n-type semiconductors. Boron and boron-rich borides exhibit p-type hopping conductivity, with detailed explanations proposed for the transport differing from compound to compound. Some discussion is presented on the reasons for the low thermal conductivities in these materials. Also, ZTs greater than one appear to have been realized at high temperature in many of these compounds.

Wood, C.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Scattering of acoustic waves into Tollmien-Schlichting waves by small streamwise variations in surface geometry

By using the triple-deck scaling of Stewartson (1969) and Messiter (1970) it is shown that small but relatively sudden surface geometry variations that produce only very weak static pressure variations can nevertheless produce strong, i.e. O(1), coupling between an externally imposed acoustic disturbance and a spatially growing Tollmien-Schlichting wave. The analysis provides a qualitative explanation of the Leehey and Shapiro (1979) boundary-layer receptivity measurements and is in good quantitative agreement with the Aizin and Poliakov (1979) experiment. It may also explain why small 'trip wires' can promote early transition.

Goldstein, M. E.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A search for nitrogen on Triton

Improved spectrophotometry of Triton at 2.16 microns was obtained with the MMT infrared photometer at a resolution of 1.0 percent. The observations do not reveal an absorption feature due to liquid nitrogen. Three explanations are consistent with this finding: (1) there is liquid nitrogen on the surface but it is not distributed uniformly; (2) the feature varies with time, e.g., it is sometimes obscured by cloud cover; and (3) the feature might be relatively broad.

Rieke, G. H.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Spacecraft glow

Spacecrft glow may be defined as optical emissions originating immediately above those surfaces of an orbiting spacecraft which face into the ram direction. In the case of the Space Shuttle at its lower orbital altitudes, the glow is bright enough to be seen by the unaided eye. The glow observed at the Dynamics Explorer was caused primarily by OH molecules which formed on the spacecraft surface from ionospheric atomic oxygen and hydrogen. The two theories which are currently considered to obtain an explanation for the glow phenomenon include the plasma interaction mechanism and the chemical mechanism. A number of difficulties appear to exclude the applicability of the plasma interaction mechanism. Thus, the chemical mechanism remains as the only viable theory. According to this mechanism, simple impact of incoming atmosphere atoms and molecules causes both formation and excitation of molecules at the surface of a spacecraft.

Dessler, A. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Motion of an electron bunch through a plasma

In space research, pulse-modulated beams, or bunches, of energetic electrons have been used for tracing magnetic field lines and for remote sounding of magnetospheric electric fields. Doubts have been expressed regarding the possibility that an electron bunch would be able to travel through the plasma in space. However, experiments in the ionosphere have shown that, at least on some occasions, bunches of electrons with energies of a few keV have traveled over long distances with no apparent energy loss. The present study is concerned with the theoretical explanation for this phenomenon. The method employed in this study makes use of a direct numerical integration of the Vlasov equation. The results obtained provide the basis for a provisional conclusion concerning the stability of a moving electron bunch in the considered case. It appears that the system is mildly unstable.

Shoucri, M. M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Antiprotons - Past and future

A review of cosmic ray antiproton observations is presented. The data from two experiments detecting fluxes above a few GeV, and an observation of an antiproton flux below 1 GeV are analyzed. The explanation for antiprotons of high energy with models, such as the modified closed galaxy of Peters and Westergaard (1977), which center around mechanisms that enhance production and/or storage of antiprotons relative to heavier nuclei is studied. Theories for low eenrgy antiprotons based on an energy changing process after production or the existence of a primary source are examined. The observations of positrons and helium-3 fluxes that reveal excesses similar to the antiproton excess are described. Future experiments to study antiprotons at 1-5 GeV and planned observations of antiprotons in the 1-15 GeV range using a magnet spectrometer system are discussed.

Golden, R. L.↗