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At least 127 records · Page 7

The effect of bond functions on dissociation energies

The procedure employing bond functions recently suggested by Wright and Buenker has been applied to the N2 X 1 Sigma g + potential curve within the CAS SCF + MRSD CI treatment of electron correlation. The basis set used herein is identical to that employed by these authors in their SCF + CI calculations. The De and and the shape of the resulting potential curve, as judged by the computed vibrational levels, is not so accurate as would be expected from the results reported by Wright and Buenker (1984). The results indicate that using the CI superposition errors associated with bond functions to cancel basis set incompleteness depends on the treatment of the electron correlation.

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.↗

Automated trabecular bone histomorphometry

The toxicity of alpha-emitting bone-seeking radionuclides and the relationship between bone tumor incidence and the local dosimetry of radionuclides in bone are investigated. The microdistributions of alpha-emitting radionuclides in the trabecular bone from the proximal humerus, distal humerus, proximal ulna, proximal femur, and distal femur of six young adult beagles injected with Am-241 (three with 2.8 micro-Ci/kg and three with 0.9 micro-Ci/kg) are estimated using a computer-controlled microscope photometer system; the components of the University of Utah Optical Track Scanner are described. The morphometric parameters for the beagles are calculated and analyzed. It is observed that the beagles injected with 0.9 micro-Ci of Am-241/kg showed an increase in the percentage of bone and trabecular bone thickness, and a reduction in the width of the bone marrow space and surface/volume ratio. The data reveal that radiation damage causes abnormal bone structure.

Polig, E.↗

Triple and quadruple excitation contributions to the binding in Be clusters: Calibration calculations on Be3

The contribution of connected triple and quadruple excitations to the binding in Be3 is investigated by comparing various coupled-cluster (CC) and truncated configuration interaction (CI) treatments with multireference CI (MRCI) and full CI(FCI) calculations. The CC method with single and double excitations (CCSD) produces results that differ substantially from more elaborate treatments, but most extensions to CCSD that account approximately for connected triple excitations perform very well. In constrast, good agreement with FCI for Be2 can be achieved only with the highest level CC and MRCI methods.

Watts, John D.↗

Triple and quadruple excitation contributions to the binding in Be clusters - Calibration calculations on Be3

The contribution of connected triple and quadruple excitations to the binding in Be3 is investigated by comparing various coupled-cluster (CC) and truncated configuration-interaction (CI) treatments with multireference CI (MRCI) and full CI (FCI) calculations. The CC method with single and double excitations (CCSD) produces results that differ substantially from more elaborate treatments, but most extensions to CCSD that account approximately for connected triple excitations perform very well. In contrast, good agreement with CFI for Be2 can be achieved only with the highest level CC and MRCI methods.

Watts, John D.↗

Spacecraft COst REduction Team (SCORE): TQM/CI on a massive scale

The business of building satellites and space systems has matured. Few missions require, or can afford, excellent performance at any price. The new paradigm is doing more with less, providing quality systems at lower cost--in other words, doing our job 'Faster-Better-Cheaper.' The TRW Spacecraft COst REduction (SCORE) initiative was launched in 1990 by Daniel S. Goldin, then general manager of TRW's Space & Technology Group. The SCORE mission is to apply continuous improvement (CI) techniques to effect major reductions in the cost (our primary goal) and span time (as a corollary) required for the production of spacecraft. SCORE is a multi-year initiative that is having a profound effect on both the procedural and the cultural aspects of how we do business. The objectives of this initiative are being realized. The focus of this paper is not on the results of SCORE per se, but rather on the things we have leaned about how to do continuous improvement on a massive scale, with multilevel (hierarchical) CI teams. The following sections summarize the chronology of the SCORE initiative, from team formation to development of the year-end report for 1991. Lessons learned, the core of this presentation, are discussed--with particular focus on the unique aspects of SCORE. The SCORE initiative is continuing and, as a part of our evolving culture, will never end. It has resulted in profound insights into the way we do work and (the topic at hand) how to do CI for large and complex multidisciplinary development activities.

Bullard, Jerry D.↗

On origin of the olivine inclusions from the Kainsaz CO carbonaceous chondrite

Olivine inclusions and chondrules of Kainsaz were formed in a unique process of dust matter melting. The elemental abundances of four fractions of olivine (01) inclusions from Kainsaz were analyzed by INAA. The inclusions of fraction A (160 less than d less than 260 microns) have Fe-Ni grains, the inclusions of fractions B (100 less than d less than 160 microns), C (160 less than d less than 260 microns), and D (260 less than d less than 360 microns) do not. The average elemental enrichment factors relative to CI chondrite for each fraction and chondrules of Kainsaz is shown. The enrichment factors of siderophile Co, Ni, Ir, Au, and non-refractory Na in all fractions are less than 1. The factors of refractory Ca, Sc, La, Sm, and Yb are comparative with the corresponding values of O1 aggregates of Allende CV (average 4.76). For chondrules of Kainsaz these values are lower. Fraction A is enriched in Co, Ir, Au, and relative Ni and CI chondrites: Ir greater than Au greater than Co. The values of (Me/Ni)inc/(Me/Ni)CI are equal to 3.25 for Ir, 2.1 for Au, and 1.2 for Co. The superabundances in Ir and Au relative to Ni witness to formation of Fe-Ni grains of O1 inclusions by agglomeration of grains enriched in refractory metal with grains enriched in non-refractory metal (Au). The enrichments of fraction A in Ca, Sc, La, Sm, and Yb witness about presence of high-temperature phases in O1 inclusions.

Lavrukhina, A. K.↗

Mode properties of low-frequency waves: Kinetic theory versus Hall-MHD

In fluid theory, the ordering of low-frequency modes in a homogeneous plasma is based on the phase velocity, since modes do not intersect each other in dispersion diagrams as a function of wavenumber or other parameters. In linear kinetic theory, modes cross each other. Thus a consistent and useful classification should be based on the physical properties of the modes instead. This paper attempts such a classification by documeting the dispersion and general mode properties of the low-frequency waves (omega much less than (OMEGA(sub ci) OMEGA(sub ce) (exp 1/2)), where OMEGA(sub ci), OMEGA(sub ce) are the cyclotron frequencies of the ions and electrons, respectively) in kinetic theory, and by comparing them to the results of two-fluid theory. Kinetic theory gives a seperate Alfven/ion-cyclotron (A/IC) wave with phase speed Omega/k approximately = v(sub A) cos theta for omega much less than OMEGA(sub ci), where v(sub A) is the Alfven velocity and theta the angle of propagation between wave vector k and background magnetic field B(sub o). For a given wavenumber, the magnetosonic mode is a double-valued solution with a singular point in theta, beta parameter space, where beta is the ratio of thermal pressure to magnetic pressure. It is shown that a branch cut starting at the singular point theta approximately 30 deg, beta approximately 3 and leading to larger beta gives a practical and consitent seperation of this double-valued magnetosonic solution. Selection of this branch cut results in a moderately damped fast/magnetos onic and a heavily damped slow/sound wave. A comprehensive review of the polarization, compressibility and other mode properties is given and shown to be consistent with the selected branch cut. At small wavenumbers, the kinetic mode properties typically start to deviate significantly from their fluid counterparts at beta approximately 0.5. At larger beta, there is no longer a consistent correspondence between the fluid and kinetic modes. Kinetic theory also dictates the use of different mode properties to distinguish between them in observational data. For example, the phase between the density and magnetic field perturbation may become useless at high beta, whereas the direction of the magnetic field perturbations with respect to k and B(sub o) remains a useful characteristic. Two quantities based on this characteristic are suggested and are shown to be useful also to distinguish between the mirror mode and A/IC waves in a plasma with temperature anisotropy.

Krauss-Varban, D.↗

Infrared diffuse reflectance spectra of carbonaceous chondrites: Amount of hydrous minerals

Infrared diffuse reflectance spectra (2.53-25 microns) of some carbonaceous (C) chondrites were measured. The integrated intensity of the absorption bands near 3 microns caused by hydrous minerals were compared with the modal content of hydrous minerals for the meteorites. The CM and CI chondrites show larger values of the intergated intensity than those of the unique C chondrites Y82162, Y86720 and B7904, suggesting that the amount of hydrous minerals in the CM and CI chondrites is larger, which supports the contention that hydrous minerals were dehydrated by thermal metamorphism in the unique chondrites. Orgueil (CI) has the largest value of the integrated intensity among the C chondrites we measured and shows a sharp absorption band at 3685/cm (2.71 microns) that is not seen in the spectra of the CM chondrites. There is an excellent correlation between the observed hydrogen content in C chondrites and the integrated intensity. The CM chondrites show a wide variation in the strength of absorption bands at 1470/cm (6.8 microns), despite the similarity in absorption features near 3 micron for all CM chondites. The 1470/cm band could be due to the presence of some hydrocarbons but may also be a result of terrestrial alteration processes.

Miyamoto, M.↗

Accurate Effective Core Potential for Germanium. Application to the Singlet-Triplet Splitting in GeH2

An accurate effective core potential (ECP), including frozen 3s, 3p orbitals and a single-zeta contracted 3d orbital, has been developed for germanium. The ECP with associated valence basis set reproduces the corresponding all-electron results for the atomic excitations and the geometry and excitation energies of GeH2. At the SCF, CAS SCF and CI levels the maximum difference from the all-electron results is 0.5 kcal/mol in the (sup 1)A(sub 1) - (sup 3)B(sub 1) excitation energy. Finally, the ECP description is used with an extended valence basis set and large-scale CAS SCF and multi-reference CI wavefunctions to compute the singlet-triplet separation; the final CI result including the Davidson correction is 22.5 kcal/mol.

Pettersson, Lars G. M.↗

Silicon in Mars' Core: A Prediction Based on Mars Model Using Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotopes in SNC Meteorites

Chemical and (oxygen) isotopic compositions of SNC meteorites have been used by a number of workers to infer the nature of precursor materials for the accretion of Mars. The idea that chondritic materials played a key role in the formation of Mars has been the central assumption in these works. Wanke and Dreibus have proposed a mixture of two types of chondritic materials, differing in oxygen fugacity but having CI type bulk chemical composition for the nonvolatile elements, for Mars' precursor. But a number of studies based on high pressure and temperature melting experiments do not favor a CI type bulk planet composition for Mars, as it predicts a bulk planet Fe/Si ratio much higher than that reported from the recent Pathfinder data. Oxygen forms the bulk of Mars (approximately 40% by wt.) and might provide clues to the type of materials that formed Mars. But models based on the oxygen isotopic compositions of SNC meteorites predict three different mixtures of precursor materials for Mars: 90% H + 10% CM, 85% H + 11% CV + 4% CI and 45% EH + 55% H. As each of these models has been shown to be consistent with the bulk geophysical properties (such as mean density, and moment of inertia factor) of Mars, the nature of the material that accreted to form Mars remains ambiguous.

Mohapatra, R. K.↗

Amino acids in the Tagish Lake Meteorite

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based amino acid analysis of a Tagish Lake meteorite sample recovered 3 months after the meteorite fell to Earth have revealed that the amino acid composition of Tagish Lake is strikingly different from that of the CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites. We found that the Tagish Lake meteorite contains only trace levels of amino acids (total abundance = 880 ppb), which is much lower than the total abundance of amino acids in the CI Orgueil (4100 ppb) and the CM Murchison (16 900 ppb). Because most of the same amino acids found in the Tagish Lake meteorite are also present in the Tagish Lake ice melt water, we conclude that the amino acids detected in the meteorite are terrestrial contamination. We found that the exposure of a sample of Murchison to cold water lead to a substantial reduction over a period of several weeks in the amount of amino acids that are not strongly bound to the meteorite matrix. However, strongly bound amino acids that are extracted by direct HCl hydrolysis are not affected by the leaching process. Thus even if there had been leaching of amino acids from our Tagish Lake meteorite sample during its 3 month residence in Tagish Lake ice and melt water, a Murchison type abundance of endogenous amino acids in the meteorite would have still been readily detectable. The low amino acid content of Tagish Lake indicates that this meteorite originated fiom a different type of parent body than the CM and CI chondrites. The parent body was apparently devoid of the reagents such as aldehyldes/ketones, HCN and ammonia needed for the effective abiotic synthesis of amino acids. Based on reflectance spectral measurements, Tagish Lake has been associated with P- or D-type asteroids. If the Tagish Lake meteorite was indeed derived fiom these types of parent bodies, our understanding of these primitive asteroids needs to be reevaluated with respect to their potential inventory of biologically important organic compounds.

Kminek, G.↗

Isotopic Composition of Silicon Carbide in the CO3 Chondrite Colony

Presolar grains have been identified in primitive members of all chondrite classes. The isotopic compositions of presolar grains provide probes of galactic evolution and nucleosynthesis in stars, while the abundances and characteristics of presolar grains contain a record of thermal processing in the solar system. Most of the detailed isotopic work has been done on SiC from Murchison and Orgueil, supplemented by a few studies of ordinary and enstatite chondrites. This work investigates SiC in the Colony CO3.O meteorite. SiC is present in Colony at a matrix-normalized abundance of approximately 3.7 ppm, much less than in CI chondrites and the matrixes of CM and primitive ordinary and enstatite chondrites. The abundances of SiC and other presolar grains in Colony seem to correlate with the chemical processing that produced CO3 chondrites. This implies that the known presolar grains experienced the same processing as the bulk CO3 material and assumes that the parent material was the same as that for other chondrites, including CI. That parent material is most plausibly the average material in the sun s parent molecular cloud. One test of this idea is to look for primary differences between SiC in Colony (and other meteorites) and that in CI and CM chondrites. True differences not related to thermal processing would falsify the assumption that all chondrite classes originated from the same reservoir of presolar dust.

Smith, J. B.↗

Contribution of vertebral deformities to chronic back pain and disability. The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group

Among 2992 white women aged 65-70 years recruited from population-based listings, we measured radiographic vertebral dimensions of T5-L4 and calculated ratios of heights: anterior/posterior, mid/posterior, and posterior/posterior of either adjacent vertebra. The degree of deformity for each vertebra was analyzed in terms of the number of standard deviations (SD) that ratio differed from the mean ratio calculated for the same vertebral level in this population. We correlated the severity of each woman's worst vertebral deformity with back pain, back disability in six activities of daily living, and height loss since age 25. Only 39.4% of the cohort had no vertebral deformity; 10.2% had a deformity greater than or equal to 4 SD. Vertebral deformities less than 4 SD below the mean were not associated with increased back pain, disability, or loss of height. In contrast, women whose deformity was greater than or equal to 4 SD had a 1.9 (95% CI, 1.5-2.4) times higher risk of moderate to severe back pain and a 2.6 (95% CI, 1.7-3.9) times higher risk of disability involving the back; they were also 2.5 (95% CI, 2.0-3.2) times more likely to have lost greater than or equal to 4 cm in height. All three types of vertebral deformity (wedge, end plate, and crush) were equally associated with these outcomes. Multiple deformities less than 4 SD did not increase the likelihood of these three outcomes, but multiple deformities greater than or equal to 4 SD tended to be associated with increased back pain, disability, and height loss. This large cross-sectional study suggests that vertebral deformities cause substantial pain, disability, or loss of height only if vertebral height ratios fall 4 SD below the normal mean. Much back pain could not be attributed to vertebral deformities, suggesting other causes.

Non-NASA Center↗

Comets, Carbonaceous Meteorites, and the Origin of the Biosphere

The biosphere comprises the Earth s crust, atmosphere, oceans, and ice caps and the living organisms that survive within this habitat. The discoveries of barophilic chemolithoautotrophic thermophiles living deep within the crust and in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and psychrophiles in permafrost and deep within the Antarctic Ice Sheet indicate the Earth s biosphere is far more extensive than previously recognized. Molecular biomarkers and Bacterial Paleontology provide evidence that life appeared very early on the primitive Earth and the origin of the biosphere is closely linked with the emergence of life. The role of comets, meteorites, and interstellar dust in the delivery of water, organics and prebiotic chemicals has long been recognized. Deuterium enrichment of seawater and comets indicates that comets delivered oceans to the early Earth. Furthermore, the similarity of the D/H ratios and the chemical compositions of CI carbonaceous meteorites and comets indicate that the CI meteorites may be remnants of cometary nuclei with most volatiles removed. Comets, meteorites, and interstellar dust also contain complex organic chemicals, amino acids, macromolecules, and kerogen-like biopolymers and may have played a crucial role in the delivery of complex organics and prebiotic chemicals during the Hadean (4.5-3.8 Gyr) period of heavy bombardment. The existence of indigenous microfossils of morphotypes of cyanobacteria in the CI and CM carbonaceous meteorites suggests that the paradigm that life originated endogenously in the primitive oceans of early Earth may require re-consideration. Recent data on the hot (300-400 K) black crust on comet P/Halley and Stardust images of P/Wild 2 showing depressions, tall cliffs, and pinnacles, indicate the presence of thick, durable, dark crusts on comets. If cavities within the ice and crust sustain vapor pressures in excess of 10 millibar, then localized pools of liquid water and brines could exist within the comet. Since life exists on Earth wherever there is liquid water, it is suggested that comets might also harbour viable and/or cryopreserved microbiota.

Hoover, Richard B.↗

Extreme Ultraviolet Emission Spectrum of CO_2 Induced by Electron Impact at 200 eV

We present the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission spectrum of CO_2 induced by electronimpact at 200 eV. There are 36 spectral features which are identified with a resolution of 0.5 nmover the wavelength range of 40 to 125 nm. Absolute emission cross sections were obtained for eachof these features. The EUV emission spectrum induced by electron impact consist of atomicmultiplets of CI,II and OI,II,III as well as CO and CO^+ molecular band systems produced bydissociative excitation. The CI (119.4 nm) multiplet is the strongest feature of CI with a peak crosssection of 3.61 x 10^(-19) cm^2 at 200 eV. The strongest feature of OI in the EUV spectrum is theOI (99.0 nm) multiplet with a peak cross section of 3.59 x 10^(-19) cm^2 at 200 eV.

Kanik, I.↗

Signal Detection Theory Applied to Helicopter Transmission Diagnostic Thresholds

Helicopter Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) have potential for providing data to support increasing the service life of a dynamic mechanical component in the transmission of a helicopter. Data collected can demonstrate the HUMS condition indicator responds to a specific component fault with appropriate alert limits and minimal false alarms. Defining thresholds for specific faults requires a tradeoff between the sensitivity of the condition indicator (CI) limit to indicate damage and the number of false alarms. A method using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves to assess CI performance was demonstrated using CI data collected from accelerometers installed on several UH60 Black Hawk and AH64 Apache helicopters and an AH64 helicopter component test stand. Results of the analysis indicate ROC curves can be used to reliably assess the performance of commercial HUMS condition indicators to detect damaged gears and bearings in a helicopter transmission.

Dempsey, Paula J.↗

Signal Detection Theory Applied to Helicopter Transmission Diagnostic Thresholds

Helicopter Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) have potential for providing data to support increasing the service life of a dynamic mechanical component in the transmission of a helicopter. Data collected can demonstrate the HUMS condition indicator responds to a specific component fault with appropriate alert limits and minimal false alarms. Defining thresholds for specific faults requires a tradeoff between the sensitivity of the condition indicator (CI) limit to indicate damage and the number of false alarms. A method using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves to assess CI performance was demonstrated using CI data collected from accelerometers installed on several UH60 Black Hawk and AH64 Apache helicopters and an AH64 helicopter component test stand. Results of the analysis indicate ROC curves can be used to reliably assess the performance of commercial HUMS condition indicators to detect damaged gears and bearings in a helicopter transmission.

Dempsey, Paula J.↗

Cascade and Dissipation of Solar Wind Turbulence at Electron Scales: Whistlers or Kinetic Alfv\'en Waves?

Over the past few decades, large-scales solar wind (SW) turbulence has been studied extensively, both theoretically and observationally. Observed power spectra of the low frequency turbulence, which can be described in the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) limit, are shown to obey the Kolmogorov scaling, $k"{ -5/3 }$, down the local proton gyrofrequency ($C{ci} \sim O.l$-Hz). Turbulence at frequencies above $C{ci}$ has not been thoroughly investigated and remains far less well understood. Above $C{ ci}$ the spectrum steepens to $\sim f"{ -2.5}$ and a debate exists as to whether the turbulence has become dominated by dispersive kinetic Alfven waves (KA W) or by whistler waves, before it is dissipated at small scales, In a case study Sahraoui et al., PRL (2009) have reported the first direct determination of the dissipation range of solar wind turbulence near the electron gyroscale using the high resolution Cluster magnetic and electric field data (up to $10"2$-Hz in the spacecraft reference frame). Above the Doppler-shifted proton scale $C{\rho i}$ a new inertial range with a scaling $\sim f"{ -2.3}$ has been evidenced and shown to remarkably agree with theoretical predictions of a quasi-two-dimensional cascade into KA W turbulence. Here, we use a wider sample of data sets of small scale SW turbulence under different plasma conditions, and investigate under which physical criteria the KA W (or the whistler) turbulence may be observed to carry out the cascade at small scales, These new observations/criteria are compared to the predictions on the cascade and the (kinetic) dissipation from the Vlasov theory. Implications of the results on the heating problem of the solar wind will be discussed.

Sahraoui, Fouad↗