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A weak thermoluminescence, due primarily to plagioclase feldspar, is found to exist in Apollo 11 and 12 lunar rock and topsoil samples. This effect increases with depth to about 10 cm below the surface and becomes relatively even in greater depth. The penetration of the diurnal temperature wave is traced to the rock thermoluminescence. Evidence is also found for the thermal draining of the surface rock.
Microwave radiometric field observations were conducted at wavelengths of 21, 2.8, and 0.95 cm to determine the microwave penetration depth of a number of sands and gravels as a function of particle size and moisture content. Observations of a reflecting plate covered with varying thicknesses of test material exhibit a pronounced oscillatory behavior that is consistent with established electromagnetic theory for plane-parallel layered mediums. Utilization of this interference effect is proposed as a microwave radiometric technique for determining the bulk electrical properties of geologic materials, snow, ice, and other materials readily adapted to layering experiments.
Current plans of NASA are to take advantage of the 1977 launch opportunity by sending a Mariner class spacecraft on a gravity assisted flyby of Jupiter which will then continue on to Saturn. The background of this Mariner Jupiter-Saturn 77 Project is reviewed and science objectives for this mission as currently adapted are given. This paper illustrates properties of the Jupiter-Saturn opportunities between 1976 and 1980 to give context to the 1977 opportunity. Details of the possibilities for the 1977 launch are shown along with constraints and example candidate trajectories. Options include close flybys and/or occultations of the satellites at Jupiter and Saturn, penetration of Saturn's rings, and various occultations of the planets. A short discussion of other factors, such as navigation and planetary quarantine (documented elsewhere) are included.
Addition of approximately 1% paraformaldehyde to room-temperature-vulcanizing potting polymer results in effective, controllable germicide. When heated above ambient temperatures, paraformaldehyde releases dry formaldehyde, which can penetrate enclosed areas and packages, will not damage material, and leaves no permanent residue.
Preliminary results and conclusions of a study of electric field oscillations in the upstream solar wind are reported. The OGO-5 orbits are on the dusk (three) and on the dawn (one) sides of the earth-sun line. It is concluded that there are electron streams produced at or near the bow shock. These streams penetrate the incoming solar wind plasma, and generate quasi-electromagnetic waves. The streams (as inferred from the wave levels) occur without regard to dawn-dusk location, as opposed to the low-frequency MHD upstream disturbances driven by backstreaming protons, which show a definitely strong preference for the dawn-noon sector. The presence of the suprathermal electron streams and associated wave turbulence indicates that some near-earth electron distributions are probably not representative of true solar wind distributions far away from the earth.
The expected characteristics of the solar wind, extrapolated from the vicinity of the earth are described. Several models are examined for the interaction of the solar wind with the interstellar plasma and magnetic field. Various aspects of the penetration of neutral interstellar gas into the solar wind are considered. The dynamic effects of the neutral gas on the solar wind are described. Problems associated with the interaction of cosmic rays with the solar wind are discussed.
For a sufficiently rapid relative motion of the solar system and the nearby interstellar gas, neutral atoms may be expected to penetrate the heliosphere before becoming ionized. Recent satellite measurements of the Lyman alpha emission above the geocorona indicate such an interstellar wind of neutral hydrogen emerging from the direction of Sagittarius and reaching to within a few astronomical units of the sun. A detailed model of the scattering of solar Lyman alpha from the spatial distribution of neutral hydrogen in interplanetary space is presented. This asymmetric distribution is established by solar wind and solar ultraviolet ionization processes along the trajectories of the incoming hydrogen atoms. The values of the interstellar density, the relative velocity, and the gas temperature are adjusted to agree with the Lyman alpha measurements. The results may be interpreted in terms of two models, the cold model and the hot model of the interstellar gas, depending on whether galactic Lyman alpha emission is present at its maximum allowable value or negligibly small.
The author has identified the following significant results. Preliminary analysis of the first three months of ERTS-1 imagery have revealed that the MSS images have particular utility for study of turbidity patterns, current phenomena, and bathymetry throughout the test area. Early indications are that well defined spatial distributions of turbidity exist in the northern Gulf of California, and that for any one point in time, these distributions vary with depth. From a single set of images, as many as 3 turbidity maps may be generated, each indicating a vertical spatial relationship of the turbidity masses. The spatial distribution of turbidity masses depend partially upon the coincident currents. In the band of deepest penetration, a map can be gathered which roughly corresponds to the bathymetry of the area. The extreme tides in the northern Gulf of California result in vast areas which can be classified as intertidal mud flats. Information on the amount of exposure at the varying tidal states is important in analysis of these mud flat areas as nursery ground for Mexican commercial fisheries.
A totally reusable space shuttle configuration has been analyzed during ascent flight to determine its response to atmospheric turbulence. Responses in the form of booster and orbiter body accelerations and booster wing root shear, bending moment and turque were obtained due to random and quasi-square-wave discrete turbulence. The configuration was also analyzed with booster aerodynamic surfaces removed to simulate an expendable booster. Symmetric and antisymmetric analyses were performed. Propellant sloshing, gust penetration, and automatic control system effects were included. It was found that the symmetric responses were generally higher than the antisymmetric ones. The stability augmentation system tended to lower the booster accelerations in the symmetric case, while increasing the orbiter accelerations.
This research is directed toward development of a practical, operational remote sensing water quality monitoring system. To accomplish this, five fundamental aspects of the problem have been under investigation during the past three years. These are: (1) development of practical and economical methods of obtaining, handling and analyzing remote sensing data; (2) determination of the correlation between remote sensed imagery and actual water quality parameters; (3) determination of the optimum technique for monitoring specific water pollution parameters and for evaluating the reliability with which this can be accomplished; (4) determination of the extent of masking due to depth of penetration, bottom effects, film development effects, and angle falloff, and development of techniques to eliminate or minimize them; and (5) development of operational procedures which might be employed by a municipal, state or federal agency for the application of remote sensing to water quality monitoring, including space-generated data.
The author has identified the following significant results. In the Santa Barbara Channel the effect of the California and the Anacapa Currents are clearly seen in image 1109-18073M. The large triangular shaped lobe of suspended particulate matter that stretches almost to Anacapa Island from the Ventura River area is disrupted approximately midchannel by the east-moving Anacapa Current. In the Point Conception area a lobe of suspended material approximately 20 miles long can be seen moving eastward as a result of the California Current. In the San Francisco Bay area the major results include the detection and delineation of the San Francisco Bay, the location and vector of suspended sediment in the San Francisco Bay, and the ability to differentiate morphologic units within the San Francisco Bay tidelands. Several densitometer line traces seaward of the Golden Gate Bridge on image 1075-18173-4 outline the San Francisco Bay and give evidence of good water penetration.
Present capabilities and limitations of nondestructive testing (NDT) as applied to aerospace structures during design, development, production, and operational phases are assessed. It will help determine what useful structural quantitative and qualitative data may be provided from raw materials to vehicle refurbishment. This assessment considers metal alloys systems and bonded composites presently applied in active NASA programs or strong contenders for future use. Quantitative and qualitative data has been summarized from recent literature, and in-house information, and presented along with a description of those structures or standards where the information was obtained. Examples, in tabular form, of NDT technique capabilities and limitations have been provided. NDT techniques discussed and assessed were radiography, ultrasonics, penetrants, thermal, acoustic, and electromagnetic. Quantitative data is sparse; therefore, obtaining statistically reliable flaw detection data must be strongly emphasized. The new requirements for reusable space vehicles have resulted in highly efficient design concepts operating in severe environments. This increases the need for quantitative NDT evaluation of selected structural components, the end item structure, and during refurbishment operations.
The penetrating ionizing space radiations are found to be extremely diverse in the energy range of both their particulate and their electromagnetic components. Radiation terms and measures and ionizing radiation classes and sources are presented. Whole body radiation effects are examined, including radiation intensity and rate effectiveness factors. Radiation effects on specific body systems, such as blood, skin, visual, and reproductive systems are also discussed.
The author has identified the following significant results. Significant scientific conclusions are: (1) Bulk RBV's have internal positional accuracy in the order of 70 meters at ground scale while MSS internal accuracy is in the order of 200 to 300 meters. Both have precision processed images with accuracy within 70 meters. (2) Image quality exhibited by detectability and acutance is better than expected and perhaps twice as good as would be achieved by photographic film of the same resolution. (3) Photometric anomalies (shading) have limited RBV multispectral application, but it is believed that these anomalies can be further reduced. (4) The MSS has exceptionally high photometric fidelity but the matching of scenes taken under different conditions of illumination has not been resolved. (5) MSS bands 6 and 7 have enormous potential for surface water mapping including the correlation of shorelines at various water stages. (6) MSS band 7 demonstrates an actual cloud penetration capability beyond what was expected. It also has delineated cultural features better than the other MSS bands under certain conditions.
Tubular transition joints providing a metallurgically bonded connection between tantalum and 316 stainless steel pipe sections were comparatively evaluated for durability under thermal cycling conditions approximating the operation of a SNAP-8 mercury boiler. Both coextruded and vacuum brazed transition joints of 50mm (2 inch) diameter were tested by thermal cycling 100 times between 730 C and 120 C(1350 F and 250 F) in a high vacuum environment. The twelve evaluated transition joints survived the full test sequence without developing leaks, although liquid penetrant bond line indications eventually developed in all specimens. The brazed transition joints exhibited the best dimensional stability and bond line durability.
An abradable buffered labyrinth seal for the control of turbine gas path leakage in a tip-turbine driven lift fan was designed, tested, and analyzed. The seal configuration was not designed to operate in any specific location but was sized to be evaluated in an existing test rig. The final sealing diameter selected was 28 inches. Results of testing indicate that the flow equations predicted seal air flows consistent with measured values. Excellent sealing characteristics of the abradable coating on the stator land were demonstrated when a substantial seal penetration of .030 inch into the land surface was encountered without appreciable wear on the labyrinth knife edges.
A wind-tunnel technique which makes use of a dynamically scaled aeroelastic model to predict full-scale airplane buffet loads during buffet boundary penetration is evaluated. A 1/8-scale flutter model of a fighter airplane with remotely controllable variable-sweep wings and trimming surfaces was used for the evaluation. The model was flown on a cable-mount system which permitted high lift forces comparable to those in maneuvering flight. Bending moments and accelerations due to buffet were measured on the flutter model and compared with those measured on the full-scale airplane in an independent flight buffet research study. It is concluded that the technique can provide valuable information on airplane buffet load characteristics not available from any other source except flight test.
A JPL study was conducted to evaluate the cell design parameters that contribute to the cycle life of sealed, heat-sterilized silver oxide-zinc cells. Test cells having a rated capacity of 4.2 A-h were fabricated using zinc oxide electrodes prepared by the sintered Teflon process. Two separator variations were evaluated, one having acrylic acid and the other methacrylic acid grafted to irradiated polyethylene film. Significant results of this study include the following: (1) cycle life in excess of 300 cycles was attained; (2) a zinc oxide/silver stoichiometric ratio of 1.5 resulted in greater cycle life than a ratio of 1.1, and similar cycle life to cells having a ratio of 2; (3) cells having methacrylic acid grafted separators suffered somewhat less in capacity loss due to zinc electrode shape change than cells having acrylic acid type; (4) use of acrylic acid grafted separators was slightly superior to the methacrylic acid type in respect to silver penetration; and (5) the inclusion of a layer of potassium titanate paper adjacent to the zinc electrodes resulted in cells that achieved higher cycle life before any of the group failed than that reached by cells of any other construction.