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NASA NTRS1983

Venus gravity anomalies and their correlations with topography

This report provides a summary of the high-resolution gravity data obtained from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter radio tracking data. Gravity maps, covering a 70 deg latitude band through 360 deg of longitude, are displayed as line-of-sight and vertical gravity. Topography converted to gravity and Bouguer gravity maps are also shown in both systems. Topography to gravity ratios are made over several regions of the planet. There are markedly different ratios for the Aphrodite area as compared to the Beta and Atla areas.

Sjogren, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A numerical study of Saturn's F-ring

The short term effects of 'shepherding' satellites is examined in the general case where all bodies move along eccentric orbits by analyzing the motion of a ring of particles as their orbits evolve under the gravitational perturbations of the shepherds. This computational approach makes ring evolution calculations extremely efficient numerically, and provides added insight into the nature of this two-body interaction. The procedure is analyzed and applied to several possible configurations of ring and shepherd orbits, emphasizing the F ring. If the F ring-to-satellite distance changes significantly due to eccentricities, the ring can break up into periodic clumps in an azimuthal domain which trails the satellite. This region may lag somewhat in longitude. The perturbations may cause the ring to vary significantly in a width, and can impart a significant, but probably time-variable, eccentricity to the ring.

Showalter, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Spectral study of wintertime kinetic energy of the Northern Hemisphere in the troposphere

Characteristics of the kinetic energy of wind fields at various pressure levels were analyzed, and significant wavenumbers in the wavenumber-frequency domain were identified. The nonlinear interaction terms of the kinetic energy equation were examined, and the distribution of the kinetic energy at the 850 mb, 500 mb, and 200 mb levels was calculated. A 5 deg latitude-longitude square grid was used, with NMC data for the 1975-1976 winter in the 20-60 deg N at 500 mb and 20-85 deg N for the 200 mb and 850 mb levels. The kinetic energy distribution was determined to be geography-dependent, with wavenumbers 6-9 westerly waves in the midfrequency range contributing significantly to kinetic energy maxima over the North Pacific and the east coast of North America. The contribution of the nonlinear interactions of these waves, which correspond to the longitudinal convergence of the kinetic energy flux, was found to be larger than the meridional convergence of the kinetic energy flux, and to occur mainly between 30-50 deg N. The nonlinear interactions were a negative contribution over the North Pacific at the 200 mb level.

Lee, H. N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

H0547-14 - X-ray flux from a weak gamma-ray burst?

Data concerning a fast X ray transient observed by the HEAO 1 on March 17, 1978 are discussed. The object, labeled H0547-14, was located in Lepus, with galactic coordinates 219.37 deg longitude, b = -20.12 deg in the anticenter direction. A 10 sec scan of the transient was obtained with proportional counter detectors. An X ray luminosity of more than 5.1 x 10 to the 31st ergs/sec was measured as a lower limit, with the decay taking 17 min. A lower limit to the flare was set at 30 sec. The flux intensity resided in the range 4.4/1 billion-4/100 million erg/sq cm per sec, with a rise time of a factor of 10 in about 5 sec. Possible characterizations of the object, as either a gamma ray burst or as an M dwarf star, are discussed.

Ambruster, C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Lorentz forces on the dust in Jupiter's ring

The paths of dust particles in the Jovian ring are investigated using a numerical integration program, including the acceleration due to gravity and the Lorentz and drag accelerations arising from the motions of the charged dust through the Jovian plasma. It is determined that the orbit of a 2.5 micron radius spherical dust particle with a density of 2 g/cu cm -10V will become significantly perturbed. The ring will tend to warp northwards near 130-160 deg longitude, with the maximum excursion of the Jupiter ring grains equalling about 0.1 deg (consistent with a distance of 220 km above the equatorial plane). It is found that either the particles are larger or the voltages on them less than what has been determined by previous investigators, while the plasma near the ring may be considerably cooler than was estimated. Calculations show that particles of 0.3 micron with -10 V potentials are spread from 1.68-1.98 of the radius of Jupiter and inclined up to 7 deg out of the equatorial plane. The paths of these particles do not follow Keplerian orbits, and the particle positions are not symmetric about the equatorial plane. Particles of 0.4 micron radius have less asymmetric orbits than 0.3 micron particles, while particles less than 0.2 micron are perturbed into Jupiter cloudtops within a few tens of hours.

Consolmagno, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Entwined and parallel bundled orbits as alternative models for narrow planetary ringlets

Particle orbits can be bundled in two different ways to produce narrow, Uranus-type ringlets. The usual assumption is that they are packed in a parallel manner in a structure that is essentially only two-dimensional, but it is then difficult to explain the large numbers of particles per unit area of the ring plane that are inferred from the observations. The alternative of a bundle of entwined orbits produces a three-dimensional structure of potentially large projected areal density. A start has been made in identifying possible mechanisms for stabilizing these structures, but much remains to be done, particularly for the less-studied model of entwined orbits. The two models might be discriminated observationally by differences in the motion of the line of intersection of the orbital and equatorial planes, and by the predicted radial reversal (entwined) or nonreversal (parallel) of features in occultation signatures taken at certain longitudes.

Eshleman, V. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

An interactive system for compositing digital radar and satellite data

This paper describes an approach for compositing digital radar data and GOES satellite data for meteorological analysis. The processing is performed on a user-oriented image processing system, and is designed to be used in the research mode. It has a capability to construct PPIs and three-dimensional CAPPIs using conventional as well as Doppler data, and to composite other types of data. In the remapping of radar data to satellite coordinates, two steps are necessary. First, PPI or CAPPI images are remapped onto a latitude-longitude projection. Then, the radar data are projected into satellite coordinates. The exact spherical trigonometric equations, and the approximations derived for simplifying the computations are given. The use of these approximations appears justified for most meteorological applications. The largest errors in the remapping procedure result from the satellite viewing angle parallax, which varies according to the cloud top height. The horizontal positional error due to this is of the order of the error in the assumed cloud height in mid-latitudes. Examples of PPI and CAPPI data composited with satellite data are given for Hurricane Frederic on 13 September 1979 and for a squall line on 2 May 1979 in Oklahoma.

Heymsfield, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The 1982 control network of Mars

Attention is given to a planet-wide control network of Mars that was computed in September 1982 using a large single-block analytical triangulation with 47,524 measurements of 6853 control points on 1054 Mariner 9 and 757 Viking pictures. In all, 19,139 normal equations were solved, with a resulting standard error of measurement of 18.06 microns. The control points identified by name and letter designation are given, as are the aerographic coordinates of the control points. In addition, the coordinates of the Viking I lander site are given: latitude, 22.480 deg; longitude, 47.962 deg (radius, 3389.32 km). This study expands and updates the previously published network (1978). It is noted that the computation differs in many respects from standard aerial mapping photogrammetric practice. In comparison with aerial mapping photography, the television formats are small and the focal lengths are long; stereo coverage is rare, the scale of the pictures varies greatly, and the residual camera distortions are large.

Davies, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Effects of a rough boundary surface on polarization of the scattered field from an inhomogeneous medium

A combination of the standard Kirchhoff method for rough surface scattering with the Rayleigh phase function radiative transfer method for volume scattering is employed in the present study of the effect of surface roughness on the polarization of the scattered field. It is found that for pure surface scattering, the polarization ratio between zero and 20 deg incidence angles is sensitive to surface roughness change. When both surface and volume scattering are present, however, copolarization nulls by colatitude or degree of polarization at zero to 15 deg incidence angle, and copolarization or crosspolarization nulls by longitude at large incidence angles, are better indicators of surface roughness changes. It is noted that degree of polarization and copolarization nulls by colatitude vary monotonously with incidence angle, while in combined surface and volume scattering these have, respectively, a minimum and a maximum. This characteristic allows the separation of combined surface and volume scattering from pure surface or volume scattering.

Fung, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Relative frequency and diurnal variation of high cold clouds in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific

The percentage of cold clouds less than or equal to 240 K was tabulated from Nimbus-5 data in 2 deg latitude-longitude squares over tropical oceans in the North Atlantic and Pacific for day (1130 LST) and night (2330 LST). The maximum percentage and amplitude of the diurnal variation are in the eastern Atlantic and Pacific. Day percentages are higher than at night in the entire 6-10 deg N belt of the Atlantic. Weaker night maxima are to the north and south of this belt. In the Pacific, the distribution of day and night predominance is more variable.

Wexler, R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Relative-datum Loran navigation

For short range navigation around an airport, there are operational and computational advantages in changing the reference frame for Loran navigation of the normal latitude-longitude frame to a tangential local reference plane. This is called ""Relative Datum Loran Navigation'' since it is centered at a selected reference point (such as a runway touchdown point) whose time differences (TD's) in a given Loran grid accurately surveyed. If the receiver TD's are related to this datum to produce a relative TD (delta TD), the computation of its position in the x,y local reference plane can be computed easily using two linked linear equations which have four known constant coefficients. The TD's of all touchdown points and these four coefficients in order to provide x,y in local reference planes related to each runway can be stored.

Elias, A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Forecasting tropical cyclone recurvature with upper tropospheric winds

Data from 17 tropical cyclones during the 1974 through 1979 hurricane seasons are used to investigate whether the high level winds far to the northwest, north and northeast of the hurricane center can be used to predict hurricane track recurvature. When the man 200-mb winds 1500 to 2000 km northwest and north of the storm center equal or exceed 20 m/s, 80 per cent of the storms recurved before traveling as much as 12 degrees of longitude farther west. The high winds were also used to predict change in direction of forward motion during the next 72 hours. The regression equations developed explain up to 41 per cent of the variance in future direction. In addition to the geostrophic winds used, winds were also obtained by tracking clouds with successive satellite imagery. The u-components of the satellite winds are highly correlated with the geostrophic winds at 200-mb and could probably be used instead of them when available. The v-components are less highly correlated.

Gentry, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Solar cycle evolution of the solar wind in three dimensions

Measurements of the solar wind speed both in and out of the ecliptic are presented for 1971-82. The speed estimates, which were made with the interplanetary scintillation system at UC San Diego, have been compared to in situ for large, slowly evolving structures, and thus such structures can be studied up to 60 degrees north and south heliographic latitude. Annual average wind speeds are presented versus latitude for an entire solar cycle. Fast wind streams from the poles persisted through declining and low solar activity, but were closed off during four years of high activity. This evolution follows that of the polar coronal holes, as displayed by comparing averaged speed and coronal density over latitude and longitude. The most recent data (1982) show the reestablishment of large tilted polar holes and associated fast streams. Coronal magnetic field data show that the neutral sheet is confined to low latitudes at solar minimum and extends to high latitudes at solar maximum; thus the slow solar wind comes from the same latitude range as that of the neutral sheet.

Rickett, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

FGGE/ERBM tape specification and shipping letter description

The Nimbus-7 FGGE/ERBM tape contains 27 ERB parameters which are extracted and reformatted from the Nimbus-7 ERB-MATRIX tape. There are four types of files on a FGGE/ERBM tape: a test file; tape-header file which describes the data set characteristics and the contents of the tape; a grid-descriptor file which contains the information of the ERB scanning channel target number and their associated latitude limits and longitude intervals; and one or more data files. A single end-of-file (EOF) tape mark is written after each file, and two EOF marks are written after the last data file on the tape.

Han, D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

User's guide for SBUV/TOMS ozone derivative products

A series of products are available derived from the total-ozone and ozone vertical profile results for the Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet/Total-Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (SBUV/TOMS) Nimbus-7 operation. Products available are (1) orbital height-latitude cross sections of the SBUV profile data, (2) daily global total ozone contours in polar coordinates, (3) daily averages of total ozone in global 5x5 degree latitude-longitude grid, (4) daily, monthly and quarterly averages of total ozone and profile data in 10 degree latitude zones, (5) tabular presentation of zonal means, (6) daily global total ozone and profile contours in polar coordinates. The ""Derivative Products User's Guide'' describes each of these products in detail, including their derivation and presentation format. Information is provided on how to order the tapes and microfilm from the National Space Science Data Center.

Fleig, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A study of the diffuse galactic gamma radiation

The observed diffuse galactic gamma radiation is compared to that predicted from galactic cosmic ray interactions with galactic matter and photons, assuming that on a broad scale the galactic cosmic rays in the plane are correlated with matter density. Recent considerations of the galactic diffuse matter distribution, particularly the molecular hydrogen, the galactic photon density, and a revised cosmic ray galactic scale height, are included. The predictions are compared to the observational gamma ray longitude distributions, the latitude distribution, and energy spectrum, including the COS-B satellite results, and the COS-B background estimate. Considering the uncertainties, the agreement between the theoretical predictions and the gamma ray data seems generally reasonable, suggesting that the general concepts are likely to be correct. Both the results determined here alone and in conjunction with other work calculating source functions assuming only cosmic ray matter contributions indicate no necessity for a significant point source contribution to the diffuse gamma radiation in the energy range being considered (E(gamma)10 MeV).

Fichtel, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A micro-computer based system to compute magnetic variation

A mathematical model of magnetic variation in the continental United States (COT48) was implemented in the Ohio University LORAN C receiver. The model is based on a least squares fit of a polynomial function. The implementation on the microprocessor based LORAN C receiver is possible with the help of a math chip, Am9511 which performs 32 bit floating point mathematical operations. A Peripheral Interface Adapter (M6520) is used to communicate between the 6502 based micro-computer and the 9511 math chip. The implementation provides magnetic variation data to the pilot as a function of latitude and longitude. The model and the real time implementation in the receiver are described.

Kaul, R.↗