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NASA NTRS1992

Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensing (SILTS) experiment - STS-35 and STS-40 preliminary results

Preliminary results from the STS-35 and STS-40 flight of the Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensing (SILTS) experiment aboard the Shuttle Orbiter Columbia are presented. Infrared images are shown in false-color indicating the level and distribution of surface temperature over the vehicle's leeside fuselage during entry. Features evident in the imagery are related to their causative aerodynamic flow phenomena. Quantitative comparisons of the infrared image data with in situ temperature measurements obtained with thermocouples located at the aerodynamic surface of the thermal protection materials are presented.

Throckmorton, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Atmosphere and climate studies of Mars using the Mars Observer pressure modulator infrared radiometer

Studies of the climate and atmosphere of Mars are limited at present by a lack of meteorological data having systematic global coverage with good horizontal and vertical resolution. The Mars Observer spacecraft in a low, nearly circular, polar orbit will provide an excellent platform for acquiring the data needed to advance significantly our understanding of the Martian atmosphere and its remarkable variability. The Mars Observer pressure modulator infrared radiometer (PMIRR) is a nine-channel limb and nadir scanning atmospheric sounder which will observe the atmosphere of Mars globally from 0 to 80 km for a full Martian year. PMIRR employs narrow-band radiometric channels and two pressure modulation cells to measure atmospheric and surface emission in the thermal infrared. PMIRR infrared and visible measurements will be combined to determine the radiative balance of the polar regions, where a sizeable fraction of the global atmospheric mass annually condenses onto and sublimes from the surface. Derived meteorological fields, including diabatic heating and cooling and the vertical variation of horizontal winds, are computed from the globally mapped fields retrieved from PMIRR data.

Mccleese, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Radio and infrared emission from Markarian starburst galaxies

Radio and infrared emission were compared for a sample of 58 Markarian starburst galaxies, chosen to cover a wide range of 60-micron luminosity density. New radio observations were from the VLA at 6 and 20 cm in the B and A configurations. IRAS data were reanalyzed for 25 of the starbursts that were previously undetected at either 25 or 100 microns. The correlation between the global radio and IR emission for the starbursts in the sample is strongest at 25 and 60 microns, wavelengths in which the warm dust dominates. The radio spectral index steepens away from the center. This indicates that nonthermal emission leaks out of the starburst region. The change in the spectral index implies that while nonthermal sources dominate in the entire region, the bulk of the interior emission at 6 cm is thermal. The radio spectral index does not appear to vary as a function of the infrared luminosity or the infrared colors, which indicates that the slope of the initial mass function does not appear to be a function of either the mass or temperature of the starburst.

Stine, Peter C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The effects of small ice crystals on cirrus infrared radiative properties

Using a model that combines single-scattering properties for spheroidal and hexagonal ice crystals, the thermal infrared radiative properties of cirrus clouds have been investigated. Infrared scattering and absorption properties for randomly oriented spheroids and hexagons are parameterized based on the anomalous diffraction theory and a geometric ray-tracing method, respectively. Using observed ice crystal size distributions, upwelling radiances at the top of cirrus cloudy atmospheres have been computed. Results show that the presence of small ice crystals can produce significant brightness temperature differences between two infrared wavelengths in the 10-micron window. Theoretical results have been compared with observed brightness temperature differences between 8.35 and 11.16 microns and between 11.16 and 12 microns. The observed values were obtained from the high-spectral resolution interferometer sounder. It is shown that the use of the present nonspherical model for ice crystals in radiative transfer calculations leads to a significantly better interpretation of the observed data than does the use of the spherical model.

Takano, Y.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Synchrotron infrared spectroscopy at megabar pressures - Vibrational dynamics of hydrogen to 180 GPa

New techniques for measuring infrared spectra at megabar pressures using synchrotron radiation have been developed and applied to study the Q1(1), Qi(1) + Si(0), and QR(J) vibrational transitions of solid hydrogen to 180 GPa. The frequency difference between the Q1(1) infrared and Raman vibrons increases from 3/cm (zero pressure) to 510/cm (180 GPa), indicating a dramatic increase in intermolecular coupling with pressure. A negative frequency shift is observed for the infrared vibron above 140 GPa. A significant increase in frequency and LO-TO splitting of the lattice phonon is also documented.

Hanfland, M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Deep infrared galaxies

High signal-to-noise ratio optical spectra of 17 infrared-bright emission-line galaxies near the north ecliptic pole are presented. Reddening-corrected line ratios forbidden O III 5007/H-beta, N II 6583/H-alpha, S II (6716 + 6731)/H-alpha, and O I 6300/H-alpha are used to discriminate between candidate energy generation mechanisms in each galaxy. These criteria have frequently been applied to optically selected samples of galaxies in the past, but this is the first time they have been applied to a set of faint flux-limited infrared-selected objects. The analysis indicates the sample contains seven starburst galaxies and three (AGN). However, seven galaxies in the present sample elude the classification scheme based on these line ratios. It is concluded that a two-component (starburst plus AGN) model for energy generation is inadequate for infrared galaxies.

Ashby, Matthew↗

NASA NTRS1993

Micromachined Electron-Tunneling Infrared Detectors

Pneumatic/thermal infrared detectors based partly on Golay-cell concept, but smaller and less fragile. Include containers filled with air or other gas trapped behind diaphragms. Infrared radiation heats sensors, causing gas to expand. Resulting deflections of diaphragms measured by displacement sensors based on principle of electron-tunneling transducers of scanning tunneling microscopes. Exceed sensitivity of all other miniature, uncooled infrared sensors presently available. Expected to include low consumption of power, broadband sensitivity, room-temperature operation, and invulnerability to ionizing radiation.

Kenny, Thomas W.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A study of the large-scale infrared emission from a selected dark cloud

An investigation of the infrared emission energetics and embedded population in the rho Ophiuchi dark cloud is summarized. With a distance of approximately 140 pc, the rho Ophiuchi cloud is one of the closest regions of recent star formation. It is also one of the best studied such regions with numerous observations at all wavelengths. The IRAS data of the cloud provided a new glimpse of the overall structure of the cloud. In particular, the interaction of radiation from the Sco-Oph OB Association on the external heating of the cloud was very evident on Skyflux and Survey Co-Add images produced by IRAS. The infrared survey also revealed a number of new embedded sources in the cloud which have subsequently been observed from the ground. An earlier study explored the overall energetics of the cloud using the IRAS data. The main conclusions of that work were: (1) the overall luminosity of the cloud is well explained by the emission of the known B-stars, HD 147889, SR-3, and S1, along with a 15 percent contribution from the external radiation field; (2) the dust physical temperatures were significantly lower than the observed CO gas temperatures; and (3) dust grains are heated to only 10 percent to 20 percent of the total depth into the cloud. This analysis is extended by drawing on data from large-scale CO maps and from near-infrared surveys of the embedded population.

Young, Erick T.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A comparison of the near-infrared spectral features of early-type galaxies in the Coma Cluster, the Virgo cluster and the field

Earlier researchers derived the relative distance between the Coma and Virgo clusters from color-magnitude relations of the early-type galaxies in each cluster. They found that the derived distance was color-dependent and concluded that the galaxies of similar luminosity in the two clusters differ in their red stellar populations. More recently, the color-dependence of the Coma-Virgo distance modulus has been called into question. However, because these two clusters differ so dramatically in their morphologies and kinematics, it is plausible that the star formation histories of the member galaxies also differed. If the conclusions of earlier researchers are indeed correct, then some signature of the resulting stellar population differences should appear in the near-infrared and/or infrared light of the respective galaxies. We have collected near-infrared spectra of 17 Virgo and 10 Coma early-type galaxies; this sample spans about four magnitudes in luminosity in each cluster. Seven field E/S0 galaxies have been observed for comparison. Pseudo-equivalent widths have been measured for all of the field galaxies, all but one of the Virgo members, and five of the Coma galaxies. The features examined are sensitive to the temperature, metallicity, and surface gravity of the reddest stars. A preliminary analysis of these spectral features has been performed, and, with a few notable exceptions, the measured pseudo-equivalent widths agree well with previously published values.

Houdashelt, Mark L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Star-dust geometries in galaxies: The effect of interstellar matter distributions on optical and infrared properties of late-type galaxies

The presence of substantial amounts of interstellar dust in late-type galaxies affects observable parameters such as the optical surface brightness, the color, and the ratio of far-infrared to optical luminosity of these galaxies. We conducted radiative transfer calculations for late-type galaxy environments to examine two different scenarios: (1) the effects of increasing amounts of dust in two fixed geometries with different star distributions; and (2) the effects of an evolving dust-star geometry in which the total amount of dust is held constant, for three different star distributions. The calculations were done for ten photometric bands, ranging from the far-ultraviolet to the near-infrared (K), and scattered light was included in the galactic surface brightness at each wavelength. The energy absorbed throughout these ten photometric bands was assumed to re-emerge in the far-infrared as thermal dust emission. We also considered the evolutionary contraction of a constant amount of dust relative to pre-existing star distributions.

Capuano, J. M., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Supporting research and technology activities in the preparation of a three-dimensional map of the infrared sky

The final report for the period 15 Mar. 1986 to 31 Mar. 1993 for the Cooperative Agreement is presented. The purpose of this Cooperative Agreement was to collaborate with NASA civil servant and contractor personnel, and other Institute personnel in a project to use all available cataloged astronomical infrared data to construct a detailed three dimensional model of the infrared sky. Areas of research included: IRAS colors of normal stars and the infrared excesses in Be stars; galactic structure; how to use the observed IRAS source counts as a function of position to deduce the physical structure of the galaxy; IRAS properties of metal-poor stars; IRAS database studies; and solar space exploration including projects such as the Space Station Gas-Grain Simulator and the Mars Rover/Sample Return Mission.

Tarter, Jill C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Spectral irradiance calibration in the infrared. I - Ground-based and IRAS broadband calibrations

Absolutely calibrated versions of realistic model atmosphere calculations for Sirius and Vega by Kurucz (1991) are presented and used as a basis to offer a new absolute calibration of infrared broad and narrow filters. In-band fluxes for Vega are obtained and defined to be zero magnitude at all wavelengths shortward of 20 microns. Existing infrared photometry is used differentially to establish an absolute scale of the new Sirius model, yielding an angular diameter within 1 sigma of the mean determined interferometrically by Hanbury Brown et al. (1974). The use of Sirius as a primary infrared stellar standard beyond the 20 micron region is suggested. Isophotal wavelengths and monochromatic flux densities for both Vega and Sirius are tabulated.

Cohen, Martin↗

NASA NTRS1992

Infrared flow visualization of V/STOL aircraft

During low altitude operations of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOVL) aircraft complex aeropropulsive flowfields are produced by the strong interactions between the engine exhaust jet or propeller wash and the runway and aircraft surfaces. Measurement of these unsteady 3 dimensional flowfields has not proven practical with conventional measurement techniques. It has been demonstrated that modern infrared imaging systems provide a practical means of obtaining flow visualization images of these complex aeropropulsive flowfields. Infrared images obtained with a dual wavelength scanning system are presented which provide detailed information on the flowfields about the NASA Ames XV-15 tiltrotor aircraft, the E-7 STOVL research model and the NASA Ames YAV-8B Harrier aircraft. It was found that the use of a dual wavelength infrared system provides valuable information about both the engine exhaust flowfield and the resulting heating of aircraft and runway surfaces.

Birckelbaw, Larry D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Infrared techniques for comet observations

The infrared spectral region (1-1000 microns) is important for studies of both molecules and solid grains in comets. Infrared astronomy is in the midst of a technological revolution, with the development of sensitive 2D arrays leading to IR cameras and spectrometers with vastly improved sensitivity and resolution. The Halley campaign gave us tantalizing first glimpses of the comet science possible with this new technology, evidenced, for example, by the many new spectral features detected in the infrared. The techniques of photometry, imaging, and spectroscopy are reviewed in this chapter and their status at the time of the Halley observations is described.

Hanner, Martha S.↗

NASA NTRS1990

The space infrared telescope facility (SIRTF)

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a one-meter class observatory for infrared astronomy that will be launched into high earth orbit by NASA in the late 1990's. SIRTF's three focal plane instruments will permit imaging and spectroscopy over most of the infrared spectrum with sensitivities of 100 to 10,000 times their predecessors. This paper briefly reviews SIRTF's capabilities, science objectives, and current status.

Fazio, Giovanni G.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The diffuse infrared background - COBE and other observations

The Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) on the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite is designed to conduct a sensitive search for an isotropic cosmic infrared background radiation over the spectral range from 1 to 300 micrometers. The cumulative emissions of pregalactic, protogalactic, and evolving galactic systems are expected to be recorded in this background. The DIRBE instrument, a 10 spectral band absolute photometer with an 0.7 deg field of view, maps the full sky with high redundancy at solar elongation angles ranging from 64 to 124 degrees to facilitate separation of interplanetary, Galactic, and extragalactic sources of emission. Initial sky maps show the expected character of the foreground emissions, with relative minima at wavelengths of 3.4 micrometers and longward of 100 micrometers. Extensive modelling of the foregrounds, just beginning, will be required to isolate the extragalactic component. In this paper, we summarize the status of diffuse infrared background observations from the DIRBE, and compare preliminary results with those of recent rocket and satellite instruments.

Hauser, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Precipitation estimation over Sardinia from satellite infrared data

Three techniques for the estimate of rain rate from infrared satellite images have been examined and modified to be used over the western Mediterranean Sea. An attempt to optimize these techniques has been made by comparing the remotely-sensed precipitation with in situ data, obtained from the rain gauge network over Sardinia, for three different seasons of 1988. The results obtained so far clearly reveal the limitations of infrared remote sensing techniques when applied to precipitation retrievals. However, these results give the possibility of gaining some useful insights on the general problem and show that infrared remote sensing techniques can give acceptable area-time averages of precipitation which are useful for climatological studies.

Marrocu, M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Modeling Titan's thermal infrared spectrum for high-resolution space observations

The observability of minor species in Titan's atmosphere in its infrared thermal range is systematically studied and modeled to generate synthetic spectra. The model results on methane, water vapor, benzene, allene, and other heavier trace molecules are used to illustrate the capabilities of instruments aboard the Infrared Space Observatory, in particular a high-resolution composite infrared spectrometer, to determine vertical distributions of the molecules in a few hours of integration time.

Coustenis, A.↗