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NASA NTRS1982

OI and OIII in Sgr A - Neutral and ionized gas at the galactic center

Measurements of the 63 micron O I fine structure line displayed by the galactic center were made with an LHe-cooled tandem scanned Fabry-Perot spectrometer. Data were taken from 10 positions in 40 arcsec steps along and perpendicular to the galactic plane. A peak intensity of within 0.5 of 1.5 x 10 to the -16th W/sq cm was calculated, while an 88 micron O III had an intensity of within 2 of 7 x 10 to the -18th W/sq cm on the same beam. The O I emission was spread over 4 arcmin along and 2.6 arcmin perpendicular to the galactic plane. The velocity centroids were blueshifted south of center and redshifted to the north, data indicating either large-scale excitation or kinematic inhomogeneities. A peak brightness temperature of the O I line was 130 K, i.e., a lower limit for excitation of O I. Finally, an electron density of more than 1000/cu cm was calculated.

Genzel, R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Radioactivites in returned lunar materials and in meteorites

The cosmic-ray, solar-flare, and solar-wind bombardments of lunar rocks and soils and meteorites were studied by measurements of tritium, carbon-14 and argon radioactivity. The radioactivity integrates the bombardment for a time period equal to several half-lines. H-3, Ar-37, Ar-39, C-14. For the interior samples of lunar rocks and for deep lunar soil samples, the amounts of the radioactivities were equal to those calculated for galactic cosmic-ray interactions. The top near-surface samples of lunar rocks and the shallow lunar soil samples show excess amounts of the radioactivities attributable to solar flares. Lunar soil fines contain a large amount of hydrogen due to implanted solar wind. Studies of the H-3 in lunar soils and in recovered Surveyor-3 materials gave an upper limit for the H-3/H ratio in the solar wind of 10 to the -11th power. Solar wind carbon is also implanted on lunar soil fines. Lunar soils collected on the surface contained a 0.14 component attributable to implanted solar wind C-14. The C-14/H ratio attributed to the solar wind from this C-14 excess is approximately 4 x 10 to the -11th power.

Fireman, E. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Postglacial rebound observed by Lageos and the effective viscosity of the lower mantle

Sixty-four observations of the orbital node made by the Lageos satellite over a five year time interval reveal an acceleration of (-8.1 + or 1.8) x 10 to the -8 power arcseconds day/2 due to a source which is not presently modeled in the GEODYN orbit determination computer program. This acceleration cannot be explained by the ocean tide with 18.6 year period, assuming it to be an equilibrium tide. Instead it seems to be due to postglacial rebound, which changes the J(2) coefficient in the spherical harmonic expansion of the earth's gravitational field at the rate of (-8.2 + or - 18) x 10 to the -19th power/s; this in turn accelerates the node. This rate does not agree with the -32 x 10 to the -19th power/s predicted by Wu and Peltier's (1982) L2 model, which has upper and lower mantle effective viscosities of 10 to the 21st and 22nd powers Pa's, respectively. it does agree well with their L1 model, which gives about 10 x 10 to the 19th power/s. Since the effective viscosity is 10 to the 21st power Pa s throughout the entire mantle in the L1 model, the results support the contentions that the effective viscosity is near 10 to the 21st power Pa s everywhere in the mantle, and this relatively low value for the effective viscosity may have permitted several degrees of polar wander due to glaciation during the Quaternary Ice Age.

Rubincam, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Light element geochemistry and spallogenesis in lunar rocks

Abundance and isotopic compositions are measured for the very volatile elements carbon, nitrogen and sulfur in 11 lunar rocks representing a wide spectrum of textures and compositions. Samples were combusted sequentially at three temperatures in order to remove terrestrial contaminants before melting the lunar rock and liberating lunar volatiles. The combustion results indicate very little terrestrial sulfur contamination, with sulfur contents correlated with the TiO2 contents of the basalts analyzed. Sulfur isotopic compositions are remarkably uniform and similar to the Canon Diablo meteorite standard. Nitrogen levels are found to be no greater than those obtained with procedural blanks, corresponding to abundances less than 0.1 microg/g. Stable nitrogen isotope measurements indicate a spallogenic N-15 production rate of 4.1 x 10 to the -6th microg N-15/g sample/million years, in agreement with previous estimates. No indigenous carbon in excess of procedural blank levels of about 0.7 microg/g is found in lunar basalts. Levels of 1 to 5 microg/g found in highland rocks may derive from meteoritic or terrestrial sources. The average measured spallogenic C-13 production rate is 4.1 x 10 to the -6th microg C-13/g sample/million years.

Des Marais, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

First detection of winds in red giants by microwave continuum techniques

Eight red giants and supergiants have been observed at 4885 MHz (6 cm) with the Very Large Array in an attempt to detect continuum emission. The bright giant Alpha-1 Her (M5 II) was detected at an average flux density of 0.9 + or - 0.13 mJy. Since the likely source of this emission is an ionized, optically thick component of a stellar wind, this detection implies a mass loss rate of 2 x 10 to the -9th solar masses per yr for the ionized gas. The fraction of the outflow in Alpha-1 Her that is ionized (0.002-0.02) seems to be similar to that previously found for Alpha Ori and Alpha Sco A. Alpha Boo (K2 IIIp) and Beta Gem (K0 III) are probable and definite detections, respectively. The derived ionized mass loss rates for these two stars are about 1 x 10 to the -10th solar masses per yr, implying in the case of Alpha Boo that the wind is largely ionized.

Drake, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Performance and materials aspects of Ge:Be photoconductors

Ge:Be photoconductors have been developed for low photon background applications in the 30 - 50 micron wavelength region. These detectors provide higher responsivity and lower noise equivalent power (NEP) than the Ge:Ga detectors currently operating in this wavelength range. Beryllium-doped single crystals were grown by the Czochralski method from a carbon susceptor under a vacuum of approximately 10 to the -6th torr. An optimum detective quantum efficiency of 46 percent at a background flux of 1.5 x 10 to the 8th photons/second (7 x 10 to the -13th W is reported. Ge:Be detector performance is strongly influenced by the absolute concentrations and the concentration ratio of residual shallow donors and shallow acceptors.

Haegel, N. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of some Be stars of later type and A-F type shell stars

High-dispersion IUE spectra of 18 later type Be and A-F type shell stars as well as eight standard nonemission line stars have been analyzed for anomalous ionization and mass loss effects. It is found that superionization in the Be stars extends to the latest spectral subtypes but does not seem to be present in the A-F type stars. The superionized lines in the Be stars appear to be correlated with v sin i. Asymmetrical or violet-displaced resonance lines suggesting mass loss are observed in all the Be stars except one, in some of the standard stars, but not in the A-F stars. Lower limits to the mass loss rates computed from Si IV lines range between 5.3 x 10 to the -12th and 3.5 x 10 to the -11th solar masses/yr, with Be shell stars showing the largest values. Mass loss is correlated with luminosity and effective temperature but not with rotation.

Carpenter, K. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

X-ray studies of BL Lacertae objects with the Einstein Observatory - Confrontation with the synchrotron self-Compton predictions

X-ray flux densities measured with the Einstein Observatory are presented for a set of LB Lac objects with available VLBI angular sizes. The static, single-component synchrotron self-Compton formalism is used to predict the X-ray flux densities. Ratios of 10 to the -6th to the 10 to the -8th are found for the observed to predicted flux densities and it is concluded that such a model, at least in its simplest form, does not explain the X-ray emission from these objects as a class. The hypothesis that the compact source is in relativistic motion allows a simple resolution of the discrepancy. The results agree qualitatively with a broad distribution of bulk Lorentz factors Gamma with a fairly low typical value of Gamma approximately equal to and with a quasi-isotropic distribution of the direction of ejection relative to our line of sight.

Madejski, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Spectral chemistry of green glass-bearing 15426 regolith

The detection of appreciable concentrations of ferric iron in a synthetic green glass equilibrated at an oxygen fugacity of 10 to the -11th atm prompted a Moessbauer spectral study of pristine emerald-green glass spherules carefully handpicked from regolith sample 15426. No Fe(3+) ions were detected in this lunar sample or in a synthetic green glass simulant equilibrated at fO2 = 10 to the -14th atm, suggesting that the green glass clods in rock 15426 formed under conditions of correspondingly low oxygen fugacities. The Moessbauer spectra indicated the presence of olivine crystallites in the lunar emerald green glass spherules. Measurements of homogeneous and partially devitrified synthetic silicate glasses revealed that significant changes of coordination environment about Fe(2+) ions in the glass structure occur during crystallization of olivine crystals from the melt.

Burns, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Ring and plasma - The enigmae of Enceladus

The E ring associated with the Kronian moon Enceladus has a lifetime of only a few thousand years against sputtering by slow corotating O ions. The existence of the ring implies the necessity for a continuous supply of matter. Possible particle source mechanisms on Enceladus include meteoroidal impact ejection and geysering. Estimates of ejection rates of particulate debris following small meteoroid impact are on the order of 3 x 10 to the -18th g/(sq cm sec), more than an order of magnitude too small to sustain the ring. A geyser source would need to generate a droplet supply at a rate of approximately 10 to the -16th g/(sq cm sec) in order to account for a stable ring. Enceladus and the ring particles also directly supply both plasma and vapor to space via sputtering. The absence of a 60 eV plasma at the Voyager 2 Enceladus L-shell crossing, such as might have been expected from sputtering, cannot be explained by absorption and moderation of plasma ions by ring particles, because the ring is too diffuse. Evidently, the effective sputtering yield in the vicinity of Enceladus is on the order of, or smaller than, 0.4, about an order of magnitude less than te calculated value. Small scale surface roughness may account for some of this discrepancy.

Haff, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Two- and three-layer models of Uranus

Simple two-layer models of Uranus with rocky core and polytropic envelope satisfying exactly the observed mass, radius and the gravitational moments are presented. The models show that the value of the fourth order zonal harmonic is less than about -38 x 10 to the -6th, while J(6) is roughly 10 to the -6th. More elaborate three-layer models fail to satisfy the observational constraints of the ice/rock ratio and/or of the rotation period. It is concluded that three-layer models with uniform chemical composition in each layer may be too restrictive. More realistic models should account for variable chemical composition within each layer.

Horedt, G. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Postglacial rebound observed by Lageos and the effective viscosity of the lower mantle

Sixty-four observations of the orbital node made by the Lageos satellite over a five year time interval reveal an acceleration of (-8.1 + or - 1.8) x 10 to the -8 power arcseconds day/2 due to a source which is not presently modeled in the GEODYN orbit determination computer program. This acceleration cannot be explained by the ocean tide with 18.6 year period, assuming it to be an equilibrium tide. Instead it seems to be due to postglacial rebound, which changes the J(2) coefficient in the spherical harmonic expansion of the earth's gravitational field at the rate of (-8.2 + or - 18) x 10 to the -19th power/s; this in turn accelerates the node. This rate does not agree with the -32 x 10 to the -19th power/s predicted by Wu and Peltier's (1982) L2 model, which has upper and lower mantle effective viscosities of 10 to the 21st and 22nd powers Pa's, respectively. It does agree well with their L1 model, which gives about 10 x 10 to the 19th power/s. Since the effective viscosity is 10 to the 21st power Pa s throughout the entire mantle in the L1 model, the results support the contentions that the efective viscosity is near 10 to the 21st power Pa s everyhere in the mantle, and this relatively low value for the effective viscosity may have permitted several degrees of polar wander due to glaciation during the Quaternary Ice Age. Previously announced in STAR as N84-13705

Rubincam, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A study of dynamic measurements made in the settling chamber of the Langley 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel

Tests have been conducted in a cryogenic wind tunnel settling chamber using a fast response instrumentation to measure the possible existence of temperature fronts due to a sudden or step change in the rate of liquid nitrogen injection into the circuit. No indications of such fronts were obtained using three different techniques to change the rate of nitrogen injection. The normalized pressure and velocity fluctuations at two total temperatures and over a large range of Mach numbers and Reynolds numbers were about 2 x 10 to the -7th to 2 x 10 to the -6th and about 1.8 to 3 percent, respectively. There was no evidence of liquid nitrogen droplets in the flow down to a total temperature of 140 K. The pressure fluctuation power spectra from a pressure transducer correlated with the fan blade passage through the eighth harmonic of the fundamental frequency.

Johnson, C. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The chemical durability of tektites - A laboratory study and correlation with long-term corrosion behavior

Leach tests carried out on tektite specimens (indochinites and australites) under high-dilution conditions show a common behavior characterized by low leach rates (0.00018 g/sq m per d, or 7.2 x 10 to the -12th m/d at 23 C) and an activation energy of (79,600 + or - 700 J/mol). The extent of selective leaching is very small, of the order of 10 to the -8th m. Extrapolation of test results over the lifetime of the tektites gives an excellent agreement with field observations on the extent of corrosion, and this is an important step in establishing the validity of laboratory tests as a basis for the development of models and predictions concerning long-term durabilities at least in the limiting case of high dilution or rapid flow. The results are also shown to be in agreement with various previous observations on the corrosion resistance of tektites. The chemical durability of tektites is observed to be consistent with their composition, highlighting requirements of high corrosion resistance in glasses; these requirements include a silica content in excess of 67 mol percent, an extremely low water content, and an alkali content which is low both absolutely and relative to the di- and poly-valent metal oxide levels. It is shown that artificial glasses which fulfil these criteria are no less corrosion-resistant than the corresponding natural glasses. These conclusions have bearing on the development, as well as on the evaluation, of glasses intended for very long service, such as radioactive waste vitrification media.

Barkatt, A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The evolution of cataclysmic and low-mass X-ray binaries

The observational data for the 124 cataclysmic and low-mass X-ray binaries of known orbital period are compiled. It is found that the eruption properties are very well correlated with the orbital periods, in a manner that suggests that the mass transfer is the all-important determinant of evolution and of the eruptive behavior. Transfer rates of 10 to the -11th to 10 to the -7th solar mass/year are found, which are well correlated with orbital period. It is concluded that the mechanism which drives these systems is the magnetic braking of the secondary's rotation by its own stellar wind, coupled with the enforcement of synchronous rotation by tidal friction. This permits CVs to lose sufficient angular momentum to begin mass transfer in a reasonable time and drives the mass transfer at a high rate once it begins. An account of the long-lived phases of CV evolution is given.

Patterson, J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Recombination of electrons with H3(+) and H5(+) ions

A microwave afterglow-mass spectrometer apparatus is used to determine the dissociative recombination coefficients for capture of electrons by H3(+) and H5(+) ions as a function of electron temperature. At an ion and neutral temperature of 240 K, the coefficient for H3(+) is found to vary slowly with the electron temperature at first, decreasing from 1.6 x 10 to the -7th cu cm/s at an electron temperature of 240 K to 1.2 x 10 to the -7th cu cm/s at an electron temperature of 500 K; at electron temperatures ranging from 500 to 3000 K, the coefficient falls as the reciprocal of the electron temperature. It is noted that the results, which have an uncertainty of + or - 20 percent, agree satisfactorily over the common energy range (0.03-0.36 eV) with the recombination cross sections determined in merged beam measurements by Auerbach et al. (1977). Attention is also given to the implication of the results for modeling planetary atmospheres and interstellar clouds.

Macdonald, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Beta decay and the origin of biologial chirality - New experimental results

The hypothetical connection developed by Vester and Ulbricht (1959), between the handedness of beta particles in radioactive decay and the (L) sign of biologial chirality is investigated in a radiolysis experiment. The experiment measured the predicted asymmetry in the formation triplet or 'ortho-' positronium (oPs) in amino acid enantiomers by low energy positrons under conditions of helicity reversal. The positrons were focused on amino acid powder samples. By measuring the time between positron arrival and emission of gamma rays, long-lived oPs were separated from other species. It is found that the asymmetry in leucine (0.8 x 10 to the -4th) is consistent with the theoretical prediction of 10 to the -6th. Neither the experimental limits nor the theoretical estimates are found to rule out a mechanism like that described by Vester and Ulbricht as the cause of the sign of the observed chiral polarization.

Van House, J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Mars - Experimental study of albedo changes caused by dust fallout

A laboratory apparatus was used to simulate the uniform fallout and deposition of particles 1 to 5 microns in diameter in an experimental study on how the spectral and photometric properties of representative Martian areas are affected by fallout of atmospheric dust (smaller than or equalling 60 microns) suspended during dust storms. In this study, measurements are made in the changes in reflectance at optical and near-infrared wavelengths (0.4 to 1.2 micron) caused by deposition of varying amounts of a Mars-analog dust on bright and dark substrates before and after deposition of 6 x 10 to the -5th to 1.5 x 10 to the -3rd g/sq cm of simulated fallout. It is believed that only small amounts of dust particles (approximately 3 x 10 to the -4th g/sq cm) are needed to make significant albedo changes in dark areas of Mars, and that this would rule out uniform dust deposition on the surface of the planet. Data also indicate that other high albedo features like bright crater-related wind streaks may not be areas of significant sediment deposits. Laboratory simulations have permitted estimates of how much the reflectance of an area on Mars would change given a certain amount of dust fallout (g/sq cm) or reflectance data. These simulations may also be useful in tracking the transport and deposition of the dust.

Wells, E. N.↗