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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Terrestrial impact rates for long and short-period comets

The present calculations of terrestrial impact rates for longand short-period comets crossing the earth's orbit respectively yield probabilities of 2.2 x 10 to the -9th/perihelion passage (with a probable velocity of 56.6 km/sec), and 6.6 x 10 to the -9th/perihelion passage (probable velocity, 28.9 km/sec). The total cratering rate from both long- and short-period comets is about 15 percent of the observed rate derived from known terrestrial astroblemes, although there is substantial uncertainty in both estimates. The estimated cratering rate from earth-crossing asteroids given by Shoemaker et al. (1979) is about twice the observed rate, and Monte Carlo simulations of the dynamical evolution of the Oort (1950) cloud yield cometary flux rate estimates for the early solar system of the order of 200 times the current flux.

Weissman, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Properties of ices and grains - An experimental study

Proton irradiation of a variety of ice mixtures was carried out to study the effect of galactic cosmic ray irradiation of comets in the Oort Cloud. Three significant effects were noted: (1) production of new molecules; (2) production of a more energetic ice at low temperatures; (3) production of a non-volatile, complex organic residue. These phenomena suggest various effects on new comets approaching the sun including enhanced activity. Experiments on the condensation of silicate grains provide information on the condensation mechanism and properties of grains. Controlled annealing of the amorphous condensates shows how crystallization occurs. Infrared spectra of different stages of crystallization contain features that may identify composition, structure and history of refractory material.

Donn, B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Comet Bowell 1980b

Optical filter photometry, and optical and ultraviolet spectrophotometry data collected between November 1980 and June 1982 of Comet Bowell are presented. It was determined that Comet Bowell began producing significant amounts of OH, though not other species, before perihelion at a heliocentric distance near 4.6 AU. As the comet approached perihelion at 3.4 AU, OH production decreased and CN and C2 species were detected at normal concentrations. An outburst in April 1982 was dominated by OH. The grains in 1982 near perihelion showed increases in albedo between 3150 and 4500 A and 1.2 and 1.6 microns. The presence of two grains populations was suggested, together with the conclusion that Comet Bowell was physically a typical new comet entering the inner solar system from the Oort cloud for the first time.

Feldman, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

On the '3 kiloparsec arm' - Resonance excitation of linear and nonlinear waves by an oval distortion in the central region

The mechanism responsible for the massive rapidly expanding Galactic feature known as the 3-kpc arm (Rougoor and Oort, 1960) is investigated theoretically in the framework of a density-wave model of the Galaxy. The arm is attributed to outgoing waves excited at the outer Lindblad resonance (OLR) of a small rotating oval distortion near the Galactic center. Linear and nonlinear models are developed, and it is shown that a density crest at 3.5 kpc with expansion velocity 53 km/s can be generated by a distortion turning at 118 km/s kpc with a 10-percent perturbation of the main gravitational field at the OLR (located at 3 kpc). The wave character of the nonlinear solution is found to be the same as that of the linear solution and to give good agreement with the observations in terms of expansion velocity, size, shape, and mass; only the observed asymmetry of the arm is not reproduced.

Yuan, C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

From icy planetesimals to outer planets and comets

The growth of Neptune and Uranus and the origin of the Oort comet cloud are simulated numerically, applying the planetesimal-growth model developed by Greenberg et al. (1978) for the terrestrial planets. The results of 12 experiments are presented in graphs and tables and discussed in detail. In the model which best fits observations, the planets grow relatively quickly from icy planetesimals of diameter 10 km or less which form by gravitational clumping of grains as they settle nonhomologously to the midplane of the solar system; the comets then represent unaltered remnants of the original planetesimal populations in the zone.

Greenberg, R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The boundary of the solar system

The shape of the boundary of the solar system, defined as the surface within which the gravitational attraction of the sun rather than that of the rest of the Galaxy controls the orbital motion of planets and comets, has been determined. Outside of this surface, the dominant factors are the radial tides due to the galactic center and the vertical tides caused by the galactic disk. Orbits which are direct with respect to the galactic plane have a boundary which differs from that for retrograde orbits, both being 10-20 percent oblate and both larger than the present Oort cloud. The surface may have been the boundary of the early cloud of comets which was later reduced by the passages of stars and molecular clouds.

Smoluchowski, R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The study of the physics of cometary nuclei

The development and utilization of an optimized computer program to analyze orbital stabilization by repeated calculations is presented. The stability of comets in the Opik-Oort Cloud about the Sun against perturbations by the Galactic center involve the same basic type of calculation. The supposed persistence of these bodies in orbits over the life of the solar system, depends upon the stability of bodies of negligible mass in orbits around a body whose mass is small compared to the central mass about which they revolve. The question remains of preferential orientation of extremely eccentric comet orbits, possibly to explain the asymmetry observed among new comet motions. A third application of the computing programs is suited to meteoroids that may exist in orbits about asteroids and that may endanger science spacecraft making flybys too near to asteroids. As in the double-comet case, solar activity and solar gravitational perturbations limit the attendance to an asteroid by small meteroids in their orbits. It is found that the mass distances planned for asteroid fly-bys are adequate.

Whipple, F. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Middle Atmosphere Reference Model Derived from Satellite Data

Zonally averaged temperature and geostrophic zonal wind for each month and for latitudes from 80 S to 80 N with pressure scale height as a vertical coordinate are given tabular form. The pressure scale height is defined as -ln (p/P sub O) where p is pressure and P sub O is surface pressure. The height interval corresponding to one pressure scale height is proportional to absolute temperature, and is 7 km at 240 K. Values in are given at intervals of 0.5 pressure scale heights, i.e., approximately 3,5 km. The geopotential height fields for the principal seasons are given. Temperature, pressure and density with geometric height as the vertical coordinate at invervals of 5 km. The temperature values were obtained from a combination of satellite data above 30 mb with values supplied by the Berlin Free University at 30 mb and the climatology derived by OORT (1983) for 50 mb and below. The geopotential height fields were obtained from these temperature fields by integrating up and down from the 30 mb geopotential height supplied by Berlin Free University. The geostrophic winds were obtained by differentiating these geopotential height fields.

Barnett, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The origin of comets - Implications for planetary formation

Primordial and episodic theories for the origin of comets are discussed. The implications of the former type for the origin of the solar system are considered. Candidate sites for the formation of comets are compared. The possible existence of a massive inner Oort cloud is discussed.

Weissman, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

On optical studies of high-velocity clouds

Lists of distant objects that can be used to study physical conditions in, and distances of, 21 cm (Oort) high-velocity clouds are presented. Recent published observations are used to compile positions, velocities, and distances of the clouds.

York, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Can comet clouds around neutron stars explain gamma-ray bursts?

The proposal of Harwit and Salpeter (1973) that gamma-ray bursts are due to impacts of comets onto neutron stars is examined further. It is assumed that most stars are formed with comet clouds similar to the Oort comet cloud which surrounds the sun, and it is suggested that there are at least four mechanisms by wich neutron stars may be formed while retaining their comet clouds: a spherically symmetric supernova explosion in an isolated star, accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf in a cataclysmic variable with a very low mass secondary, accretion-induced collapse of a white dwarf in a wide binary with a low-mass giant companion, and coalescence of a close binary composed of two white dwarfs. Estimates are given of the cometary impact rates for such systems. It is suggested that if the wide binary scenario is correct, optical bursts may arise from the impact of comets onto the white dwarf remnant of the giant companion.

Tremaine, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Measurements of X-ray scattering from interstellar grains

The results of an Einstein Observatory imaging proportional counter investigation of the halos produced by the scattering of X-rays from interstellar grains of four compact Galactic (low-latitude) and two extragalactic (high-latitude) X-ray sources are reported. It is found that the intensity of these halos correlates well with the amount of visual extinction and the distance through the Galaxy's dust layer: quantities which measure the column density of grains to a given source. From this result, and from the size and shape of the halos from the Galactic sources, a number of grain parameters are derived in the context of two alternate grain size distributions: the Mathis-Rumpl-Nordsieck (MRN) and the Oort-van de Hulst distributions, either of which is capable of producing the observed halos. Though no single grain size is capable of producing the shapes observed for these halos, a mean size of about 0.1 micron and a number density of about 10 to the -12th grains/cu cm produce the correct halo intensities. From the additional parameters determined from the size and shape of the halos, results concerning the amount of material in grains which are in general agreement with the observed depletion of the elements from the gas phase of the interstellar medium, as well as with the detailed predictions of the MRN size distribution, are found.

Mauche, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The study of the physics of cometary nuclei

The numerical calculations of stability for many possible orbits of the double nucleus for P/Holmes showed that the likelihood of such a precollision history was quite high. A number of investigations were made of hypothetical orbits for particles about the asteroid Amphitrite to test for stability. The purpose was to establish more favorable fly-by orbits close to the asteroid for the Galileo missions en-route to Jupiter, reducing the collisional hazards. A statistical study was made of the orbits of long-period comets with small original semi-major axes recently perturbed from the great Opik-Oort Cloud. The results from the space missions to Halley's comet are partially reported in the two papers in the appendices.

Whipple, Fred L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Comet thermal modeling

The past year was one of tremendous activity because of the appearance of Halley's Comet. Observations of the comet were collected from a number of sources and compared with the detailed predictions of the comet thermal modeling program. Spacecraft observations of key physical parameters for cometary nucleus were incorporated into the thermal model and new cases run. These results have led to a much better understanding of physical processes on the nucleus and have pointed the way for further improvements to the modeling program. A model for the large-scale structure of cometary nuclei was proposed in which comets were envisioned as loosely bound agglomerations of smaller icy planetesimals, essentially a rubble pile of primordial dirty snowballs. In addition, a study of the physical history of comets was begun, concentrating on processes during formation and in the Oort cloud which would alter the volatile and nonvolatile materials in cometary nuclei from their pristine state before formation.

Weissman, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cloud fluid models of gas dynamics and star formation in galaxies

The large dynamic range of star formation in galaxies, and the apparently complex environmental influences involved in triggering or suppressing star formation, challenges the understanding. The key to this understanding may be the detailed study of simple physical models for the dominant nonlinear interactions in interstellar cloud systems. One such model is described, a generalized Oort model cloud fluid, and two simple applications of it are explored. The first of these is the relaxation of an isolated volume of cloud fluid following a disturbance. Though very idealized, this closed box study suggests a physical mechanism for starbursts, which is based on the approximate commensurability of massive cloud lifetimes and cloud collisional growth times. The second application is to the modeling of colliding ring galaxies. In this case, the driving processes operating on a dynamical timescale interact with the local cloud processes operating on the above timescale. The results is a variety of interesting nonequilibrium behaviors, including spatial variations of star formation that do not depend monotonically on gas density.

Struck-Marcell, Curtis↗
NASA NTRS1987

Realm of the comets

Studies of Jovian perturbations of the orbits of long-period comets led to the concept of the Oort cloud of 180 billion comets at 50,000-150,000 AU from the sun. Several comets are induced to move toward the sun every million years by the passage of a star at a distance of a few light years. The location of the cloud has since been revised to 20,000-100,000 AU, and comets are now accepted as remnant material fron the proto-solar system epoch. The galactic disk and random, close-passing stars may also cause rare, large perturbations in the orbits of the cloud comets, sending large numbers of comets through the inner solar system. The resulting cometary storm is a candidate cause for the wholesale extinction of dinosaurs in the Cretaceous-Terniary transition due to large number of planetesimals, or one large comet, striking the earth, in a short period of time. The IRAS instruments have detected similar clouds of material around other stars.

Weissman, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Cometary evidence for a solar companion?

It is demonstrated that a large anisotropy exists in a set of 126 cometary orbits that is manifested in a plane almost perpendicular to the ecliptic. This anisotropy would dissipate by orbital diffusion in 10 to 20 Myr, and thus must be due to a recent impulsive event in the Oort cloud. It is shown that this anisotropy cannot be due to gravitational perturbations from fast-moving stars or molecular clouds. A massive body slow enough to be bound to the solar system is the probable cause. The strip of sky centered on its presumed orbit reveals large anomalies in the ratio of retrograde to prograde comets which suggest the position of the perihelion of an eccentric orbit. It is proposed that the massive body is the solar companion Nemesis; other possibilities are discussed.

Delsemme, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS1987

How typical is Halley's Comet?

Comet Halley spacecraft encounters and observations in 1985 to 1986 are compared to all c omets, both long and short-period. Halley's orbit is quite unusual for a short-period (SP) comet, characterized by a very small perihelion distance and a retrograde inclination. The comet is much brighter than most SP comets, and is even relatively bright for a long-period comet. Although Halley's orbit crosses the orbits of seven of the nine planets, it can currently make close approaches to only Venus, Earth, and Mars, planets likely too small to have played a major role in capturing Halley to a short-period orbit. This, and other evidence, suggests that Halley has been in its current orbit for many returns. A variety of dynamical paths for evolving Halley to its present orbit from either the inner or outer Oort clouds are possible, and thus only probabilistic arguments can be made as to the comet's past physical and dynamical history.

Weissman, Paul R.↗