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At least 1,459 records · Page 81

Radio-frequency heating of emission-line gas near compact extragalactic radio sources

High-brightness-temperature radio sources significantly heat by free-free absorption any nearby gas that has properties similar to those inferred for QSO emission-line gas. As a result, the outer layers of the gas clouds expand, and their visible line emission decreases. Moderate heating enhances the collisionally excited ultraviolet line of O VI at 1034 A. Stronger heating penetrates the entire cloud and extinguishes all lines. Strong enough radio fluxes cause a thermal instability by stimulated Compton heating that is only saturated by Compton cooling at very high temperatures. It is speculated that BL Lac objects differ from quasars by having higher radio turnover frequencies, lower gas pressures, or more violent variability, all of which make radio heating more effective.

Krolik, J. H.↗

Acoustic lens is gas-filled

Fluorocarbon gas contained by plastic membrane is effective lens for sound waves. In tests, lens substantially improved accuracy of sound "maps" of turbulent airflow. It could also be used to record sound intensity patterns in design of speakers, lecture halls, and auditoriums. Lens is fabricated by clamping together two membranes of thin plastic and filling enclosed space with fluorocarbon gas. Since speed of sound in gas is considerably less than in air, lens refracts and focuses sound waves, analogous to focusing light by glass lens. Focal length is adjusted simply by changing gas pressure, which changes lens curvature.

Kendall, J. M., Jr.↗

SEASAT demonstration experiments with the offshore oil, gas and mining industries

Despite its failure, SEASAT-1 acquired a reasonable volume of data that can be used by industrial participants on a non-real-time basis to prove the concept of microwave sensing of the world's oceans from a satellite platform. The amended version of 8 experimental plans are presented, along with a description of the satellite, its instruments, and the data available. Case studies are summarized for the following experiments: (1) Beaufort Sea oil, gas, and Arctic operations; (2) Labrador Sea oil, gas, and sea ice; (3) Gulf of Mexico pipelines; (4) U.S. East Coast offshore oil and gas; (5) worldwide offshore drilling and production operations; (6) Equatorial East Pacific Ocean mining; (7) Bering Sea ice project; and (8) North Sea oil and gas.

Mourad, A. G.↗

LaRC results on nuclear pumped noble gas lasers

The recent experiment and theoretical results obtained for noble gas nuclear laser systems are presented. It is shown that the noble gas lasers are among the easiest systems to pump by nuclear excitation and as a result, all of the noble gases except He have lased under nuclear excitation. The noble gas systems are not ideal for high-power applications but they do give valuable insight into the operation and pumping mechanisms associated with nuclear lasers. At present, the Ar-Xe system is the best noble gas candidate for (U-235)F6 pumping. It appears that the quenching of Ar-Xe lasing is a result of the fluorine and not the uranium or fission fragments themselves. Thus, to achieve lasing with UF6, a fluorine compatible system must be found.

Deyoung, R. J.↗

A search for extended halos of hot gas in the Perseus, Virgo, and Coma Clusters

Observations of the Perseus cluster by the HEAO 1 satellite have revealed a faint X-ray halo extending at least 2.5 deg from the center and contributing between 5% and 20% to the total luminosity. This may be of nonthermal origin, but it also may be explained in terms of hot gas bound by the gravitational field of the cluster. Statistical uncertainties made it impossible to detect any such halo in the Coma cluster. Observations of the Virgo cluster confirmed the detection by the Ariel 5 satellite of a broad region of faint X-ray emission (core radius 60 arcmin). If the very extended X-ray emission from Virgo is due to hot intracluster gas, the density of this gas is lower than expected from a consideration of gas and galaxy densities in the Perseus cluster.

Ulmer, M. P.↗

The preparation of calcium superoxide in a flowing gas stream and fluidized bed

Superoxides can be used as sources of chemically stored oxygen in emergency breathing apparatus. The work reported here describes the use of a low-pressure nitrogen gas sweep through the reactant bed, for temperature control and water vapor removal. For a given set of gas temperature, bed thickness, and reaction time values, the highest purity calcium superoxide, Ca(O2)2, was obtained at the highest space velocity of the nitrogen gas sweep. The purity of the product was further increased by flow conditions that resulted in the fluidization of the reactant bed. However, scale-up of the low-pressure fluidized bed process was limited to the formation of agglomerates of reactant particles, which hindered thermal control by the flowing gas stream. A radiofrequency flow discharge inside the reaction chamber prevented agglomeration, presumably by dissipation of the static charges on the fluidized particles.

Wood, P. C.↗

Cosmic ray studies with a gas Cerenkov counter in association with an ionization spectrometer

The results from a balloon-borne gas Cerenkov counter (threshold 16.5 GeV/nuc) and an ionization spectrometer are presented. The gas Cerenkov counter provides an absolute energy calibration for the response of the calorimeter for the Z range of 5-26 nuclei of cosmic rays. The contribution of scintillation to the gas Cerenkov pulse height has been obtained by independently selecting particles below the gas Cerenkov threshold using the ionization spectrometer. Energy spectra were derived by minimizing the chi-squared between a Monte Carlo simulated data and flight data. Best fit power laws were determined for C, N, O, Ne, Mg, and Si. The power laws, all consistent with E exp-2.7, are not good fits to the data. A better fit is obtained using the spectrum derived from the spectrometer.

Balasubrahmanyan, V. K.↗

Numerical calculations of the collapse of nonrotating, magnetic gas clouds

Results of the first self-consistent numerical calculations of the dynamic collapse of a magnetized protostellar gas cloud are presented. Symmetry about an axis parallel to the initial magnetic field direction has been assumed, so that the calculations could be performed on a two-dimensional grid. Also, the cloud was taken to be nonrotating and isothermal, and the magnetic field was assumed to remain frozen in to the gas. As starting models for the calculations, gas spheres with uniform density and magnetic field were used. The time evolution of the clouds has been calculated for roughly two initial free-fall times, at which point the central density has increased by a factor of approximately 10,000 to 1,000,000. Several such calculations have been performed for different values of the cloud's initial thermal, magnetic, and gravitational energies. In virtually all cases it is found that, once a flattened core forms in the cloud, the central magnetic field strength, B, varies with gas density, rho, according to (d log B/d log rho) = 1/2. This behavior is independent of the initial energy ratios mentioned above. It is also found that the magnetic field is able to prevent completely the collapse of part of the outer envelope of the cloud.

Scott, E. H.↗

The heating of gas in clusters of galaxies by relativistic electrons - Collective effects

We show that the rate at which gas is heated in X-ray clusters of galaxies by streaming relativistic electrons can be much greater than the Coulomb heating rate because of the stimulated growth of a high level of electrostatic turbulence and its subsequent collapse to shorter wavelengths. This enhanced heating (and, hence, energy loss) rate allows the X-ray emitting gas to be heated by those particles which are observable through their synchrotron emission at low radio frequencies and yields a radio source size consistent with the observed radio halo sizes in the Coma cluster. The heating of gas in clusters of galaxies by relativistic electrons will significantly affect the cluster gas dynamics.

Scott, J. S.↗

Observations of the gas stream in the mass transfer binary HR 2142 prime 1

The mass transfer binary system HR 2142 was observed at selected phases with the high resolution spectrograph on IUE. The observations were scheduled throughout the interval 0.91 phi 0.00 in order to allow viewing of the light of the primary star through the gas stream as it presents different orientations to the line of sight. Numerous UV lines formed in the gas stream were identified. The strengths and velocity variations displayed by these lines are compared with those observed in the ground based spectral region. As part of a preliminary analysis of the IUE data, column densities and velocities from Si III (4), Si IV (1), and Ti III (1) are used to deduce electron densities in the gas stream as well as its thickness. Possible evidence for stratification in the gas stream is presented.

Peters, G. J.↗

Properties of an imaging gas scintillation proportional counter

An instrument which combines the improved energy resolution offered by the gas scintillation proportional counter (GSPC) with the submillimeter imaging capabilities of the multiwire proportional counter (MWPC) is described. The imaging gas scintillation proportional counter detects the centroid of the UV light excited by X-ray photons interacting in the noble gas of the GSPC with a UV sensitive gas in the MWPC. The prototype counter yields a measured performance of 9% (FWHM) energy resolution and 0.9 mm (FWHM) spatial resolution at 6 keV. Further design refinements should achieve 18% (FWHM) energy resolution and 0.6 mm (FWHM) spatial resolution at 1 keV.

Ku, W. H.-M.↗

Unbalance response of a two spool gas turbine engine with squeeze film bearings

This paper presents a dynamic analysis of a two-spool gas turbine helicopter engine incorporating intershaft rolling element bearings between the gas generator and power turbine rotors. The analysis includes the nonlinear effects of a squeeze film bearing incorporated on the gas generator rotor. The analysis includes critical speeds and forced response of the system and indicates that substantial dynamic loads may be imposed on the intershaft bearings and main bearing supports with an improperly designed squeeze film bearing. A comparison of theoretical and experimental gas generator rotor response is presented illustrating the nonlinear characteristics of the squeeze film bearing. It was found that large intershaft bearing forces may occur even though the engine is not operating at a resonant condition.

Gunter, E. J.↗

Molecular wake shield gas analyzer

Techniques for measuring and characterizing the ultrahigh vacuum in the wake of an orbiting spacecraft are studied. A high sensitivity mass spectrometer that contains a double mass analyzer consisting of an open source miniature magnetic sector field neutral gas analyzer and an identical ion analyzer is proposed. These are configured to detect and identify gas and ion species of hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, nitric oxide, and carbon dioxide and any other gas or ion species in the 1 to 46 amu mass range. This range covers the normal atmospheric constituents. The sensitivity of the instrument is sufficient to measure ambient gases and ion with a particle density of the order of one per cc. A chemical pump, or getter, is mounted near the entrance aperture of the neutral gas analyzer which integrates the absorption of ambient gases for a selectable period of time for subsequent release and analysis. The sensitivity is realizable for all but rare gases using this technique.

Hoffman, J. H.↗

Assessment of steam-injected gas turbine systems and their potential application

Results were arrived at by utilizing and expanding on information presented in the literature. The results were analyzed and compared with those for simple gas turbine and combined cycles for both utility power generation and industrial cogeneration applications. The efficiency and specific power of simple gas turbine cycles can be increased as much as 30 and 50 percent, respectively, by the injection of steam into the combustor. Steam-injected gas turbines appear to be economically competitive with both simple gas turbine and combined cycles for small, clean-fuel-fired utility power generation and industrial cogeneration applications. For large powerplants with integrated coal gasifiers, the economic advantages appear to be marginal.

Stochl, R. J.↗

Low NO sub x heavy fuel combustor concept program. Phase 1A: Combustion technology generation coal gas fuels

Combustion tests of two scaled burners using actual coal gas from a 25 ton/day fluidized bed coal gasifier are described. The two combustor configurations studied were a ceramic lined, staged rich/lean burner and an integral, all metal multiannual swirl burner (MASB). The tests were conducted over a range of temperature and pressures representative of current industrial combustion turbine inlet conditions. Tests on the rich lean burner were conducted at three levels of product gas heating values: 104, 197 and 254 btu/scf. Corresponding levels of NOx emissions were 5, 20 and 70 ppmv. Nitrogen was added to the fuel in the form of ammonia, and conversion efficiencies of fuel nitrogen to NOx were on the order of 4 percent to 12 percent, which is somewhat lower than the 14 percent to 18 percent conversion efficiency when src-2 liquid fuel was used. The MASB was tested only on medium btu gas (220 to 270 btu/scf), and produced approximately 80 ppmv NOx at rated engine conditions. Both burners operated similarly on actual coal gas and erbs fuel, and all heating values tested can be successfully burned in current machines.

Sherlock, T. P.↗

Distribution of gas in the halo of the galaxy

Results are presented from a high-resolution, ultraviolet study of interstellar gas situated away from the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy, using the nuclei of Seyfert galaxies Mkn 509 and F9 as background probes. In these directions, low-velocity, galactic gas were detected as well as two extragalactic clouds, one probably associated with the Magellanic Stream and the other with Mkn 509. These data were combined with results from other lines of sight to show that the ultraviolet species extend about 10 kpc from the plane, assuming the high-latitude gas corotates with the galactic disk. Complimentary observations of the optical Ca II and Na I species suggests that these do not extend as far - perhaps 2 to 3 kpc from the plane. Further, the exceedingly complex velocity structure found only in Magellanic Cloud directions suggests that these sight-lines are not typical of high-latitude gas in general.

Blades, J. C.↗

Noble gas trapping by laboratory carbon condensates

Trapping of noble gases by carbon-rich matter was investigated by synthesizing carbon condensates in a noble gas atmosphere. Laser evaporation of a solid carbon target yielded submicron grains which proved to be efficient noble gas trappers (Xe distribution coefficients up to 13 cu cm STP/g-atm). The carbon condensates are better noble gas trappers than previously reported synthetic samples, except one, but coefficients inferred for meteoritic acid-residues are still orders of magnitude higher. The trapped noble gases are loosely bound and elementally strongly fractionated, but isotopic fractionations were not detected. Although this experiment does not simulate nebular conditions, the results support the evidence that carbon-rich phases in meteorites may be carriers of noble gases from early solar system reservoirs. The trapped elemental noble gas fractionations are remarkably similar to both those inferred for meteorites and those of planetary atmospheres for earth, Mars and Venus.

Niemeyer, S.↗

The usage of substructuring analyses in the Get Away Special (GAS) program

The use of automatic multi-stage substructing analysis is demonstrated for a hypothetical case of a GAS container supported by structural channels with a simulated experimental package inside the container. The GAS program purpose is stated and potential candidate structures to support experimental packages are discussed. The GAS container model and the substructuring analysis capabilities of NASTRAN make it possible to study the experiments inside the container as well as the design constraints resulting from the support structures holding the containers. The use of substructuring in the GAS program could be an important factor in increasing the number of flight opportunities.

Ferragut, N. J.↗