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At least 1,495 records · Page 83
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

An investigation of dynamic-analysis methods for variable-geometry structures

Selected space structure configurations were reviewed in order to define dynamic analysis problems associated with variable geometry. The dynamics of a beam being constructed from a flexible base and the relocation of the completed beam by rotating the remote manipulator system about the shoulder joint were selected. Equations of motion were formulated in physical coordinates for both of these problems, and FORTRAN programs were developed to generate solutions by numerically integrating the equations. These solutions served as a standard of comparison to gauge the accuracy of approximate solution techniques that were developed and studied. Good control was achieved in both problems. Unstable control system coupling with the system flexibility did not occur. An approximate method was developed for each problem to enable the analyst to investigate variable geometry effects during a short time span using standard fixed geometry programs such as NASTRAN. The average angle and average length techniques are discussed.

Austin, F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Cold-air performance of a 15.41-cm-tip-diameter axial-flow power turbine with variable-area stator designed for a 75-kW automotive gas turbine engine

An experimental evaluation of the aerodynamic performance of the axial flow, variable area stator power turbine stage for the Department of Energy upgraded automotive gas turbine engine was conducted in cold air. The interstage transition duct, the variable area stator, the rotor, and the exit diffuser were included in the evaluation of the turbine stage. The measured total blading efficiency was 0.096 less than the design value of 0.85. Large radial gradients in flow conditions were found at the exit of the interstage duct that adversely affected power turbine performance. Although power turbine efficiency was less than design, the turbine operating line corresponding to the steady state road load power curve was within 0.02 of the maximum available stage efficiency at any given speed.

Mclallin, K. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The absence of rapid X-ray variability in active galaxies

Variations on time scales ranging from minutes to several hours in the X-ray flux from 54 observations of 38 active galaxies are identified. The sample is composed mostly of Seyfert I galaxies but also includes radio galaxies, NELG's BL Lacs and 3C 273. Only NGC 6814 varied on time scales as short as 100 sec. No other source was observed to vary with a time scale of less than 12 hours. Large amplitude short term variations are not a characteristic of the X-ray emission from active galaxies. Upper limits on sigma sub I/I ranged from 2% for Cen A, 5% for NGC 4151, to approximately 20% for sources giving 1 ct/sec in the detector. Three objects NGC 3227, NGC 4151 and MCG 5-23-16 show variability consistent with a time scale of approximately 1 day. Ways to reconcile the rapid variability seen for NGC 6814 (and NGC 4051) with the general stability observed for the other objects are considered.

Tennant, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Cataclysmic variables: Disk characteristics from UV observations

Low dispersion IUE spectra of 3 cataclysmic variables (V442 Oph, V794 Aq1 and H2215-086) are discussed in terms of current disk models. The range of continuum fluxes, line emission and disk parameters of these three novalike systems are compared with past observations of dwarf novae at outburst and quiescence. Evidence of variability on orbital time scales is presented for V442 Oph and H2215-086.

Szkody, P.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The ultraviolet variability of T Cr B

Preliminary results of the ultraviolet variability monitoring of the recurrent nova T Cr B are presented. The star has shown striking changes of the continuum (both shape and integrated luminosity) and of the emission lines since 1979, with a maximum activity in early 1981. In the same period the visual luminosity remained practically constant. The data being studied that the UV variability is due to changes in the physical structure of the accretion disk around the secondary.

Cassatella, A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Stratospheric variability in summer

Rocketsonde observations and infrasound results are used to investigate the variability of the summer stratopause region during one month in summer. Fluctuations of 2-3 days and about 16-day periods are evident, and they appear to be propagating vertically. In this month the 2-3 day oscillations have an amplitude envelope equal in period to the longer period oscillations, implying a connection between the two phenomena. Observations of the diurnal tide and shorter period variability during the month are also presented.

Rind, D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Oceanic eddy variability measured by GEOS 3 altimeter crossover differences

Eddy statistics of sea height variations associated with dynamic ocean currents, gathered by GEOS 3 altimetry (25 cm), are discussed. Time variable flow is noted to be measureable using altimeter height and orbit information by means of three techniques: collinear tracks, where rms variability can be determined for mesoscale phenomena measured along parallel tracks; mean surfaces, using a 3-dimensional mapping of the sea surface for an accurate representation of the surface undulations; and crossover differences, such as between data tracks from GEOS and Seasat which have reduced ephemeris error over scales of a few thousand km. Mesoscale energetics have been found suitable for tracing meandering ocean currents by the crossover method. Possible sources of error are considered, including altimeter noise, orbit error, short wavelength continental shelf tides, etc., and it is determined that observations of mesoscale sea height appear to be limited only by uncertainties in the altimetry, which for Seasat was 5 cm over 60% of the world's oceans.

Cheney, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Discovery and observation of BY Draconis variables

The discovery of BY Draconis variables was efficiently accomplished by a spectroscopic survey of dK-M stars for weak H-alpha emissions, using 1-2 A resolution. The four BY Dra variables discovered are all spectroscopic binaries with P values lower than about 10 d, in light of which, it is noted that the onset of high surface activity and appearance of H-alpha emission occur sharply at v(equator) of approximately 5 km/sec. At v(equator) of about 3 km/sec, dK-M stars have low levels of surface activity. It is found that while there is a range of Ca II emission strength, and only the strongest emitters of this line are BY Dra and/or flare stars, the H-alpha feature changes abruptly to an emission feature signaling the onset of flaring and/or the BY Dra syndrome. An increase of the rotation rate above v(equator) 5 km/sec does not appear to increase the level of surface activity.

Bopp, B. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Temporal relationships between spectral response and agronomic variables of a corn canopy

Attention is given to an experiment in which spectral radiance data collected in three spectral regions are related to corn canopy variables. The study extends the work of Tucker et al. (1979) in that more detailed measurements of corn canopy variables were made using quantitative techniques. Wet and dry green leaf biomass is considered along with the green leaf area index, chlorotic leaf biomass, chlorotic leaf area, and leaf water content. In addition, spectral data were collected with a hand-held radiometer having Landsat-D Thematic Mapper (TM) bands TM3 (0.63-0.69 micrometers), TM4 (0.76-0.90 micrometers), and TM5 (1.55-1.75 micrometers). TM3, TM4, and TM5 seem to be well situated spectrally for making remotely sensed measurements related to chlorophyll concentration, leaf density, and leaf water content.

Kimes, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Solar UV variability - Effects on stratospheric ozone, trace constituents and thermal structure

The effect of long-term (11-year solar cycle) solar UV variability on stratospheric chemical and thermal structure has been studied using a time-dependent one-dimensional model. Previous studies have suggested substantial variations in local and total ozone, and in stratospheric thermal structure from solar minimum to solar maximum. It is shown that significant variations also occur in some of the trace constituents. Members of the HOx family and N2O exhibit the largest variations, and these changes, if detected, may provide additional means of verifying the presence of solar UV variability and its effects. Some of the species show large phase differences with the assumed solar flux variation. The role of chemical and transport time constants on the time variations of the trace species is examined. Comparisons with reported ozone and temperature data show reasonable agreement for the period 1960 to 1972.

Natarajan, M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The X-ray spectrum and time variability of narrow emission line galaxies

X-ray spectral and temporal observations are reported for six narrow emission line galaxies (NELGs), all of which are fitted by power-law X-ray spectra of energy slope 0.8 and have column densities in the line of sight greater than 1 x 10 to the 22nd atoms/sq cm. Three of the objects, NGC 526a, NGC 2110 and MCG-5-23-16 are variable in their X-ray flux, and the latter two, along with NGC 5506 and NGC 7582, showed detectable variability in at least one observation. The measured X-ray properties of these NELGs, which also included NGC 2992, strongly resemble those of previously-measured type 1 Seyferts of the same X-ray luminosity and lead to the conclusion of great similarity between the NELGs and low-luminosity type 1 Seyferts. The implications of these observations for the optical line-emitting region structure of these galaxies are discussed.

Mushotzky, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The stochastic variability of asteroidal regolith depths

Modeling the depth of regolith on asteroids is approached from a statistical point of view. It is demonstrated that average values are not good descriptors of regolith depth on asteroids. Large deviations from the average can be expected to occur due to both large variations in depth over the surface of a body and to the fact that each asteroid has a unique regolith. The utility of the average depth is not significantly increased by excluding the parts of a surface which are occupied by large craters; a procedure adopted in existing regolith models. Although an asteroid's surface may be 'smoothed out' by movement of debris into gravitationally low spots, the regolith depth retains its variability because of variations in topography at the bottom of the regolith layer. The large variability associated with regolith depth severely limits the power of regolith models in predicting parent body size for the brecciated meteorites.

Housen, K. R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Ultraviolet, visual, and infrared observations of the WC7 variable HD 193793

Low-resolution IUE data are used to explore the ultraviolet extinction toward the Wolf-Rayet star HD 193793 and to search for ultraviolet variability that might relate to the infrared variability. High-dispersion IUE observations are used to investigate the nature of the stellar wind of the star and to search for anomalies in the interstellar line spectrum that might be expected to be found toward a star that has recently formed a dust shell. Finally, the ultraviolet and new visual and infrared data are combined to investigate the full energy distribution of this unusual source. The energy distribution is found to extend from 0.12 to 12.5 microns, and the ultraviolet data suggest a normal WC-7 type star. A wind terminal speed of about 3000 km/s is implied by the data, as well as an E(B-V) value of 0.85. The dereddened ultraviolet to visual energy distribution is consistent with a star having effective temperature of about 43,000 K.

Fitzpatrick, E. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Variability of surface temperature in agricultural fields of central California

In an attempt to evaluate the relationship between hand-held infrared thermometers and aircraft thermal scanners in near-level terrain and to quantify the variability of surface temperatures within individual fields, ground-based and aircraft thermal sensor measurements were made along a 50-km transect on 3 May 1979 and a 20-km transect on 7 August 1980. These comparisons were made on fields near Davis, California. Agreement was within 1 C for fields covered with vegetation and 3.6 C for bare, dry fields. The variability within fields was larger for bare, dry fields than for vegetatively covered fields. In 1980, with improvements in the collection of ground truth data, the agreement was within 1 C for a variety of fields.

Hatfield, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

X-ray and optical measurements of the cataclysmic variable CH UMa

A program to identify optical counterparts of X-ray sources discovered with the Einstein Observatory has resulted in an independent identification of CH UMa as a cataclysmic variable. Spectrophotometric observations made with the Intensified Image Dissector Scanner on the 2.1-m telescope at KPNO revealed an emission line spectrum from an approximately 15 mag object similar to the spectra of cataclysmic variables. A subsequent search of the Harvard photographic plate collection revealed outbursts of 4 mag in amplitude.

Becker, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fitting multidimensional splines using statistical variable selection techniques

This report demonstrates the successful application of statistical variable selection techniques to fit splines. Major emphasis is given to knot selection, but order determination is also discussed. Two FORTRAN backward elimination programs using the B-spline basis were developed, and the one for knot elimination is compared in detail with two other spline-fitting methods and several statistical software packages. An example is also given for the two-variable case using a tensor product basis, with a theoretical discussion of the difficulties of their use.

Smith, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Curve fitting and modeling with splines using statistical variable selection techniques

The successful application of statistical variable selection techniques to fit splines is demonstrated. Major emphasis is given to knot selection, but order determination is also discussed. Two FORTRAN backward elimination programs, using the B-spline basis, were developed. The program for knot elimination is compared in detail with two other spline-fitting methods and several statistical software packages. An example is also given for the two-variable case using a tensor product basis, with a theoretical discussion of the difficulties of their use.

Smith, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Simulating soybean canopy temperature as affected by weather variables and soil water potential

Hourly weather data for several clear sky days during summer at Phoenix and Baltimore which covered a wide range of variables were used with a plant atmosphere model to simulate soybean (Glycine max L.) leaf water potential, stomatal resistance and canopy temperature at various soil water potentials. The air and dew point temperatures were found to be the significant weather variables affecting the canopy temperatures. Under identical weather conditions, the model gives a lower canopy temperature for a soybean crop with a higher rooting density. A knowledge of crop rooting density, in addition to air and dew point temperatures is needed in interpreting infrared radiometric observations for soil water status. The observed dependence of stomatal resistance on the vapor pressure deficit and soil water potential is fairly well represented. Analysis of the simulated leaf water potentials indicates overestimation, possibly due to differences in the cultivars.

Choudhury, B. J.↗