Measurement of fast neutron fluxes in shielding when there is a background of intense intermediate neutron fluxes
Measuring fast neutron fluxes in nuclear shielding on background of intense intermediate neutron fluxes
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Measuring fast neutron fluxes in nuclear shielding on background of intense intermediate neutron fluxes
Flux, energy spectra, and pitch angle distributions of precipitated low energy hydrogen and electrons from Nike-Tomahawk auroral hydrogen experiment
Incoherent scatter observations of the topside ionosphere over Arecibo, Puerto Rico, have been analyzed and interpreted to give values for the neutral hydrogen density and vertical proton flux throughout a 30 hr period on December 7 and 8, 1965. The neutral hydrogen density is of the order of 1,000,000 per cu cm at 520 km, agreeing well with other recent measurements. A diurnal variation of about 2-1 was found, which confirms recent theoretical predictions. The vertical proton flux attained a maximum value of about one billion per sq cm per sec, being upward in the daytime and downward at night. The daytime flux appears to be of comparable magnitude with the limiting flux permitted, but the shape of the ion density profile suggests that the flux was not actually a limiting flux. For the night in question, the downward proton flux appears to account for the maintenance of the F layer, perhaps with some additional contribution from neutral winds and/or electric fields.
A two-phased contract is currently underway to develop 1) a set of parametric curves of absorbed heat flux for specific geometries, and 2) a generalized computer program whose output is absorbed heat flux on the surfaces of a planet orbiting spacecraft. The absorbed heat fluxes include the effects of blockage by and reflections from adjacent spacecraft surfaces, assuming all surfaces to be diffuse. The final computer program will calculate fluxes on any of ten arbitrarily positioned plane surfaces, with any surface properties, planetary radiation characteristics, solar intensity, and orbital parameters. Outputs will be heat fluxes versus time, geometrical configuration factors, and radiant flux interchange factors.
Pioneer 8 and 9 measured cosmic dust flux rate data are in agreement with astronomy theory, zodiacal light measurements, and ground-based observations, but differ markedly from the high flux rates deduced from earlier in situ measurements. As many as seven orders-of-magnitude separate the small particle end of the high and low flux curves. It was concluded that the data from the multicoincidence cosmic dust sensors have not only measured very low flux for micrometeorites, which is in keeping with astronomy theory, but have also shown how a high flux theory may be based on faulty data.
Buoyancy effects on the critical heat flux and general data trends for a liquid nitrogen internal flow system were determined by comparison of upflow and downflow data under identical test conditions. The test section had a 1.28 cm diameter flow passage and a 30.5 cm heated length which was subjected to uniform heat fluxes through resistance heating. Test conditions covered a range of pressures from 3.4 to 10.2 atm, inlet velocities from 0.23 to 3.51 m/sec, with the liquid nitrogen temperature at saturated inlet conditions. Data comparisons showed that the critical heat flux for downflow could be up to 36 percent lower than for upflow. A nonmonotonic relationship between the critical heat flux and velocity was determined for upflow but not for downflow. A limiting inlet velocity of 4.12 m/sec was determined to be the minimum velocity required to completely suppress the influence of buoyancy on the critical heat flux for this saturated inlet flow system. A correlation of this limiting fluid velocity is presented that was developed from previously published subcooled liquid nitrogen data and the saturated data of this investigation.
This method is investigated for semi-infinite multiple-slab configurations of arbitrary width, composition, and source distribution. Isotropic scattering in the laboratory system is assumed. Isotropic scattering implies that the fraction of neutrons scattered in the i(sup th) volume element or subregion that will make their next collision in the j(sup th) volume element or subregion is the same for all collisions. These so-called "transfer probabilities" between subregions are calculated and used to obtain successive-collision densities from which the flux and transmission probabilities directly follow. For a thick slab with little or no absorption, a successive-collisions technique proves impractical because an unreasonably large number of collisions must be followed in order to obtain the flux. Here the appropriate integral equation is converted into a set of linear simultaneous algebraic equations that are solved for the average total flux in each subregion. When ordinary diffusion theory applies with satisfactory precision in a portion of the multiple-slab configuration, the problem is solved by ordinary diffusion theory, but the flux is plotted only in the region of validity. The angular distribution of neutrons entering the remaining portion is determined from the known diffusion flux and the remaining region is solved by higher order theory. Several procedures for applying the numerical method are presented and discussed. To illustrate the calculational procedure, a symmetrical slab ia vacuum is worked by the numerical, Monte Carlo, and P(sub 3) spherical harmonics methods. In addition, an unsymmetrical double-slab problem is solved by the numerical and Monte Carlo methods. The numerical approach proved faster and more accurate in these examples. Adaptation of the method to anisotropic scattering in slabs is indicated, although no example is included in this paper.
Apart from the globally distributed ambient gases in the lunar atmosphere, localized gas sources, such as volcanos, may have a measurable effect on the process of shaping the lunar atmosphere. Analytic solutions were obtained for the spatial distributions of neutral gas densities and fluxes due to point and line sources at the lunar surface. Both density and flux profiles are strong functions of the distance from the source to the point of observation. The study also reveals that: (1) The location of the source may be identified from the density and flux profiles. (2) If the gas species is known, the temperature of the gas may be determined from the density gradient at a distance of several scale heights from the source. (3) The strength of the gas source may be determined by the magnitudes of density and flux.
Both the anisotropic and isotropic diffusion theories can be used to extrapolate proton fluxes for E greater than or equal to 10 meV for over 50% of the particle events. The isotropic diffusion theory uses a diffusion coefficient: D = Mr sup beta. It was found that M and beta tended to be functions of flare position on the solar disk. A measurement of the interplanetary flux in near earth space gives a good indication of the polar cap fluxes. It was found that the 30 MHz absorption over the poles during a PCA is proportional to the square root of the integral proton flux E greater than or equal to 11 meV in interplanetary space, J = KA squared, with K = 8 plus or minus 2 and J in protons/sq cm-sec-ster.
The calculation of fluences from the flux models for spacecraft designers, and the propagation of uncertainties in the flux models to larger uncertainties in the final answer are discussed. Ionization and displacement damage in silicon, fluence, and a fluence of an equivalent energy are considered. Data in graph form are presented on stopping power and range curves for electrons and protons in silicon, relative electron and proton damage in silicon, and electron fluences expressed as 3 MeV equivalent and proton fluences expressed as 20 MeV equivalent for flybys in Jupiter's magnetic equatorial plane. It is concluded that the problem includes the uncertainty in peak flux, which has an immediate linear effect; uncertainty in the spatial distribution of the flux which gives great divergency between the upper-limit model and the nominal model and in the case of protons, may preclude any mission planning in order to make the situation better; and the uncertainty in the energy spectrum both in shape and energy location of the peak, if any, and which has little importance for mission planning if the spectrum is fairly constant.
Type IV radio bursts with wide band from microwave to metric-wave frequency are generally associated with solar proton flares. Recently, Castelli et al. (1967, 1968) have shown that the type IV radio bursts associated with solar proton flares show the U-shaped peak flux spectra with the minimum flux at decimetric frequencies. In this paper, the center-to-limb variation of such peak flux spectra is investigated in order to examine the effect of decrease of the peak flux at metric frequencies with increase of the angular distance from the central meridian of the sun. It is shown that the U-shaped spectra are obtained independent of the position of proton flares, although the spectral form changes significantly in the case of the flares near the limb. It is further suggested that the U-shaped spectra consist of the two essentially independent components for microwave and metric-wave frequencies, respectively.
Examination of measurements of 40- and 75-keV electrons and 60and 120-keV protons on the ATS 5 satellite in synchronous orbit in order to show that fluxes of such particles often approach but rarely exceed limiting values that agree within a factor of about 2 with the fluxes predicted by Kennel and Petschek (1966) from consideration of whistler-mode wave-particle interactions. A study is made of the proton and electron fluxes for evidence of the stably trapped flux limits in order to determine them, and to study the local-time dependences of their existence.
A method and means for altering the intensity of a magnetic field by transposing flux from one location to the location desired fro the magnetic field are examined. The device described includes a pair of communicating cavities formed in a block of superconducting material, is dimensioned to be insertable into one of the cavities and to substantially fill the cavity. Magnetic flux is first trapped in the cavities by establishing a magnetic field while the superconducting material is above the critical temperature at which it goes superconducting. Thereafter, the temperature of the material is reduced below the critical value, and then the exciting magnetic field may be removed. By varying the ratios of the areas of the two cavities, it is possible to produce a field having much greater flux density in the second, smaller cavity, into which the flux transposed.
A series of tests were conducted to measure the mass flux in the far field of a nozzle plume in a high vacuum with emphasis on the back flow region. The measurements presented provided fairly accurate data for off-axis angles as large as 140 deg (i.e., in the back flow region). This region, since it is well behind the exit plane, is of paticular interest to those concerned with instrument contamination. Usually sensitive spacecraft surfaces are located in the region affected by the back flow. Parameters such as expansion ratio, throat diameter, nozzle lip shape, and plenum (chamber) pressure were varied, carbon dioxide and nitrogen gases were flowed and mass flux measurements were taken using quartz crystal microbalances in as many as nine different locations relative to the tests nozzle. Several conclusions with respect to the effect of nozzle and gas parameters on the amount of back flow mass flux are offered, and it was demonstrated that gaseous mass fluxes, which are not predictable by present theories, are encountered in the region behind the nozzle exit plane. This knowledge is significant if materials incompatible with the gaseous exhaust products are used in this region.
Liquid viscosity was included in the Bellman-Pennington theory of the Taylor wave in a liquid vapor interface. Predictions of the most susceptible wavelength, and of the wave frequency, were made as a function of a liquid viscosity parameter and the Bond number. The stability of a gas jet in a viscous liquid was studied and the result is used to predict the peak heat flux on large horizontal heaters. Experimental measurements of the dominant Taylor wave and its growth rate were made during the film boiling of cyclohexanol on cylindrical heaters. The results bear out the predictions quite well. The thickness of the vapor blanket surrounding a cylindrical heater was measured and a correlation suggested. The effect of large fluxes of vapor volume on the dominant wavelength was also noted. Theoretical results of the peak heat flux are compared with the experimental data, and the effect of finite geometry of flat plate heaters on the peak heat flux is also discussed.
A magnetic flux pump is described for increasing the intensity of a magnetic field by transferring flux from one location to the magnetic field. The device includes a pair of communicating cavities formed in a block of superconducting material, and a piston for displacing the trapped magnetic flux into the secondary cavity producing a field having an intense flux density.
Accurate flux-density measurements of the thermal radio source DR 21 have been made at centimeter wavelengths relative to the KPW absolute flux-density scale based on Cas A and at millimeter wavelengths relative to absolute brightness-temperature measurements of Jupiter and Saturn. The form of the absolute spectrum of DR 21 thus defined is given and used to relate two formerly independent flux-density scales. With an accuracy of about 3 percent, this spectrum of DR 21 defines a flux-density scale that can be used to calibrate antennas having beamwidths between 1 and 6 minutes of arc at microwave frequencies above 7 GHz where other methods of absolute calibration are much less accurate.
Ion measurements from the Explorer 31 satellite were used to determine the angular distribution of ions around the satellite. The ion distributions were compared with the electron distributions measured on the same satellite. It is shown that the electron currents (fluxes) in the wake are always larger than the ion currents for a wide domain of plasma parameters. A quantitative comparison of the ion fluxes with a neutral approximation model for the angular distribution is considered. It is found that the ion fluxes become progressively larger than the corresponding computed neutral fluxes as the angle of attack increases from 0 to 180 deg.