Problems in assessing mercury concentrations in environmental materials are discussed. Data for situations involving air, water, rocks, soils, sediments, sludges, fossil fuels, plants, animals, foods, and man are drawn together and briefly evaluated. Details are provided regarding the toxicity of mercury along with tentative standards and guidelines for mercury in air, drinking water, and food.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, ECOLOGY,...
Design and development of electromagnetic probe is discussed. Probe is designed to measure wind speed, turbulence levels, and aerosol content of atmosphere. Data are used to construct real-time, three dimensional map of atmospheric composition.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, DATA ACQUISITION, DATA TRANSMISSION,...
During three balloon flights made in 1966 and 1967, cosmic electrons were investigated with the aid of a hodoscope detector which provided extensive and detailed information on each cosmic ray event triggering the apparatus. Similar information obtained during calibration exposures to protons and pions as well as to electrons was used to provide identification of cosmic electrons and to determine their energies. Differential primary electron intensities measured in the range from 1 GeV to 25...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BALLOON SOUNDING, ELECTRON FLUX DENSITY, ENERGY SPECTRA,...
The United States sounding rocket program is discussed. The program is concerned with the fields of solar physics, galactic astronomy, fields and particles, ionospheric physics, aeronomy, and meteorology. Sounding rockets are described with respect to propulsion systems, gross weight, and capabilities. Instruments used to conduct ionospheric probing missions are examined. Results of previously conducted sounding rocket missions are included.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, IONOSONDES, IONOSPHERIC SOUNDING,...
Findings are presented for IRIS data from NIMBUS 3 in mapping the global ozone distribution. The seasonal and regional variations of ozone, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, reveal features that were not evident from the sparse ground-based ozone observation network in this hemisphere. A regression analysis was undertaken for temperature and height fields on radiance data. Spectrum analyses of upper wind data from the North American section and Australia were completed.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, OZONE, RADIANCE, SPECTRUM ANALYSIS,...
The inherent errors of applying terrestrial atmospheric ozone distribution studies to the atmosphere of other planets are discussed. Limitations associated with some of the earlier treatments of photochemical equilibrium distributions of ozone in planetary atmospheres are described. A technique having more universal application is presented. Ozone concentration profiles for the Martian atmosphere based on the results of the Mariner 4 radio occultation experiment and the more recent results with...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, OZONE, PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES, DATA...
Design and fabrication of a mass spectrometer system for use as an atmospheric monitor by submarine is reported. The performance design goals are presented. The operation of the system is essentially automatic, providing continuous display of the partial pressures of the principal atmospheric constituents and a pushbutton update display of two freon trace contaminants. The freon update cycle takes 15 or 30 seconds, depending on which are measured. Trouble free, long term, reliable operation,...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, MANUFACTURING, MASS SPECTROMETERS,...
The gas-surface interaction effects observed by the quadrupole mass spectrometer are described, and the technique developed to account for them in determining ambient neutral densities is summarized. The total ion current and the ion currents for ions with molecular weights 2, 4, 16, 28, and 32 are sampled for 1.125 sec once every 9.216 sec, for 258 sec out of a 368 sec cycle. An equation is given for the number density of any constituent in the ion source region, and source density data are...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, MASS SPECTROMETERS, NEUTRAL...
A three-dimensional model for the annual and semiannual variations of the thermosphere is presented in which energy and diffusive mass transport associated with the global circulation are considered in a self-consistent form. It is shown that these processes play a major role in the thermosphere dynamics and account for a number of temperature and compositional phenomena.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC MODELS, PERIODIC VARIATIONS, THERMOSPHERE,...
The initial stages of the research were involved with a test of Burch's law of multiplicative transmittance for mixed absorbing gases when their lines are broadened by H2 and He, which are constituents of the atmospheres of the major planets. The broadening of individual lines in the CO fundamental by various gases was investigated. Line strength and half-width for individual CO lines were studied as a function of temperature. Measurements of total band absorptance as a function of absorber...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, GASES, INFRARED RADIATION, PLANETARY...
The problem of the calculation of ambient densities from San Marco-C neutral atmospheric composition experiment data is considered. A brief description is given of the data measurement method, followed by a description of both the theoretical and experimental data curves. Geometry, electrometer distortions, and noise effects are then studied in terms of their effects on the ideal data form. From these considerations two data reduction methods are evolved. The first is an iterative integration...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, ERROR CORRECTING DEVICES, SAN MARCO...
The neutral atmospheric composition experiment on the San Marco - 3 satellite has measured the composition of the equatorial atmosphere from 29 April to 29 November 1971. Preliminary results on the diurnal variation of atmospheric composition from 19 May to 30 June at 225 km. altitude are presented. The diurnal variation of helium is seen to reach its maximum near 0800 hours and its minimum in the late afternoon in contrast to the behavior of molecular nitrogen and argon. The atomic oxygen...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, EQUATORIAL ORBITS, SAN MARCO...
A transition in the friction coefficient and wear life properties of Pyralin polyimide (PI) thin films was found to exist at a temperature between 25 deg and 100 deg C. Above this transition, PI thin films gave long wear lives and low friction coefficients. The presence of H2O in air improved the friction and wear life properties at 25 deg C; but at 100 deg C, H2O had a detrimental effect. At 100 deg C and above, a dry argon atmosphere gave lower friction coefficients and longer wear lives than...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION, POLYIMIDES, THIN FILMS, WEAR TESTS,...
Measurements obtained during and after the planet-wide dust storm indicate that large diurnal variations in atmospheric temperature existed up to at least 30 km; winds inferred from the temperature fields show a strong tidal component and significant ageostrophic behavior. With the dissipation of the dust, the daily maximum in the atmospheric temperature field moved from approximately latitude -60 and late afternoon local time to near the subsolar point in latitude and time. Analysis of...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY, MARINER 9 SPACE PROBE, MARS...
Upper atmospheric physics and chemistry, auroras, and solar flare forecasting - colloquium
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY, ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS, AURORAS,...
Stellar ultraviolet light transmitted through the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere of the earth's atmosphere is primarily affected by the photoabsorption processes of ozone and molecular oxygen. The stellar ultraviolet photometers aboard the OAO-2 satellite have measured the intensity changes of several stars during occultation of the star by the earth. The measurements of the relative intensity change in certain atmospheric absorption bands are used to recover the vertical number...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, OAO 2, STELLAR SPECTROPHOTOMETRY,...
OAO data between 2000 A and 3600 A, obtained by the Wisconsin experimental package objective grating scanning spectrometer, are used to set upper limits to the abundances of many minor constituents in the atmospheres of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ALBEDO, OAO 2, PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES, ULTRAVIOLET...
Measurements of the Pickering lines of He II in the spectrum of HD 50896 suggest that the upper limit to the H/He ratio is 0.05 by numbers. Spectral scans from OAO-2 show strong lines, nitrogen being observed most strongly as N IV, but also as N III and N V. Carbon and oxygen are observed dominantly in the triply ionized states. Thus, the degree of ionization of C, N and O are comparable. No indication of extensive selective excitation effects is observed. It is concluded that the differences...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), BINARY STARS, CHEMICAL ELEMENTS, LINE SPECTRA, SPECTRUM...
The global ozone measurements made by the Nimbus 3 IRIS were used to trace the circulation in the upper troposphere. This was possible because the atmospheric ozone content is closely related to the geopotential heights in the upper troposphere. There is a linear relationship between 200 mbar geopotential heights and the total ozone measured by Nimbus 3. With the help of the geostrophic law, atmospheric winds can be derived from the horizontal gradient of the geopotential heights. Utilizing the...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), GEOSTROPHIC WIND, INFRARED DETECTORS, NIMBUS 3 SATELLITE,...
The photochemical and transport processes in the earth stratosphere are discussed. The effects of certain trace constituents such as water vapor and oxides of nitrogen on the stratospheric ozone distribution are analyzed. The changes in the surface ultraviolet radiation levels which result from changes in the chemical composition in the stratosphere are examined. The influences of absorption and scattering of ultraviolet radiation on the thermal structure of the stratosphere are explained.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, NITROGEN OXIDES, STRATOSPHERE,...
Medium resolution radiometer measurements on Nimbus 2 and 3 and relatively high resolution measurements on Nimbus 4 have been made in 6.4 to 6.9 and 20 to 23 microns water vapor absorption regions where the weighed means in the observed radiation occur in the troposphere near the 400 and 600 mbar levels, respectively. An example of the imagery obtained from the Nimbus 4 temperature-humidity infrared radiometer (THIR) is shown. This example demonstrates clearly that there is a distinct pattern...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, NIMBUS 2 SATELLITE, NIMBUS 3...
A theoretical calculation was made of the CO2 infrared spectra of Earth and Venus atmospheres. The calculations cover line intensity, line shape, and line position. Theoretical results were compared with those observed by Nimbus 3 satellite and were found to be in reasonable agreement.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), CARBON DIOXIDE, EARTH ATMOSPHERE, INFRARED SPECTRA, SPECTRUM...
One-dimensional and multi-dimensional inversion techniques for processing remote atmospheric and ionospheric sounding data
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), APPLICATIONS OF MATHEMATICS, ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION,...
Complete data from a total of 26 meteorological rocket soundings of the stratosphere and mesosphere conducted from Barrow, Alaska; Churchill, Canada; and Wallops Island, Va., are presented. These data consist of temperature, pressure, density, and wind profiles from 16 acoustic grenade soundings that cover the 30- to 90-km altitude range, and temperature, pressure, and density profiles from 10 pitot probe soundings that cover the 25- to 120-km altitude range. Errors for each of the 16 grenade...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), MESOSPHERE, METEOROLOGICAL CHARTS, SOUNDING ROCKETS,...
Energy and diffusive mass transport associated with the thermospheric circulation are considered in a self-consistent, though mathematically relatively simple form to describe in a three-dimensional two-constituent model magnetic storm characteristics in composition (N2, O, and He), temperature and mass-density. It is shown that during disturbed conditions the latitudinal variations of composition and gas temperature T sub g reflect the local nature of the magnetic storm heat input assumed to...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE, DENSITY...
Conference on stellar chromospheres and their compositions
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ASTRONOMICAL MODELS, ASTROPHYSICS, ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION,...
Plots of the Mariner 5 and Venera 4, 5, and 6 pressure vs temperature show that the Venera profiles are essentially congruent with the Mariner 5 day and night profiles, but are displaced 28 percent higher in pressure. Data suggest a variability in the atmospheric water vapor content in the region from 30 to 50 km. The Venera 7 measurements are interpreted as evidence for updrafts, down-drafts, horizontal wind layers, and nonaqueous precipitation. The previously observed band of retrograde winds...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION, ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, ATMOSPHERIC...
The activities and results of the Atmospheric Science Facility preliminary design study are reported. The objectives of the study were to define the scientific goals, to determine the range of experiment types, and to develop the preliminary instrument design requirements for a reusable, general purpose, optical research facility for investigating the earth's atmosphere from a space shuttle orbital vehicle.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, OPTICAL EQUIPMENT, SPACE SHUTTLE...
An empirical global model for magnetically quiet conditions has been derived from longitudinally averaged N2, O, and He densities by means of an expansion in spherical harmonics. The data were obtained by the OGO-6 neutral mass spectrometer and cover the altitude range 400 to 600 km for the period 27 June 1969 to 13 May 1971. The accuracy of the analytical description is of the order of the experimental error for He and O and about three times experimental error for N2, thus providing a...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, EARTH IONOSPHERE, MASS...
A description and detailed analysis of a technique for inferring atmospheric ozone information from satellite nadir measurements in the 1042 cm band are presented. A method is formulated for computing the emission from the lower boundary under the satellite which circumvents the difficult analytical problems caused by the presence of atmospheric clouds and the watervapor continuum absorption. The inversion equations are expanded in terms of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of a...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, NUMERICAL ANALYSIS, ORBITAL...
The Apollo 17 command service module in lunar orbit will carry a far ultraviolet scanning spectrometer whose prime mission will be to measure the composition of the lunar atmosphere. Additional observations will include the spectral lunar albedo, the temporary atmosphere injected by the engines of the lunar exploration module, the solar system atmosphere, the galactic atmosphere and the spectra of astronomical sources, including the earth. A detailed description of the experimental equipment...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), APOLLO 17 FLIGHT, LUNAR ATMOSPHERE, ULTRAVIOLET...
The photolysis of CH3ONO, alone and in the presence of NO, NO-N2 mixtures, and NO-CO mixtures was studied between 25 and 150 C. The major products are CH2O, N2O, and H2O. The quantum yields of N2O were measured. The N2O yield is large at low pressures but approaches a high-pressure limiting value of 0.055 at all temperatures as the excited CH3O produced in the primary step is stabilized by collision. In the presence of excess CO, and N2O yield drops, and CO2 is produced (though not in...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), METHYL NITRATE, NITRITES, PHOTOLYSIS, ATMOSPHERIC...
A numerical model of eddy diffusive transport of emitted gases from the space shuttle wake, including chemical reactions between the emitted constituents and the ambient atmosphere, has been constructed for 75 km altitude. The numerical methods involve explicit solution of the diffusion equation and Runge-Kutta method for the chemical reactions. The time required to reach background levels of nitric oxide concentration of 7 x 10 to the 7th power molecules/cc has been calculated. This relaxation...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, CHEMICAL REACTIONS, GAS EVOLUTION,...
The reaction of O(3P) with 1-C4H8 was examined in the presence of CO which scavenges HO radicals to produce CO2. From the CO2 quantum yield, an upper limit to the efficiency of HO production in the reaction of O(3P) with 1-C4H8 was found to be 0.020 at both 298 and 473 K.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, CHEMICAL REACTIONS, CARBON DIOXIDE,...
HO2 radicals were generated by the photolysis of N2O at 2139 A in the presence of excess H2O or H2 and smaller amounts of CO and O2. The O(1D) atoms produced from the photolysis of N2O to give HO radicals or H2 to give HO + H. With H2O two HO radicals are produced for each O(1D) removed low pressures (i.e. approximately 20 torr H2O), but the HO yield drops as the pressure is raised. This drop is attributed to the insertion reaction: O(1D) + H2O + M yields H2O2 +M. The HO radicals generated can...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, CHEMICAL REACTIONS, CARBON MONOXIDE,...
The author has identified the following significant results. Significant results have been obtained using the digital data from ERTS-1. A linear relationship, as predicted by theory, has been shown to exist between the MSS radiances over water surfaces and the aerosol content of the atmosphere measured with a ground-based Volz sun photometer. The relationship, based on seven data points, appears best for MSS 6. This relationship will enable the atmospheric aerosol content to be monitored on a...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), AEROSOLS, ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, CALIFORNIA, LIQUID-GAS...
The experimental instrumentation of the San Marco 3 satellite is described along with the calibration and operation. The instrumentation for the following experiments was included: an air density experiment for measuring the instantaneous drag force, and thus the neutral particle total mass density; a neutral atmosphere composition experiment for measuring the densities of helium, atomic and molecular oxygen, molecular nitrogen and argon; and a neutral atmosphere temperature experiment to...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, SAN MARCO 3 SATELLITE, SATELLITE...
There are no author-identified significant resutls in this report.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), AIR POLLUTION, METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS, PHOTOGRAPHIC...
A device for sampling particulates in gases is described. The device is used to obtain samples of the upper atmosphere. The equipment used a common source of gas pressure to provide the driving gas of an air ejector pump. The sample collection cylinder has many slit impactors running longitudinally on the outer surface of a cylinder and terminating just short of each end of the cylinder.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, PARTICULATE SAMPLING, PARTICULATES,...
Numerical solutions of mutually coupled time dependent equations of continuity, momentum and energy balance are presented to illustrate the effect of eddy turbulence on the neutral composition and temperature of the lower and upper atmosphere. The procedure adopted eliminates the necessity of making ad-hoc assumptions about the conditions at the turbopause level and allows the study of the two regions in a self-consistent manner. From the illustrative examples comprising parametric changes in...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC MODELS, ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE, THERMOSPHERE,...
The cost analyses of two leading atmospheric monitoring systems, namely the mass spectrometer and the gas chromatograph, are reported. A summary of the approach used in developing the cost estimating techinques is presented; included are the cost estimating techniques, the development of cost estimating relationships and the atmospheric monitoring system cost estimates.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, COST ANALYSIS, MONITORS, AIR...
The author has identified the following significant results. Useful empirical relationships between apparent contrast at the Salton Sea/desert test site and the aerosol content of the atmosphere have been found for MSS 4, 5, and 6. This provides another technique to measure the atmospheric aerosol content, in addition to the method of measuring radiance over water surfaces previously reported. Analysis of desert data has shown, as predicted by theory, that the radiance over high albedo surfaces...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), AEROSOLS, ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, CALIFORNIA, DESERTS,...
In the lower stratosphere a significant production of odd nitrogen results from the reaction N2O + O(D-1) yields 2NO. Since the transport is relatively slow, odd nitrogen builds up with a maximum mixing ratio of 2 x 10 to the minus 8th power at 30 Km. Profiles of odd nitrogen, for different latitudes, winter and summer, are computed from one-dimensional transport models. Variations with latitude are small. Horizontal transport is therefore not believed to alter our results significantly. In...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, ATMOSPHERIC DIFFUSION, ATMOSPHERIC...
Mission planning for a series of atmospheric probe missions to Saturn and Uranus using a modified Pioneer spacecraft launched in 1979 and 1980 was examined. The operational options and the associated systems requirements consistent with the major scientific goals and spacecraft constraints of the missions is summarized. It is feasible to obtain in-situ atmospheric measurements in the atmosphere of Saturn and Uranus down to a pressure level of 10 bars using a common probe and spacecraft design....
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, MISSION PLANNING, PIONEER SPACE...
Previous research dealing with telluric gases is briefly reviewed. Current research concerning absorption-line broadening, and particulate constituents of planetary atmospheres are discussed. Two articles are included: optical constants of liquid ammonia in the infrared, and broadening of infrared absorption lines at reduced temperatures for nitrous oxide.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, INFRARED RADIATION, PLANETARY...
Food heating tests were conducted with two model foods; a Carnation turkey salad sandwich spread and frankfurter chunks in a sauce of water and agar. For the first series of tests comparing heating in five different atmospheres, the atmospheres were: (1) air at atmospheric pressure, (2) air at 5 psia, (3) helium at 5 psia, (4) oxygen-nitrogen mixture at 5 psia, and (5) oxygen-helium mixture at 5 psia. No significant differences in heating rates were caused by varying the atmosphere. Initial...
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, FOOD, HEATING, PRESSURE EFFECTS,...
The conceptual work is reported for the 125 mm ultraviolet spectrometer to measure atmospheric ozone as a function of height, latitude, and time. The instrument is described along with the assembly, test, and calibration.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), OZONE, SPECTROMETERS, ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION, ATMOSPHERIC...
There are no author-identified significant results in this report.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), AEROSOLS, ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS,...
The continued analysis of data obtained from the neutral atmospheric composition experiment flown on OGO-V6 is discussed. The effort was directed toward the study of five specific areas of interest for which the OGO-V6 data were especially useful.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION, OGO-6, HELIUM, NITROGEN, OXYGEN,...
Three separate studies are reported which include: (1) an analysis of energy input to the lower thermosphere, (2) data analyses of OGO-6 onboard retarding potential analyzer measurements, and (3) an investigation of the sharp cutoff in plasma in plasma density of the Venus ionosphere as observed by Mariner 5.
Topics: NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION, ATMOSPHERIC HEATING, THERMOSPHERE,...
