Sample records for dynamic atmosphere composition

  1. Effects of Bulk Composition on the Atmospheric Dynamics on Close-in Exoplanets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xi; Showman, Adam P.

    2017-02-01

    Super Earths and mini Neptunes likely have a wide range of atmospheric compositions, ranging from low molecular mass atmospheres of H2 to higher molecular atmospheres of water, CO2, N2, or other species. Here we systematically investigate the effects of atmospheric bulk compositions on temperature and wind distributions for tidally locked sub-Jupiter-sized planets, using an idealized 3D general circulation model (GCM). The bulk composition effects are characterized in the framework of two independent variables: molecular weight and molar heat capacity. The effect of molecular weight dominates. As the molecular weight increases, the atmosphere tends to have a larger day-night temperature contrast, a smaller eastward phase shift in the thermal phase curve, and a smaller zonal wind speed. The width of the equatorial super-rotating jet also becomes narrower, and the “jet core” region, where the zonal-mean jet speed maximizes, moves to a greater pressure level. The zonal-mean zonal wind is more prone to exhibit a latitudinally alternating pattern in a higher molecular weight atmosphere. We also present analytical theories that quantitatively explain the above trends and shed light on the underlying dynamical mechanisms. Those trends might be used to indirectly determine the atmospheric compositions on tidally locked sub-Jupiter-sized planets. The effects of the molar heat capacity are generally small. But if the vertical temperature profile is close to adiabatic, molar heat capacity will play a significant role in controlling the transition from a divergent flow in the upper atmosphere to a jet-dominated flow in the lower atmosphere.

  2. Atmospheric Composition Change: Climate-Chemistry Interactions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Isaksen, I.S.A.; Granier, C.; Myhre, G.; Bernsten, T. K.; Dalsoren, S. B.; Gauss, S.; Klimont, Z.; Benestad, R.; Bousquet, P.; Collins, W.; hide

    2011-01-01

    Chemically active climate compounds are either primary compounds such as methane (CH4), removed by oxidation in the atmosphere, or secondary compounds such as ozone (O3), sulfate and organic aerosols, formed and removed in the atmosphere. Man-induced climate-chemistry interaction is a two-way process: Emissions of pollutants change the atmospheric composition contributing to climate change through the aforementioned climate components, and climate change, through changes in temperature, dynamics, the hydrological cycle, atmospheric stability, and biosphere-atmosphere interactions, affects the atmospheric composition and oxidation processes in the troposphere. Here we present progress in our understanding of processes of importance for climate-chemistry interactions, and their contributions to changes in atmospheric composition and climate forcing. A key factor is the oxidation potential involving compounds such as O3 and the hydroxyl radical (OH). Reported studies represent both current and future changes. Reported results include new estimates of radiative forcing based on extensive model studies of chemically active climate compounds such as O3, and of particles inducing both direct and indirect effects. Through EU projects such as ACCENT, QUANTIFY, and the AEROCOM project, extensive studies on regional and sector-wise differences in the impact on atmospheric distribution are performed. Studies have shown that land-based emissions have a different effect on climate than ship and aircraft emissions, and different measures are needed to reduce the climate impact. Several areas where climate change can affect the tropospheric oxidation process and the chemical composition are identified. This can take place through enhanced stratospheric-tropospheric exchange of ozone, more frequent periods with stable conditions favouring pollution build up over industrial areas, enhanced temperature-induced biogenic emissions, methane releases from permafrost thawing, and enhanced

  3. Effects of Bulk Composition on the Atmospheric Dynamics on Close-in Exoplanets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, X.; Showman, A. P.

    2015-12-01

    Depending on the metallicity of the protoplanetary disk, the details of gas accretion during planetary formation, and atmospheric loss during planetary evolution, the atmospheres of sub-Jupiter-sized planets could exhibit a variety of bulk compositions. Examples include hydrogen-dominated atmospheres like Jupiter, more metal-rich atmospheres like Neptune, evaporated atmospheres dominated by helium, or of course carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen, and other heavy molecules as exhibited by terrestrial planets in the solar system. Here we systematically investigate the effects of atmospheric bulk compositions on temperature and wind distributions for tidally locked sub-Jupiter-sized planets using an idealized three-dimensional general circulation model (GCM). Composition—in particular, the molecular mass and specific heat—affect the sound speed, gravity wave speeds, atmospheric scale height, and Rossby deformation radius, and therefore in principle can exert significant controls on the atmospheric circulation, including the day-night temperature difference and other observables. We performed numerous simulations exploring a wide range of molecular masses and molar specific heats. The effect of molecular weight dominates. We found that a higher-molecular-weight atmosphere tends to have a larger day-night temperature contrast, a smaller eastward phase shift in the thermal light curve, and a narrower equatorial super-rotating jet that occurs in a deeper atmosphere. The zonal-mean zonal wind is smaller and more prone to exhibit a latitudinally alternating pattern in a higher-molecular-weight atmosphere. If the vertical temperature profile is close to adiabatic, molar specific heat will play a significant role in controlling the transition from a divergent flow in the upper atmosphere to a jet-dominated flow in the lower atmosphere. We are also working on analytical theories to explain aspects of the simulations relevant for possible observables on tidally locked

  4. Chemical Composition of the Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlager, Hans; Grewe, Volker; Roiger, Anke

    Atmospheric trace gases have an important impact on Earth's radiative budget, the oxidative or cleansing ability of the atmosphere, the formation, growth and properties of aerosols, air quality, and human health. During recent years, the coupling between atmospheric chemistry and climate has received particular attention. Therefore, research is now focused on the composition and processes in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, a key region in this respect. In this chapter the chemical composition of the atmosphere is addressed and selected examples of significant advances in this field are presented.

  5. Titan's Atmospheric Composition from Observations by the Cassini Infrared Spectrometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abbas, M. M.; LeClair, A.; Flasar, F. M.; Kunde, V. G.; Conrath, B. J.; Coustenis, A.; Jennings, D. J.; Nixon, C. A.; Brasunas, J.; Achterberg, R. K.

    2006-01-01

    The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) aboard the Cassini spacecraft has been making observations during the fly-bys of Titan since the Saturn-Orbit-Insertion in July 2004. The observations provide infrared them1 emission spectra of Titan s atmosphere in three spectral channels covering the 10/cm to 1400/cm spectral region, with variable spectral resolutions of 0.53/cm and 2.8/cm. The uniquely observed spectra exhibit rotational and vibrational-rotational spectral lines of the molecular constituents of Titan s atmosphere that may be analyzed to retrieve information about the composition, thermal structure, and physical and dynamical processes in the remotely sensed atmosphere. We present an analysis of Titan's infrared spectra observed during July 2004 (TO), December 2004 (Tb) and February 2005 (T3), for retrieval of the stratospheric thermal structure, distribution of the hydrocarbons, nitriles, and oxygen bearing constituents, such as C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, C3H8, HCN, HC3N, CO, and CO2 . Preliminary results on the distribution and opacity of haze in Titan s atmosphere are discussed.

  6. Composition, Chemistry, and Climate of the Atmosphere. 2: Mean properties of the atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Hanwant B. (Editor); Salstein, David A.

    1994-01-01

    The atmosphere can be defined as the relatively thin gaseous envelope surrounding the entire planet Earth. It possesses a number of properties related to its physical state and chemical composition, and it undergoes a variety of internal processes and external interactions that can either maintain or alter these properties. Whereas descriptions of the atmosphere's chemical properties form much of the remaining chapters of this book, the present chapter will highlight the atmosphere's gases, and these define its temperature structure. In contrast, the larger-scale motions comprise the winds, the global organization of which is often referred to as the general circulation. The framework of the dynamical and thermodynamical laws, including the three principles of conversation of mass, momentum, and energy, are fundamental in describing both the internal processes of the atmosphere and its external interactions. The atmosphere is not a closed system, because it exchanges all three of these internally conservative quantities across the atmosphere's boundary below and receives input from regions outside it. Thus surface fluxes of moisture, momentum, and heat occur to and from the underlying ocean and land. The atmosphere exchanges very little mass and momentum with space, though it absorbs directly a portion of the solar radiational energy received from above.

  7. Role of Megafauna and Frozen Soil in the Atmospheric CH4 Dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Zimov, Sergey; Zimov, Nikita

    2014-01-01

    Modern wetlands are the world’s strongest methane source. But what was the role of this source in the past? An analysis of global 14C data for basal peat combined with modelling of wetland succession allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of global wetland methane emission through time. These data show that the rise of atmospheric methane concentrations during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition was not connected with wetland expansion, but rather started substantially later, only 9 thousand years ago. Additionally, wetland expansion took place against the background of a decline in atmospheric methane concentration. The isotopic composition of methane varies according to source. Owing to ice sheet drilling programs past dynamics of atmospheric methane isotopic composition is now known. For example over the course of Pleistocene-Holocene transition atmospheric methane became depleted in the deuterium isotope, which indicated that the rise in methane concentrations was not connected with activation of the deuterium-rich gas clathrates. Modelling of the budget of the atmospheric methane and its isotopic composition allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of all main methane sources. For the late Pleistocene, the largest methane source was megaherbivores, whose total biomass is estimated to have exceeded that of present-day humans and domestic animals. This corresponds with our independent estimates of herbivore density on the pastures of the late Pleistocene based on herbivore skeleton density in the permafrost. During deglaciation, the largest methane emissions originated from degrading frozen soils of the mammoth steppe biome. Methane from this source is unique, as it is depleted of all isotopes. We estimated that over the entire course of deglaciation (15,000 to 6,000 year before present), soils of the mammoth steppe released 300–550 Pg (1015 g) of methane. From current study we conclude that the Late Quaternary Extinction significantly affected the global

  8. Lunar atmospheric composition experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoffman, J. H.

    1975-01-01

    Apollo 17 carried a miniature mass spectrometer, called the Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment (LACE), to the moon as part of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) to study the composition and variations in the lunar atmosphere. The instrument was successfully deployed in the Taurus-Littrow Valley with its entrance aperture oriented upward to intercept and measure the downward flux of gases at the lunar surface. During the ten lunations that the LACE operated, it produced a large base of data on the lunar atmosphere, mainly collected at night time. It was found that thermal escape is the most rapid loss mechanism for hydrogen and helium. For heavier gases, photoionization followed by acceleration through the solar wind electric field accounted for most of the loss. The dominant gases on the moosn were argon and helium, and models formed for their distribution are described in detail. It is concluded that most of the helium in the lunar atmosphere is of solar wind origin, and that there also exist very small amounts of methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide.

  9. The bulk composition of Titan's atmosphere.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trafton, L.

    1972-01-01

    Consideration of the physical constraints for Titan's atmosphere leads to a model which describes the bulk composition of the atmosphere in terms of observable parameters. Intermediate-resolution photometric scans of both Saturn and Titan, including scans of the Q branch of Titan's methane band, constrain these parameters in such a way that the model indicates the presence of another important atmospheric gas, namely, another bulk constituent or a significant thermal opacity. Further progress in determining the composition and state of Titan's atmosphere requires additional observations to eliminate present ambiguities. For this purpose, particular observational targets are suggested.

  10. Toward an Improved Representation of Middle Atmospheric Dynamics Thanks to the ARISE Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blanc, E.; Ceranna, L.; Hauchecorne, A.; Charlton-Perez, A.; Marchetti, E.; Evers, L. G.; Kvaerna, T.; Lastovicka, J.; Eliasson, L.; Crosby, N. B.; Blanc-Benon, P.; Le Pichon, A.; Brachet, N.; Pilger, C.; Keckhut, P.; Assink, J. D.; Smets, P. S. M.; Lee, C. F.; Kero, J.; Sindelarova, T.; Kämpfer, N.; Rüfenacht, R.; Farges, T.; Millet, C.; Näsholm, S. P.; Gibbons, S. J.; Espy, P. J.; Hibbins, R. E.; Heinrich, P.; Ripepe, M.; Khaykin, S.; Mze, N.; Chum, J.

    2018-03-01

    This paper reviews recent progress toward understanding the dynamics of the middle atmosphere in the framework of the Atmospheric Dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe (ARISE) initiative. The middle atmosphere, integrating the stratosphere and mesosphere, is a crucial region which influences tropospheric weather and climate. Enhancing the understanding of middle atmosphere dynamics requires improved measurement of the propagation and breaking of planetary and gravity waves originating in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. Inter-comparison studies have shown large discrepancies between observations and models, especially during unresolved disturbances such as sudden stratospheric warmings for which model accuracy is poorer due to a lack of observational constraints. Correctly predicting the variability of the middle atmosphere can lead to improvements in tropospheric weather forecasts on timescales of weeks to season. The ARISE project integrates different station networks providing observations from ground to the lower thermosphere, including the infrasound system developed for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification, the Lidar Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change, complementary meteor radars, wind radiometers, ionospheric sounders and satellites. This paper presents several examples which show how multi-instrument observations can provide a better description of the vertical dynamics structure of the middle atmosphere, especially during large disturbances such as gravity waves activity and stratospheric warming events. The paper then demonstrates the interest of ARISE data in data assimilation for weather forecasting and re-analyzes the determination of dynamics evolution with climate change and the monitoring of atmospheric extreme events which have an atmospheric signature, such as thunderstorms or volcanic eruptions.

  11. Study of atmospheric dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcnider, Richard T.; Christy, John R.; Cox, Gregory N.

    1993-01-01

    In order to better understand the dynamics of the global atmosphere, a data set of precision temperature measurements was developed using the NASA built Microwave Sounding Unit. Modeling research was carried out to validate global model outputs using various satellite data. Idealized flows in a rotating annulus were studied and applied to the general circulation of the atmosphere. Dynamic stratospheric ozone fluctuations were investigated. An extensive bibliography and several reprints are appended.

  12. Dynamics and Chemistry in Jovian Atmospheres: 2D Hydrodynamical Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bordwell, B. R.; Brown, B. P.; Oishi, J.

    2016-12-01

    A key component of our understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems is chemical composition. Problematically, however, in the atmospheres of cooler gas giants, dynamics on the same timescale as chemical reactions pull molecular abundances out of thermochemical equilibrium. These disequilibrium abundances are treated using what is known as the "quench" approximation, based upon the mixing length theory of convection. The validity of this approximation is questionable, though, as the atmospheres of gas giants encompass two distinct dynamic regimes: convective and radiative. To resolve this issue, we conduct 2D hydrodynamical simulations using the state-of-the-art pseudospectral simulation framework Dedalus. In these simulations, we solve the fully compressible equations of fluid motion in a local slab geometry that mimics the structure of a planetary atmosphere (convective zone underlying a radiative zone). Through the inclusion of passive tracers, we explore the transport properties of both regimes, and assess the validity of the classical eddy diffusion parameterization. With the addition of active tracers, we examine the interactions between dynamical and chemical processes, and generate prescriptions for the observational community. By providing insight into mixing and feedback mechanisms in Jovian atmospheres, this research lays a solid foundation for future global simulations and the construction of physically-sound models for current and future observations.

  13. The CEOS WGISS Atmospheric Composition Portal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lynnes, Chris

    2010-01-01

    Goal: Demonstrate the feasibility of connecting distributed atmospheric composition data and analysis tools into a common and shared web framework. Initial effort focused on: a) Collaboratively creating a web application within WDC-RSAT for comparison of satellite derived atmospheric composition datasets accessed from distributed data sources. b) Implementation of data access and interoperability standards. c) Sollicit feedback from paternal users; Especially from ACC participants.

  14. Uranus atmospheric dynamics and circulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allison, Michael; Beebe, Reta F.; Conrath, Barney J.; Hinson, David P.; Ingersoll, Andrew P.

    1991-01-01

    The observations, models, and theories relevant to the atmospheric dynamics and meteorology of Uranus are discussed. The available models for the large-scale heat transport and atmospheric dynamics as well as diagnostic interpretations of the Voyager data are reviewed. Some pertinent ideas and questions regarding the global circulation balance are considered, partly in comparison with other planetary atmospheres. The available data indicate atmospheric rotation at midlatitudes nearly 200 m/s faster than that of the planetary magnetic field. Analysis of the dynamical deformation of the shape and size of isobaric surfaces measured by the Voyager radio-occultation experiment suggests a subrotating equator at comparable altitudes. Infrared temperature retrievals above the cloud deck indicate a smaller equator-to-pole contrast than expected for purely radiative-convective equilibrium, but show local variations implying a latitudinally correlated decrease with altitude in the cloud-tracked wind.

  15. Finding Atmospheric Composition (AC) Metadata

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strub, Richard F..; Falke, Stefan; Fiakowski, Ed; Kempler, Steve; Lynnes, Chris; Goussev, Oleg

    2015-01-01

    The Atmospheric Composition Portal (ACP) is an aggregator and curator of information related to remotely sensed atmospheric composition data and analysis. It uses existing tools and technologies and, where needed, enhances those capabilities to provide interoperable access, tools, and contextual guidance for scientists and value-adding organizations using remotely sensed atmospheric composition data. The initial focus is on Essential Climate Variables identified by the Global Climate Observing System CH4, CO, CO2, NO2, O3, SO2 and aerosols. This poster addresses our efforts in building the ACP Data Table, an interface to help discover and understand remotely sensed data that are related to atmospheric composition science and applications. We harvested GCMD, CWIC, GEOSS metadata catalogs using machine to machine technologies - OpenSearch, Web Services. We also manually investigated the plethora of CEOS data providers portals and other catalogs where that data might be aggregated. This poster is our experience of the excellence, variety, and challenges we encountered.Conclusions:1.The significant benefits that the major catalogs provide are their machine to machine tools like OpenSearch and Web Services rather than any GUI usability improvements due to the large amount of data in their catalog.2.There is a trend at the large catalogs towards simulating small data provider portals through advanced services. 3.Populating metadata catalogs using ISO19115 is too complex for users to do in a consistent way, difficult to parse visually or with XML libraries, and too complex for Java XML binders like CASTOR.4.The ability to search for Ids first and then for data (GCMD and ECHO) is better for machine to machine operations rather than the timeouts experienced when returning the entire metadata entry at once. 5.Metadata harvest and export activities between the major catalogs has led to a significant amount of duplication. (This is currently being addressed) 6.Most (if not all

  16. Constraining hot Jupiter’s atmospheric structure and dynamics through Doppler shifted emission spectra

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jisheng; Kempton, Eliza; Rauscher, Emily

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, astronomers have begun successfully observing the atmospheres of extrasolar planets using ground-based telescopes equipped with spectrographs capable of observing at high spectral resolution (R~105). Such studies are capable of diagnosing the atmospheric structure, composition, and dynamics (winds and rotation) of both transiting and non-transiting exoplanets. However, few studies have examined how the 3-D atmospheric dynamics could alter the emitted light of hot Jupiters at such high spectral resolution. Here, we present a model to explore such influence on the hot Jupiters’ thermal emission spectra. Our aim is to investigate the extent to which the effects of 3-D atmospheric dynamics are imprinted on planet-averaged thermal emission spectra. We couple together a 3-D general circulation model of hot Jupiter atmospheric dynamics (Rauscher & Menou, 2012) with a radiative transfer solver to predict the planet’s disk-integrated emission spectrum as a function of its orbital phase. For the first time, we self-consistently include the effects of the line-of-sight atmospheric motions (resulting from winds and rotation) in the calculation to produce Doppler-shifted spectral line profiles that result from the atmospheric dynamics. We focus our study on three benchmark hot Jupiters, HD 189733b, HD 209458b, and WASP-43b which have been the focus of previous detailed observational studies. We find that the high-resolution Doppler shifted thermal emission spectra can be used to diagnose key properties of the dynamical atmosphere - the planet’s longitudinal temperature and wind structure, and its rotation rate.

  17. Chemistry and Composition of Atmospheric Aerosol Particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolb, Charles E.; Worsnop, Douglas R.

    2012-05-01

    For more than two decades a cadre of physical chemists has focused on understanding the formation processes, chemical composition, and chemical kinetics of atmospheric aerosol particles and droplets with diameters ranging from a few nanometers to ˜10,000 nm. They have adapted or invented a range of fundamental experimental and theoretical tools to investigate the thermochemistry, mass transport, and chemical kinetics of processes occurring at nanoscale gas-liquid and gas-solid interfaces for a wide range of nonideal, real-world substances. State-of-the-art laboratory methods devised to study molecular spectroscopy, chemical kinetics, and molecular dynamics also have been incorporated into field measurement instruments that are deployed routinely on research aircraft, ships, and mobile laboratories as well as at field sites from megacities to the most remote jungle, desert, and polar locations. These instruments can now provide real-time, size-resolved aerosol particle physical property and chemical composition data anywhere in Earth's troposphere and lower stratosphere.

  18. Clouds Composition in Super-Earth Atmospheres: Chemical Equilibrium Calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kempton, Eliza M.-R.; Mbarek, Rostom

    2015-12-01

    Attempts to determine the composition of super-Earth atmospheres have so far been plagued by the presence of clouds. Yet the theoretical framework to understand these clouds is still in its infancy. For the super-Earth archetype GJ 1214b, KCl, Na2S, and ZnS have been proposed as condensates that would form under the condition of chemical equilibrium, if the planet’s atmosphere has a bulk composition near solar. Condensation chemistry calculations have not been presented for a wider range of atmospheric bulk composition that is to be expected for super-Earth exoplanets. Here we provide a theoretical context for the formation of super-Earth clouds in atmospheres of varied composition by determining which condensates are likely to form, under the assumption of chemical equilibrium. We model super-Earth atmospheres assuming they are formed by degassing of volatiles from a solid planetary core of chondritic material. Given the atomic makeup of these atmospheres, we minimize the global Gibbs free energy of over 550 gases and condensates to obtain the molecular composition of the atmospheres over a temperature range of 350-3,000 K. Clouds should form along the temperature-pressure boundaries where the condensed species appear in our calculations. The super-Earth atmospheres that we study range from highly reducing to oxidizing and have carbon to oxygen (C:O) ratios that are both sub-solar and super-solar, thereby spanning a diverse range of atmospheric composition that is appropriate for low-mass exoplanets. Some condensates appear across all of our models. However, the majority of condensed species appear only over specific ranges of H:O and C:O ratios. We find that for GJ 1214b, KCl is the primary cloud-forming condensate at solar composition, in agreement with previous work. However, for oxidizing atmospheres, where H:O is less than unity, K2SO4 clouds form instead. For carbon-rich atmospheres with super-solar C:O ratios, graphite clouds additionally appear. At

  19. Juno observes the dynamics of Jupiter's atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ingersoll, Andrew P.; Juno Science Team

    2017-10-01

    Jupiter is a photogenic planet, but our knowledge of the deep atmosphere is limited. Remote sensing observations have traditionally probed within and above the cloud tops, which are in the 0.5-1.0 bar pressure range. Dynamical models have focused on explaining this data set. Microwave observations from Earth probe down to the 5-10 bar range, which overlaps with the predicted base of the water cloud. The Galileo probe yielded data on winds, composition, temperature gradients, clouds, radiant flux, and lightning down to 22 bars, but only at one place on the planet. Further, the traditional observations are constrained to cover low and middle latitudes. In contrast, Juno's camera and infrared radiometer, JunoCam and JIRAM, have yielded images of the poles that show cyclonic vortices in polygonal arrangements. Juno's microwave radiometer yields latitude-altitude cross sections that show dynamical features of the ammonia distribution down to 50-100 bars. And Jupiter's gravity field yields information about the winds at thousands of km depth, where the pressures are tens of kbars. In this talk I will summarize the Juno observations that pertain to the dynamics of Jupiter's atmosphere and I will offer some of my own interpretations. The new data raise as many questions as answers, but that is as it should be. As Ed Stone said during a Voyager encounter, "If we knew all the answers before we got there, we wouldn't be learning anything."

  20. Vesper - Venus Chemistry and Dynamics Orbiter - A NASA Discovery Mission Proposal: Submillimeter Investigation of Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chin, Gordon

    2011-01-01

    Vesper conducts a focused investigation of the chemistry and dynamics of the middle atmosphere of our sister planet- from the base of the global cloud cover to the lower thermosphere. The middle atmosphere controls the stability of the Venus climate system. Vesper determines what processes maintain the atmospheric chemical stability, cause observed variability of chemical composition, control the escape of water, and drive the extreme super-rotation. The Vesper science investigation provides a unique perspective on the Earth environment due to the similarities in the middle atmosphere processes of both Venus and the Earth. Understanding key distinctions and similarities between Venus and Earth will increase our knowledge of how terrestrial planets evolve along different paths from nearly identical initial conditions.

  1. The Middle Atmosphere Program: A special project for the Antarctic Middle Atmosphere (AMA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hirasawa, T.

    1982-01-01

    Areas of concern are: dynamics, structure, and atmospheric composition of the middle atmosphere in Antarctica; particle precipitation and interaction of the middle atmosphere with the lower ionosphere; atmospheric pollution; and the difference between the northern and southern polar middle atmosphere.

  2. The influence of leaf-atmosphere NH3(g ) exchange on the isotopic composition of nitrogen in plants and the atmosphere.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Jennifer E; Berry, Joseph A

    2013-10-01

    The distribution of nitrogen isotopes in the biosphere has the potential to offer insights into the past, present and future of the nitrogen cycle, but it is challenging to unravel the processes controlling patterns of mixing and fractionation. We present a mathematical model describing a previously overlooked process: nitrogen isotope fractionation during leaf-atmosphere NH3(g ) exchange. The model predicts that when leaf-atmosphere exchange of NH3(g ) occurs in a closed system, the atmospheric reservoir of NH3(g ) equilibrates at a concentration equal to the ammonia compensation point and an isotopic composition 8.1‰ lighter than nitrogen in protein. In an open system, when atmospheric concentrations of NH3(g ) fall below or rise above the compensation point, protein can be isotopically enriched by net efflux of NH3(g ) or depleted by net uptake. Comparison of model output with existing measurements in the literature suggests that this process contributes to variation in the isotopic composition of nitrogen in plants as well as NH3(g ) in the atmosphere, and should be considered in future analyses of nitrogen isotope circulation. The matrix-based modelling approach that is introduced may be useful for quantifying isotope dynamics in other complex systems that can be described by first-order kinetics. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Isotopic composition of atmospheric moisture from pan water evaporation measurements.

    PubMed

    Devi, Pooja; Jain, Ashok Kumar; Rao, M Someshwer; Kumar, Bhishm

    2015-01-01

    A continuous and reliable time series data of the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric moisture is an important requirement for the wider applicability of isotope mass balance methods in atmospheric and water balance studies. This requires routine sampling of atmospheric moisture by an appropriate technique and analysis of moisture for its isotopic composition. We have, therefore, used a much simpler method based on an isotope mass balance approach to derive the isotopic composition of atmospheric moisture using a class-A drying evaporation pan. We have carried out the study by collecting water samples from a class-A drying evaporation pan and also by collecting atmospheric moisture using the cryogenic trap method at the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, India, during a pre-monsoon period. We compared the isotopic composition of atmospheric moisture obtained by using the class-A drying evaporation pan method with the cryogenic trap method. The results obtained from the evaporation pan water compare well with the cryogenic based method. Thus, the study establishes a cost-effective means of maintaining time series data of the isotopic composition of atmospheric moisture at meteorological observatories. The conclusions drawn in the present study are based on experiments conducted at Roorkee, India, and may be examined at other regions for its general applicability.

  4. Pluto's surface composition and atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, L. A.; Gladstone, R.; Summers, M. E.; Strobel, D. F.; Kammer, J.; Hinson, D. P.; Grundy, W. M.; Cruikshank, D. P.; Protopapa, S.; Schmitt, B.; Stern, A.; Weaver, H. A., Jr.; Olkin, C.; Ennico Smith, K.

    2017-12-01

    New Horizons studied Pluto's N2-dominated neutral atmosphere through radio (at 4.2 cm with the REX radio experiment), solar and stellar occultations and airglow (at 52-187 nm with the Alice ultraviolet spectrograph), and imaging (with the LORRI and MVIC visible-wavelength cameras). It studied the plasma environment and solar wind interaction with in situ instruments (PEPPSI and SWAP). Contemporaneous observations of Pluto's atmosphere from Earth included a ground-based stellar occultation and ALMA observations of gaseous CO and HCN. Joint analysis of these datasets reveal a variable boundary layer; a stable lower atmosphere; radiative heating and cooling; haze production and hydrocarbon chemistry; diffusive equilibrium; and slower-than-expected escape. New Horizons studied Pluto's surface composition with the LEISA near-infrared spectral imager from 1.25 to 2.5 micron. Additional compositional information at higher spatial resolution came from the MVIC 4-channel color imager, which included a channel centered at 0.89 micron specifically designed to detect solid CH4. These instruments allow mapping of the volatiles N2, CO, and CH4, the surface expression of the H2O bedrock, and the dark, reddish material presumed to be tholins. These observations reveal a large equatorial basin (informally named Sptunik Planitia), filled with N2 ice with minor amounts of CO and CH4, surrounded by hills of CH4 and H2O ice. Broadly speaking, composition outside of Sptunik Planitia follows latitudinal banding, with dark, mainly volatile free terrains near the equator, with N2, CO, and CH4 at mid-northern latitudes, and mainly CH4 at high northern latitudes. Deviations from these broad trends are seen, and point to complex surface-atmosphere interactions at diurnal, seasonal, perennial, and million-year timescales.

  5. Atmospheric Composition Data and Information Services Center (ACDISC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kempler, S.

    2005-01-01

    NASA's GSFC Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information and Data Services Center (DISC) manages the archive, distribution and data access for atmospheric composition data from AURA'S OMI, MLS, and hopefully one day, HIRDLS instruments, as well as heritage datasets from TOMS, UARS, MODIS, and AIRS. This data is currently archived in the GES Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The GES DISC has begun the development of a community driven data management system that's sole purpose is to manage and provide value added services to NASA's Atmospheric Composition (AC) Data. This system, called the Atmospheric Composition Data and Information Services Center (ACDISC) will provide access all AC datasets from the above mentioned instruments, as well as AC datasets residing at remote archive sites (e.g, LaRC DAAC) The goals of the ACDISC are to: 1) Provide a data center for Atmospheric Scientists, guided by Atmospheric Scientists; 2) Be absolutely responsive to the data and data service needs of the Atmospheric Composition (AC) community; 3) Provide services (i.e., expertise) that will facilitate the effortless access to and usage of AC data; 4) Collaborate with AC scientists to facilitate the use of data from multiple sensors for long term atmospheric research. The ACDISC is an AC specific, user driven, multi-sensor, on-line, easy access archive and distribution system employing data analysis and visualization, data mining, and other user requested techniques that facilitate science data usage. The purpose of this presentation is to provide the evolution path that the GES DISC in order to better serve AC data, and also to receive continued community feedback and further foster collaboration with AC data users and providers.

  6. Challenges in Discerning Atmospheric Composition in Directly Imaged Planets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marley, Mark S.

    2017-01-01

    One of the justifications motivating efforts to detect and characterize young extrasolar giant planets has been to measure atmospheric composition for comparison with that of the primary star. If the enhancement of heavy elements in the atmospheres of extrasolar giant planets, like it is for their solar system analogs, is inversely proportional to mass, then it is likely that these worlds formed by core accretion. However in practice it has been very difficult to constrain metallicity because of the complex effect of clouds. Cloud opacity varies both vertically and, in some cases, horizontally through the atmosphere. Particle size and composition, both of which impact opacity, are difficult challenges both for forward modeling and retrieval studies. In my presentation I will discuss systematic efforts to improve cloud studies to enable more reliable determinations of atmospheric composition. These efforts are relevant both to discerning composition of directly imaged young planets from ground based telescopes and future space based missions, such as WFIRST and LUVOIR.

  7. An assessment model for atmospheric composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prather, Michael J. (Editor)

    1988-01-01

    Predicting future perturbations to global air quality and climate requires, as a prerequisite, prognostic models for the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. Such assessment models are needed to evaluate the impact on our environment of different social choices that affect emissions of the photochemically and radiatively important trace gases. Our presentation here of a prototype assessment model is intended to encourage public scientific discussions of the necessary components of the model and their interactions, with the recognition that models similar to this will likely be used by the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory agencies in order to assess the effect of changes in atmospheric composition on climate over the next century.

  8. An integration time adaptive control method for atmospheric composition detection of occultation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Lin; Hou, Shuai; Yu, Fei; Liu, Cheng; Li, Chao; Zhe, Lin

    2018-01-01

    When sun is used as the light source for atmospheric composition detection, it is necessary to image sun for accurate identification and stable tracking. In the course of 180 second of the occultation, the magnitude of sun light intensity through the atmosphere changes greatly. It is nearly 1100 times illumination change between the maximum atmospheric and the minimum atmospheric. And the process of light change is so severe that 2.9 times per second of light change can be reached. Therefore, it is difficult to control the integration time of sun image camera. In this paper, a novel adaptive integration time control method for occultation is presented. In this method, with the distribution of gray value in the image as the reference variable, and the concepts of speed integral PID control, the integration time adaptive control problem of high frequency imaging. The large dynamic range integration time automatic control in the occultation can be achieved.

  9. The Atmosphere.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ingersoll, Andrew P.

    1983-01-01

    The composition and dynamics of the earth's atmosphere are discussed, considering the atmosphere's role in distributing the energy of solar radiation received by the earth. Models of this activity which help to explain climates of the past and predict those of the future are also considered. (JN)

  10. Atmospheric Circulation and Composition of GJ1214b

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Menou, Kristen

    2012-01-01

    The exoplanet GJ1214b presents an interesting example of compositional degeneracy for low-mass planets. Its atmosphere may be composed of water, super-solar or solar metallicity material. We present atmospheric circulation models of GJ1214b for these three compositions, with explicit gray radiative transfer and an optional treatment of MHD bottom drag. All models develop strong, superrotating zonal winds (~1-2 km s-1). The degree of eastward heat advection, which can be inferred from secondary eclipse and thermal phase curve measurements, varies greatly between the models. These differences are understood as resulting from variations in the radiative times at the thermal photosphere, caused by separate molecular weight and opacity effects. Our GJ1214b models illustrate how atmospheric circulation can be used as a probe of composition for similar tidally locked exoplanets in the mini-Neptune/waterworld class.

  11. Theoretical and experimental investigations of upper atmosphere dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roper, R. G.; Edwards, H. D.

    1980-01-01

    A brief overview of the significant contributions made to the understanding of the dynamics of the Earth's upper atmosphere is presented, including the addition of winds and diffusion to the semi-empirical Global Reference Atmospheric Model developed for the design phase of the Space Shuttle, reviews of turbulence in the lower thermosphere, the dynamics of the equatorial mesopause, stratospheric warming effects on mesopause level dynamics, and the relevance of these studies to the proposed Middle Atmosphere Program (1982-85). A chronological bibliography, with abstracts of all papers published, is also included.

  12. Nonlinear dynamics and predictability in the atmospheric sciences

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ghil, M.; Kimoto, M.; Neelin, J. D.

    1991-01-01

    Systematic applications of nonlinear dynamics to studies of the atmosphere and climate are reviewed for the period 1987-1990. Problems discussed include paleoclimatic applications, low-frequency atmospheric variability, and interannual variability of the ocean-atmosphere system. Emphasis is placed on applications of the successive bifurcation approach and the ergodic theory of dynamical systems to understanding and prediction of intraseasonal, interannual, and Quaternary climate changes.

  13. A dynamical perspective on the energetic particles precipitation-middle atmosphere interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karami, Khalil; Sinnhuber, Miriam; Versick, Stefan; Braesicke, Peter

    2015-04-01

    Energetic particles including protons, electrons and heavier ions, enter the Earth's atmosphere over polar region of both hemispheres, where the geomagnetic lines are considered to be open and connected to the interplanetary medium. This condition allows direct access for energetic particles of solar or galactic origin to directly deposit their own energy into the middle and upper atmosphere. Such particle precipitations can greatly disturb the chemical composition of the upper and middle atmosphere. At polar latitudes, these particles have the potential to penetrate from thermosphere deep into the mesosphere and in rare occasions into the stratosphere. The most important are changes to the budget of atmospheric nitric oxides, NOy, and to atmospheric reactive hydrogen oxides, HOx, which both contribute to ozone loss in the stratosphere and mesosphere. The chemistry-climate general circulation model ECHAM5/MESSy is used to investigate the impact of changed ozone concentration due to energetic particles precipitation on temperatures and wind fields. The simulated anomalies of both zonal mean temperature and zonal wind suggest that these changes are very unlikely to be caused in situ by ozone depletion and indirect dynamical condition is important. The results of our simulations suggests that ozone perturbation is a starting point for a chain of processes resulting in temperature and circulation changes in many areas of the atmosphere. Different dynamical analysis (e.g., frequency of sudden stratospheric warming, dates of stratospheric final warming, divergence of Eliassen-Palm flux and refractive index of planetary waves) are performed to investigate the impact of ozone anomaly originated from high energetic particle precipitation on middle atmospheric temperature and circulation.

  14. Pivotal roles of phyllosphere microorganisms at the interface between plant functioning and atmospheric trace gas dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Bringel, Françoise; Couée, Ivan

    2015-01-01

    The phyllosphere, which lato sensu consists of the aerial parts of plants, and therefore primarily, of the set of photosynthetic leaves, is one of the most prevalent microbial habitats on earth. Phyllosphere microbiota are related to original and specific processes at the interface between plants, microorganisms and the atmosphere. Recent –omics studies have opened fascinating opportunities for characterizing the spatio-temporal structure of phyllosphere microbial communities in relation with structural, functional, and ecological properties of host plants, and with physico-chemical properties of the environment, such as climate dynamics and trace gas composition of the surrounding atmosphere. This review will analyze recent advances, especially those resulting from environmental genomics, and how this novel knowledge has revealed the extent of the ecosystemic impact of the phyllosphere at the interface between plants and atmosphere. Highlights • The phyllosphere is one of the most prevalent microbial habitats on earth. • Phyllosphere microbiota colonize extreme, stressful, and changing environments. • Plants, phyllosphere microbiota and the atmosphere present a dynamic continuum. • Phyllosphere microbiota interact with the dynamics of volatile organic compounds and atmospheric trace gasses. PMID:26052316

  15. Composition/Structure/Dynamics of comet and planetary satellite atmospheres

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Combi, Michael R. (Principal Investigator)

    1995-01-01

    This research program addresses two cases of tenuous planetary atmospheres: comets and Io. The comet atmospheric research seeks to analyze a set of spatial profiles of CN in comet Halley taken in a 7.4-day period in April 1986; to apply a new dust coma model to various observations; and to analyze observations of the inner hydrogen coma, which can be optically thick to the resonance scattering of Lyman-alpha radiation, with the newly developed approach that combines a spherical radiative transfer model with our Monte Carlo H coma model. The Io research seeks to understand the atmospheric escape from Io with a hybrid-kinetic model for neutral gases and plasma given methods and algorithms developed for the study of neutral gas cometary atmospheres and the earth's polar wind and plasmasphere. Progress is reported on cometary Hydrogen Lyman-alpha studies; time-series analysis of cometary spatial profiles; model analysis of the dust comae of comets; and a global kinetic atmospheric model of Io.

  16. Interior and its implications for the atmosphere. [effects of Titan interior structure on its atmospheric composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lewis, J. S.

    1974-01-01

    The bulk composition and interior structure of Titan required to explain the presence of a substantial methane atmosphere are shown to imply the presence of solid CH4 - 7H2O in Titan's primitive material. Consideration of the possible composition and structure of the present atmosphere shows plausible grounds for considering models with total atmospheric pressures ranging from approximately 20 mb up to approximately 1 kb. Expectations regarding the physical state of the surface and its chemical composition are strongly conditioned by the mass of atmosphere believed to be present. A surface of solid CH4, liquid CH4 solid, CH4 hydrate, H2O ice, aqueous NH3 solution, or even a non-surface of supercritical H2O-NH3-CH4 fluid could be rationalized.

  17. Topics in geophysical fluid dynamics: Atmospheric dynamics, dynamo theory, and climate dynamics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ghil, M.; Childress, S.

    1987-01-01

    This text is the first study to apply systematically the successive bifurcations approach to complex time-dependent processes in large scale atmospheric dynamics, geomagnetism, and theoretical climate dynamics. The presentation of recent results on planetary-scale phenomena in the earth's atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, mantle and core provides an integral account of mathematical theory and methods together with physical phenomena and processes. The authors address a number of problems in rapidly developing areas of geophysics, bringing into closer contact the modern tools of nonlinear mathematics and the novel problems of global change in the environment.

  18. Goddard Atmospheric Composition Data Center: Aura Data and Services in One Place

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leptoukh, G.; Kempler, S.; Gerasimov, I.; Ahmad, S.; Johnson, J.

    2005-01-01

    The Goddard Atmospheric Composition Data and Information Services Center (AC-DISC) is a portal to the Atmospheric Composition specific, user driven, multi-sensor, on-line, easy access archive and distribution system employing data analysis and visualization, data mining, and other user requested techniques for the better science data usage. It provides convenient access to Atmospheric Composition data and information from various remote-sensing missions, from TOMS, UARS, MODIS, and AIRS, to the most recent data from Aura OMI, MLS, HIRDLS (once these datasets are released to the public), as well as Atmospheric Composition datasets residing at other remote archive site.

  19. Laboratory Studies of Planetary Hazes: composition of cool exoplanet atmospheric aerosols with very high resolution mass spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moran, Sarah E.; Horst, Sarah; He, Chao; Flandinet, Laurene; Moses, Julianne I.; Orthous-Daunay, Francois-Regis; Vuitton, Veronique; Wolters, Cedric; Lewis, Nikole

    2017-10-01

    We present first results of the composition of laboratory-produced exoplanet haze analogues. With the Planetary HAZE Research (PHAZER) Laboratory, we simulated nine exoplanet atmospheres of varying initial gas phase compositions representing increasing metallicities (100x, 1000x, and 10000x solar) and exposed them to three different temperature regimes (600, 400, and 300 K) with two different “instellation” sources (a plasma source and a UV lamp). The PHAZER exoplanet experiments simulate a temperature and atmospheric composition phase space relevant to the expected planetary yield of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission as well as recently discovered potentially habitable zone exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1, LHS-1140, and Proxima Centauri systems. Upon exposure to the energy sources, all of these experiments produced aerosol particles, which were collected in a dry nitrogen glove box and then analyzed with an LTQ Orbitrap XL™ Hybrid Ion Trap-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer utilizing m/z ranging from 50 to 1000. The collected aerosol samples were found to contain complex organics. Constraining the composition of these aerosols allows us to better understand the photochemical and dynamical processes ongoing in exoplanet atmospheres. Moreover, these data can inform our telescope observations of exoplanets, which is of critical importance as we enter a new era of exoplanet atmosphere observation science with the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. The molecular makeup of these haze particles provides key information for understanding exoplanet atmospheric spectra, and constraining the structure and behavior of clouds, hazes, and other aerosols is at the forefront of exoplanet atmosphere science.

  20. Efficient Radiative Transfer for Dynamically Evolving Stratified Atmospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Judge, Philip G.

    2017-12-01

    We present a fast multi-level and multi-atom non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer method for dynamically evolving stratified atmospheres, such as the solar atmosphere. The preconditioning method of Rybicki & Hummer (RH92) is adopted. But, pressed for the need of speed and stability, a “second-order escape probability” scheme is implemented within the framework of the RH92 method, in which frequency- and angle-integrals are carried out analytically. While minimizing the computational work needed, this comes at the expense of numerical accuracy. The iteration scheme is local, the formal solutions for the intensities are the only non-local component. At present the methods have been coded for vertical transport, applicable to atmospheres that are highly stratified. The probabilistic method seems adequately fast, stable, and sufficiently accurate for exploring dynamical interactions between the evolving MHD atmosphere and radiation using current computer hardware. Current 2D and 3D dynamics codes do not include this interaction as consistently as the current method does. The solutions generated may ultimately serve as initial conditions for dynamical calculations including full 3D radiative transfer. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

  1. The Dynamics of the Atmospheric Radiation Environment at Aviation Altitudes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stassinopoulos, Epaminondas G.

    2004-01-01

    Single Event Effects vulnerability of on-board computers that regulate the: navigational, flight control, communication, and life support systems has become an issue in advanced modern aircraft, especially those that may be equipped with new technology devices in terabit memory banks (low voltage, nanometer feature size, gigabit integration). To address this concern, radiation spectrometers need to fly continually on a multitude of carriers over long periods of time so as to accumulate sufficient information that will broaden our understanding of the very dynamic and complex nature of the atmospheric radiation environment regarding: composition, spectral distribution, intensity, temporal variation, and spatial variation.

  2. Reaction Profiles and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Cyanide Radical Reactions Relevant to Titan's Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trinidad Pérez-Rivera, Danilo; Romani, Paul N.; Lopez-Encarnacion, Juan Manuel

    2016-10-01

    Titan's atmosphere is arguably the atmosphere of greatest interest that we have an abundance of data for from both ground based and spacecraft observations. As we have learned more about Titan's atmospheric composition, the presence of pre-biotic molecules in its atmosphere has generated more and more fascination about the photochemical process and pathways it its atmosphere. Our computational laboratory has been extensively working throughout the past year characterizing nitrile synthesis reactions, making significant progress on the energetics and dynamics of the reactions of .CN with the hydrocarbons acetylene (C2H2), propylene (CH3CCH), and benzene (C6H6), developing a clear picture of the mechanistic aspects through which these three reactions proceed. Specifically, first principles calculations of the reaction profiles and molecular dynamics studies for gas-phase reactions of .CN and C2H2, .CN and CH3CCH, and .CN and C6H6 have been carried out. A very accurate determination of potential energy surfaces of these reactions will allow us to compute the reaction rates which are indispensable for photochemical modeling of Titan's atmosphere.The work at University of Puerto Rico at Cayey was supported by Puerto Rico NASA EPSCoR IDEAS-ER program (2015-2016) and DTPR was sponsored by the Puerto Rico NASA Space Grant Consortium Fellowship. *E-mail: juan.lopez15@upr.edu

  3. Predicting the Atmospheric Composition of Extrasolar Giant Planets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sharp, A. G.; Moses, J. I.; Friedson, A. J.; Fegley, B., Jr.; Marley, M. S.; Lodders, K.

    2004-01-01

    To date, approximately 120 planet-sized objects have been discovered around other stars, mostly through the radial-velocity technique. This technique can provide information about a planet s minimum mass and its orbital period and distance; however, few other planetary data can be obtained at this point in time unless we are fortunate enough to find an extrasolar giant planet that transits its parent star (i.e., the orbit is edge-on as seen from Earth). In that situation, many physical properties of the planet and its parent star can be determined, including some compositional information. Our prospects of directly obtaining spectra from extrasolar planets may improve in the near future, through missions like NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder. Most of the extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) discovered so far have masses equal to or greater than Jupiter's mass, and roughly 16% have orbital radii less than 0.1 AU - extremely close to the parent star by our own Solar-System standards (note that Mercury is located at a mean distance of 0.39 AU and Jupiter at 5.2 AU from the Sun). Although all EGPs are expected to have hydrogen-dominated atmospheres similar to Jupiter, the orbital distance can strongly affect the planet's temperature, physical, chemical, and spectral properties, and the abundance of minor, detectable atmospheric constituents. Thermochemical equilibrium models can provide good zero-order predictions for the atmospheric composition of EGPs. However, both the composition and spectral properties will depend in large part on disequilibrium processes like photochemistry, chemical kinetics, atmospheric transport, and haze formation. We have developed a photochemical kinetics, radiative transfer, and 1-D vertical transport model to study the atmospheric composition of EGPs. The chemical reaction list contains H-, C-, O-, and N-bearing species and is designed to be valid for atmospheric temperatures ranging from 100-3000 K and pressures up to 50 bar. Here we examine

  4. Atmospheric dynamics of tidally synchronized extrasolar planets.

    PubMed

    Cho, James Y-K

    2008-12-13

    Tidally synchronized planets present a new opportunity for enriching our understanding of atmospheric dynamics on planets. Subject to an unusual forcing arrangement (steady irradiation on the same side of the planet throughout its orbit), the dynamics on these planets may be unlike that on any of the Solar System planets. Characterizing the flow pattern and temperature distribution on the extrasolar planets is necessary for reliable interpretation of data currently being collected, as well as for guiding future observations. In this paper, several fundamental concepts from atmospheric dynamics, likely to be central for characterization, are discussed. Theoretical issues that need to be addressed in the near future are also highlighted.

  5. Microbiological and biochemical aspects of Camembert-type cheeses depend on atmospheric composition in the ripening chamber.

    PubMed

    Leclercq-Perlat, M-N; Picque, D; Riahi, H; Corrieu, G

    2006-08-01

    Camembert-type cheeses were prepared from pasteurized milk seeded with Kluyveromyces lactis, Geotrichum candidum, Penicillium camemberti, and Brevibacterium aurantiacum. Microorganism growth and biochemical dynamics were studied in relation to ripening chamber CO(2) atmospheric composition using 31 descriptors based on kinetic data. The chamber ripening was carried out under 5 different controlled atmospheres: continuously renewed atmosphere, periodically renewed atmosphere, no renewed atmosphere, and 2 for which CO(2) was either 2% or 6%. All microorganism dynamics depended on CO(2) level. Kluyveromyces lactis was not sensitive to CO(2) during its growth phases, but its death did depend on it. An increase of CO(2) led to a significant improvement in G. candidum. Penicillium camemberti mycelium development was enhanced by 2% CO(2). The equilibrium between P. camemberti and G. candidum populations was disrupted in favor of the yeast when CO(2) was higher than 4%. Growth of B. aurantiacum depended more on O(2) than on CO(2). Two ripening progressions were observed in relation to the presence of CO(2) at the beginning of ripening: in the presence of CO(2), the ripening was fast-slow, and in the absence of CO(2), it was slow-fast. The underrind was too runny if CO(2) was equal to or higher than 6%. The nitrogen substrate progressions were slightly related to ripening chamber CO(2) and O(2) levels. During chamber ripening, the best atmospheric condition to produce an optimum between microorganism growth, biochemical dynamics, and cheese appearance was a constant CO(2) level close to 2%.

  6. ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS OF TERRESTRIAL EXOPLANETS OVER A WIDE RANGE OF ORBITAL AND ATMOSPHERIC PARAMETERS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kaspi, Yohai; Showman, Adam P., E-mail: yohai.kaspi@weizmann.ac.il

    The recent discoveries of terrestrial exoplanets and super-Earths extending over a broad range of orbital and physical parameters suggest that these planets will span a wide range of climatic regimes. Characterization of the atmospheres of warm super-Earths has already begun and will be extended to smaller and more distant planets over the coming decade. The habitability of these worlds may be strongly affected by their three-dimensional atmospheric circulation regimes, since the global climate feedbacks that control the inner and outer edges of the habitable zone—including transitions to Snowball-like states and runaway-greenhouse feedbacks—depend on the equator-to-pole temperature differences, patterns of relativemore » humidity, and other aspects of the dynamics. Here, using an idealized moist atmospheric general circulation model including a hydrological cycle, we study the dynamical principles governing the atmospheric dynamics on such planets. We show how the planetary rotation rate, stellar flux, atmospheric mass, surface gravity, optical thickness, and planetary radius affect the atmospheric circulation and temperature distribution on such planets. Our simulations demonstrate that equator-to-pole temperature differences, meridional heat transport rates, structure and strength of the winds, and the hydrological cycle vary strongly with these parameters, implying that the sensitivity of the planet to global climate feedbacks will depend significantly on the atmospheric circulation. We elucidate the possible climatic regimes and diagnose the mechanisms controlling the formation of atmospheric jet streams, Hadley and Ferrel cells, and latitudinal temperature differences. Finally, we discuss the implications for understanding how the atmospheric circulation influences the global climate.« less

  7. Using stable isotopes to resolve eco-hydrological dynamics of soil-plant-atmosphere feedbacks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubbert, M.; Piayda, A.; Kübert, A.; Cuntz, M.; Werner, C.

    2016-12-01

    Water is the main driver of ecosystem productivity in most terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Extreme events are predicted to increase in frequency in many regions and dynamic responses in soil-vegetation-atmosphere feedbacks play a privotal role in understanding the ecosystem water balance and functioning. In this regard, more interdisciplinary approaches, bridging hydrology, ecophysiology and atmospheric sciences are needed and particularly water stable isotopes are a powerful tracer of water transfer in soils and at the soil-plant interface (Werner and Dubbert 2016). Here, we present observations 2 different ecosystems. Water fluxes, atmospheric concentrations and their isotopic compositions were measured using laser spectroscopy. Soil moisture and its isotopic composition in several depths as well as further water sources in the ecosystem were monitored throughout the year. Using these isotopic approaches we disentangled soil-plant-atmosphere feedback processes controlling the ecosystem water cycle including vegetation effects on soil water infiltration and distribution, event water use of vegetation and soil fluxes, vegetational soil water uptake depths plasticity and partitioning of ecosystem water fluxes. In this regard, we review current strategies of ET partitioning and highlight pitfalls in the presented strategies (Dubbert et al. 2013, Dubbert et al.2014a). We demonstrate that vegetation strongly influenced water cycling, altering infiltration and distribution of precipitation. In conclusion, application of stable water isotope tracers delivers a process based understanding of interactions between soil, understorey and trees governing ecosystem water cycling necessary for prediction of climate change impact on ecosystem productivity and vulnerability. ReferencesDubbert, M. et al. (2013): Partitioning evapotranspiration - Testing the Craig and Gordon model with field measurements of oxygen isotope ratios of evaporative fluxes. Journal of Hydrology Dubbert

  8. A dynamics based view of atmosphere-fire interactions

    Treesearch

    Brian E. Potter

    2002-01-01

    Current research on severe fire interactions with the atmosphere focuses largely on examination of correlations between fire growth and various atmospheric properties, and on the development of indices based on these correlations. The author proposes that progress requires understanding the physics and atmospheric dynamics behind the correlations. A conceptual 3-stage...

  9. Model atmospheres for cool stars. [varying chemical composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, H. R.

    1974-01-01

    This report contains an extensive series of model atmospheres for cool stars having a wide range in chemical composition. Model atmospheres (temperature, pressure, density, etc.) are tabulated, along with emergent energy flux distributions, limb darkening, and information on convection for selected models. The models are calculated under the usual assumptions of hydrostatic equilibrium, constancy of total energy flux (including transport both by radiation and convection) and local thermodynamic equilibrium. Some molecular and atomic line opacity is accounted for as a straight mean. While cool star atmospheres are regimes of complicated physical conditions, and these atmospheres are necessarily approximate, they should be useful for a number of kinds of spectral and atmospheric analysis.

  10. Optimization of the sintering atmosphere for high-density hydroxyapatite–carbon nanotube composites

    PubMed Central

    White, Ashley A.; Kinloch, Ian A.; Windle, Alan H.; Best, Serena M.

    2010-01-01

    Hydroxyapatite–carbon nanotube (HA–CNT) composites have the potential for improved mechanical properties over HA for use in bone graft applications. Finding an appropriate sintering atmosphere for this composite presents a dilemma, as HA requires water in the sintering atmosphere to remain phase pure and well hydroxylated, yet CNTs oxidize at the high temperatures required for sintering. The purpose of this study was to optimize the atmosphere for sintering these composites. While the reaction between carbon and water to form carbon monoxide and hydrogen at high temperatures (known as the ‘water–gas reaction’) would seem to present a problem for sintering these composites, Le Chatelier's principle suggests this reaction can be suppressed by increasing the concentration of carbon monoxide and hydrogen relative to the concentration of carbon and water, so as to retain the CNTs and keep the HA's structure intact. Eight sintering atmospheres were investigated, including standard atmospheres (such as air and wet Ar), as well as atmospheres based on the water–gas reaction. It was found that sintering in an atmosphere of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, with a small amount of water added, resulted in an optimal combination of phase purity, hydroxylation, CNT retention and density. PMID:20573629

  11. Dynamical ocean-atmospheric drivers of floods and droughts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perdigão, Rui A. P.; Hall, Julia

    2014-05-01

    The present study contributes to a better depiction and understanding of the "facial expression" of the Earth in terms of dynamical ocean-atmospheric processes associated to both floods and droughts. For this purpose, the study focuses on nonlinear dynamical and statistical analysis of ocean-atmospheric mechanisms contributing to hydrological extremes, broadening the analytical hydro-meteorological perspective of floods and hydrological droughts to driving mechanisms and feedbacks at the global scale. In doing so, the analysis of the climate-related causality of hydrological extremes is not limited to the synoptic situation in the region where the events take place. Rather, it goes further in the train of causality, peering into dynamical interactions between planetary-scale ocean and atmospheric processes that drive weather regimes and influence the antecedent and event conditions associated to hydrological extremes. In order to illustrate the approach, dynamical ocean-atmospheric drivers are investigated for a selection of floods and droughts. Despite occurring in different regions with different timings, common underlying mechanisms are identified for both kinds of hydrological extremes. For instance, several analysed events are seen to have resulted from a large-scale atmospheric situation consisting on standing planetary waves encircling the northern hemisphere. These correspond to wider vortices locked in phase, resulting in wider and more persistent synoptic weather patterns, i.e. with larger spatial and temporal coherence. A standing train of anticyclones and depressions thus encircled the mid and upper latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The stationary regime of planetary waves occurs when the mean eastward zonal flow decreases up to a point in which it no longer exceeds the westward phase propagation of the Rossby waves produced by the latitude-varying Coriolis effect. The ocean-atmospheric causes for this behaviour and consequences on hydrological

  12. Composition and evolution of the atmosphere of Venus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Donahue, Thomas (Principal Investigator)

    1996-01-01

    The contract year started by analyzing Jovian atmospheric data acquired by the Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer (GPMS). Two Venus hydrogen projects got underway as well. The first study strives to understand how to reconcile the standard treatment of the evolution of the H2O and HDO resevoirs on Venus over 4.5 Gyr in the presence of H and D escape and injection by comets. The second study is calculating the charge exchange contribution to hydrogen loss rates, using realistic models for exospheric H, H(+), D, D(+), and ion temperature from PV data. This report includes the following papers as attachments and supporting data: 'The Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer: Composition of Jupiter's Atmosphere'; 'Chemical Composition Measurements of the Atmosphere of Jupiter with the Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer'; 'Ion/Neutral Escape of Hydrogen and Deuterium: Evolution of Water'; 'Hydrogen and Deuterium in the Thermosphere of Venus: Solar Cycle Variations and Escape'; and 'Solar Cycle Variations in H(+) and D(+) Densities in the Venus Ionosphere: Implications for Escape'.

  13. Dynamics of atmospheres with a non-dilute condensible component

    PubMed Central

    Ding, Feng

    2016-01-01

    The diversity of characteristics for the host of recently discovered exoplanets opens up a great deal of fertile new territory for geophysical fluid dynamics, particularly when the fluid flow is coupled to novel thermodynamics, radiative transfer or chemistry. In this paper, we survey one of these new areas—the climate dynamics of atmospheres with a non-dilute condensible component, defined as the situation in which a condensible component of the atmosphere makes up a substantial fraction of the atmospheric mass within some layer. Non-dilute dynamics can occur for a wide range of condensibles, generically applying near both the inner and the outer edges of the conventional habitable zone and in connection with runaway greenhouse phenomena. It also applies in a wide variety of other planetary circumstances. We first present a number of analytical results developing some key features of non-dilute atmospheres, and then show how some of these features are manifest in simulations with a general circulation model adapted to handle non-dilute atmospheres. We find that non-dilute atmospheres have weak horizontal temperature gradients even for rapidly rotating planets, and that their circulations are largely barotropic. The relative humidity of the condensible component tends towards 100% as the atmosphere becomes more non-dilute, which has important implications for runaway greenhouse thresholds. Non-dilute atmospheres exhibit a number of interesting organized convection features, for which there is not yet any adequate theoretical understanding. PMID:27436980

  14. Dynamics of atmospheres with a non-dilute condensible component.

    PubMed

    Pierrehumbert, Raymond T; Ding, Feng

    2016-06-01

    The diversity of characteristics for the host of recently discovered exoplanets opens up a great deal of fertile new territory for geophysical fluid dynamics, particularly when the fluid flow is coupled to novel thermodynamics, radiative transfer or chemistry. In this paper, we survey one of these new areas-the climate dynamics of atmospheres with a non-dilute condensible component, defined as the situation in which a condensible component of the atmosphere makes up a substantial fraction of the atmospheric mass within some layer. Non-dilute dynamics can occur for a wide range of condensibles, generically applying near both the inner and the outer edges of the conventional habitable zone and in connection with runaway greenhouse phenomena. It also applies in a wide variety of other planetary circumstances. We first present a number of analytical results developing some key features of non-dilute atmospheres, and then show how some of these features are manifest in simulations with a general circulation model adapted to handle non-dilute atmospheres. We find that non-dilute atmospheres have weak horizontal temperature gradients even for rapidly rotating planets, and that their circulations are largely barotropic. The relative humidity of the condensible component tends towards 100% as the atmosphere becomes more non-dilute, which has important implications for runaway greenhouse thresholds. Non-dilute atmospheres exhibit a number of interesting organized convection features, for which there is not yet any adequate theoretical understanding.

  15. Spatial and temporal variability of PM levels and composition in a complex summer atmospheric scenario in Barcelona (NE Spain)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viana, M.; Pérez, C.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Nickovic, S.; Baldasano, J. M.

    Summer atmospheric coastal dynamics exert a significant influence on the levels and composition of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in the North-Eastern Iberian Peninsula. Summer atmospheric scenarios in this region present a high degree of complexity as they are characterised by the absence of synoptic-scale air mass advections, the development of breeze circulations, enhanced photochemistry, local mineral dust re-suspension and the occurrence of African dust outbreaks. Three sampling sites were selected in Barcelona (NE Spain), an urban coastal site surrounded by complex topography. Regional dust modelling (DREAM) and high resolution meteorological modelling (MM5) were used to interpret PM levels and composition at the three sites. The results outline the effect of breeze dynamics and thermal internal boundary layer formation as the main meteorological drivers of the hourly evolution of PM levels. Levels of crustal components, secondary inorganic and carbon species are higher during the night, and only the marine aerosol content is higher during the day. Nitrate levels are higher during the night due to the thermal stability on NH 4NO 3. Sulphate levels are higher during the night as a consequence of the drainage flows. Lidar measurements and model results signalled the occurrence of two African dust episodes during the study period which mainly affected the free troposphere over Barcelona.

  16. Simulation of the impact of thunderstorm activity on atmospheric gas composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smyshlyaev, S. P.; Mareev, E. A.; Galin, V. Ya.

    2010-08-01

    A chemistry-climate model of the lower and middle atmosphere has been used to estimate the sensitivity of the atmospheric gas composition to the rate of thunderstorm production of nitrogen oxides at upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric altitudes. The impact that nitrogen oxides produced by lightning have on the atmospheric gas composition is treated as a subgrid-scale process and included in the model parametrically. The natural uncertainty in the global production rate of nitrogen oxides in lightning flashes was specified within limits from 2 to 20 Tg N/year. Results of the model experiments have shown that, due to the variability of thunderstorm-produced nitrogen oxides, their concentration in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere can vary by a factor of 2 or 3, which, given the influence of nitrogen oxides on ozone and other gases, creates the potential for a strong perturbation of the atmospheric gas composition and thermal regime. Model calculations have shown the strong sensitivity of ozone and the OH hydroxyl to the amount of lightning nitrogen oxides at different atmospheric altitudes. These calculations demonstrate the importance of nitrogen oxides of thunderstorm origin for the balance of atmospheric odd ozone and gases linked to it, such as ozone and hydroxyl radicals. Our results demonstrate that one important task is to raise the accuracy of estimates of the rate of nitrogen oxide production by lightning discharges and to use physical parametrizations that take into account the local lightning effects and feedbacks arising in this case rather than climatological data in models of the gas composition and general circulation of the atmosphere.

  17. Current Scientific Issues in Large Scale Atmospheric Dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, T. L. (Compiler)

    1986-01-01

    Topics in large scale atmospheric dynamics are discussed. Aspects of atmospheric blocking, the influence of transient baroclinic eddies on planetary-scale waves, cyclogenesis, the effects of orography on planetary scale flow, small scale frontal structure, and simulations of gravity waves in frontal zones are discussed.

  18. Dynamics of the middle atmosphere as observed by the ARISE project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blanc, E.

    2015-12-01

    It has been strongly demonstrated that variations in the circulation of the middle atmosphere influence weather and climate all the way to the Earth's surface. A key part of this coupling occurs through the propagation and breaking of planetary and gravity waves. However, limited observations prevent to faithfully reproduce the dynamics of the middle atmosphere in numerical weather prediction and climate models. The main challenge of the ARISE (Atmospheric dynamics InfraStructure in Europe) project is to combine existing national and international observation networks including: the International infrasound monitoring system developed for the CTBT (Comprehensive nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty) verification, the NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Changes) lidar network, European observation infrastructures at mid latitudes (OHP observatory), tropics (Maïdo observatory), high latitudes (ALOMAR and EISCAT), infrasound stations which form a dense European network and satellites. The ARISE network is unique by its coverage (polar to equatorial regions in the European longitude sector), its altitude range (from troposphere to mesosphere and ionosphere) and the involved scales both in time (from seconds to tens of years) and space (from tens of meters to thousands of kilometers). Advanced data products are produced with the scope to assimilate data in the Weather Prediction models to improve future forecasts over weeks and seasonal time scales. ARISE observations are especially relevant for the monitoring of extreme events such as thunderstorms, volcanoes, meteors and at larger scales, deep convection and stratospheric warming events for physical processes description and study of long term evolution with climate change. Among the applications, ARISE fosters integration of innovative methods for remote detection of non-instrumented volcanoes including distant eruption characterization to provide notifications with reliable confidence indices to the

  19. Automated Atmospheric Composition Dataset Level Metadata Discovery. Difficulties and Surprises

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strub, R. F.; Falke, S. R.; Kempler, S.; Fialkowski, E.; Goussev, O.; Lynnes, C.

    2015-12-01

    The Atmospheric Composition Portal (ACP) is an aggregator and curator of information related to remotely sensed atmospheric composition data and analysis. It uses existing tools and technologies and, where needed, enhances those capabilities to provide interoperable access, tools, and contextual guidance for scientists and value-adding organizations using remotely sensed atmospheric composition data. The initial focus is on Essential Climate Variables identified by the Global Climate Observing System - CH4, CO, CO2, NO2, O3, SO2 and aerosols. This poster addresses our efforts in building the ACP Data Table, an interface to help discover and understand remotely sensed data that are related to atmospheric composition science and applications. We harvested GCMD, CWIC, GEOSS metadata catalogs using machine to machine technologies - OpenSearch, Web Services. We also manually investigated the plethora of CEOS data providers portals and other catalogs where that data might be aggregated. This poster is our experience of the excellence, variety, and challenges we encountered.Conclusions:1.The significant benefits that the major catalogs provide are their machine to machine tools like OpenSearch and Web Services rather than any GUI usability improvements due to the large amount of data in their catalog.2.There is a trend at the large catalogs towards simulating small data provider portals through advanced services. 3.Populating metadata catalogs using ISO19115 is too complex for users to do in a consistent way, difficult to parse visually or with XML libraries, and too complex for Java XML binders like CASTOR.4.The ability to search for Ids first and then for data (GCMD and ECHO) is better for machine to machine operations rather than the timeouts experienced when returning the entire metadata entry at once. 5.Metadata harvest and export activities between the major catalogs has led to a significant amount of duplication. (This is currently being addressed) 6.Most (if not

  20. Fire Influences on Atmospheric Composition, Air Quality, and Climate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Voulgarakis, Apostolos; Field, Robert D.

    2015-01-01

    Fires impact atmospheric composition through their emissions, which range from long-lived gases to short-lived gases and aerosols. Effects are typically larger in the tropics and boreal regions but can also be substantial in highly populated areas in the northern mid-latitudes. In all regions, fire can impact air quality and health. Similarly, its effect on large-scale atmospheric processes, including regional and global atmospheric chemistry and climate forcing, can be substantial, but this remains largely unexplored. The impacts are primarily realised in the boundary layer and lower free troposphere but can also be noticeable in upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) region, for the most intense fires. In this review, we summarise the recent literature on findings related to fire impact on atmospheric composition, air quality and climate. We explore both observational and modelling approaches and present information on key regions and on the globe as a whole. We also discuss the current and future directions in this area of research, focusing on the major advances in emission estimates, the emerging efforts to include fire as a component in Earth system modelling and the use of modelling to assess health impacts of fire emissions.

  1. Influence of Cenozoic Plateau Growth on Precipitation and Atmospheric Dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Insel, N.; Poulsen, C. J.; Rowley, D. B.

    2011-12-01

    Large mountain ranges exhibit a first-order control on climate, but it is unclear how climate may have changed over time as topography developed. In this work we use global and regional general circulation models (Genesis3.0, RegCM4) to evaluate dynamical and physical atmospheric changes associated with variations in the Andean and Himalayan topography during the Cenozoic. Our model results show that orogenic plateaus play a critical role in the evolution of climate by affecting atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns. The influence of high topography on regional climate is not purely mechanical through orographic lifting, but also due to modifications of dynamical processes. The uplift of the Andes and Himalaya influence atmospheric flow in the following ways: (1) Orogens act as a barrier to atmospheric flow, thereby changing low-level (800 mbar) wind patterns by causing a reversal and/or significant strengthening of the prevailing winds. The establishment and strength of low-level jets is directly related to mountain elevations. (2) In contrast, monsoonal circulations form without the existence of a plateau, but are modified by high topography through thermal and mechanical effects (e.g. sensible or latent heating, orographic blocking). (3) An increase in the surface pressure gradient between high mountain ranges and the foreland enhances convergence of low-level flow and draws in moisture from adjacent regions. The increase in moisture transport provides the latent heat required to drive convective updrafts and enhances convection and precipitation along the windward flanks of high topography. (4) Regional atmospheric circulation similar to modern are established and amplify as the mountains rise to ~50-75% of their modern elevation. Our model results are largely consistent with proxy evidence of regional climate change, and have implications for the timing and rate of surface plateau uplift. Most importantly, simulated changes in paleoclimate alter

  2. Global two dimensional chemistry model and simulation of atmospheric chemical composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Renjian; Wang, Mingxing; Zeng, Qingcun

    2000-03-01

    A global two-dimensional zonally averaged chemistry model is developed to study the chemi-cal composition of atmosphere. The region of the model is from 90°S to 90°N and from the ground to the altitude of 20 km with a resolution of 5° x 1 km. The wind field is residual circulation calcu-lated from diabatic rate. 34 species and 104 chemical and photochemical reactions are considered in the model. The sources of CH4, CO and NOx, which are divided into seasonal sources and non-seasonal sources, are parameterized as a function of latitude and time. The chemical composi-tion of atmosphere was simulated with emission level of CH4, CO and NOx in 1990. The results are compared with observations and other model results, showing that the model is successful to simu-late the atmospheric chemical composition and distribution of CH4.

  3. Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil

    PubMed Central

    Shrestha, Pravin Malla; Kammann, Claudia; Lenhart, Katharina; Dam, Bomba; Liesack, Werner

    2012-01-01

    Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0–10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH4 m−2 h−1. Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 105–1.9 × 106 copies g−1 of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH4 uptake rates (P<0.001), but had no effect on methanotrophic population dynamics. The soil moisture was negatively correlated with CH4 uptake rates (P<0.001), but showed a positive correlation with changes in USCα-like diversity (P<0.001) and pmoA gene abundance (P<0.05). These were greatest at low net CH4 uptake rates during winter times and coincided with an overall increase in bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundances (P<0.05). Taken together, soil moisture had a significant but opposed effect on CH4 uptake rates and methanotrophic population dynamics, the latter being increasingly stimulated by soil moisture contents >50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade. PMID:22189499

  4. Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil.

    PubMed

    Shrestha, Pravin Malla; Kammann, Claudia; Lenhart, Katharina; Dam, Bomba; Liesack, Werner

    2012-06-01

    Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0-10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH(4) m(-2) h(-1). Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 10(5)-1.9 × 10(6) copies g(-1) of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH(4) uptake rates (P<0.001), but had no effect on methanotrophic population dynamics. The soil moisture was negatively correlated with CH(4) uptake rates (P<0.001), but showed a positive correlation with changes in USCα-like diversity (P<0.001) and pmoA gene abundance (P<0.05). These were greatest at low net CH(4) uptake rates during winter times and coincided with an overall increase in bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundances (P<0.05). Taken together, soil moisture had a significant but opposed effect on CH(4) uptake rates and methanotrophic population dynamics, the latter being increasingly stimulated by soil moisture contents >50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade.

  5. Sharing is Winning: Cooperative Learning about Atmospheric Composition Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuepbach, E.

    2010-09-01

    This contribution presents evolving good practice in disseminating the body of know-how, skills and competencies within the networked community of atmospheric scientists as established in ACCENT. The promotion of early-career scientists, and encouraging the next generation to move into the field were among the key issues addressed by the "Training and Education" programme in the European Network of Excellence in Atmospheric Composition Change (ACCENT). Dissemination avenues include a virtual knowledge train carrying the wealth of high-quality scientific learning material developed with experts involved in the ACCENT network. Learning opportunities on current research in atmospheric composition change in Europe were also created during face-to-face training workshops. Real-life examples of pressing air quality issues were addressed in meetings with stakeholder groups that offered opportunities for mutual learning in inspiring partnerships. In order to increase the expertise in atmospheric composition change across Europe, activities were organized with the general public (e.g., Café Scientifique), where the participating early-career scientists were confronted with questions from lay people. For interested teachers, didactic translations of compact overviews on air quality science topics developed in ACCENT offer links with the typical European science curriculum and go beyond school book content. Some of the educational events, methods and tools are described in a booklet published in 2009 ("We Care for Clean Air!", ISBN 978-88-95665-01-6). The electronic version and all training material can be downloaded from www.accent-network.org/portal/education - a valuable resource for teachers and learners around the globe.

  6. Concept study for a Venus Lander Mission to Analyze Atmospheric and Surface Composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, K.; Banks, M. E.; Benecchi, S. D.; Bradley, B. K.; Budney, C. J.; Clark, G. B.; Corbin, B. A.; James, P. B.; O'Brien, R. C.; Rivera-Valentin, E. G.; Saltman, A.; Schmerr, N. C.; Seubert, C. R.; Siles, J. V.; Stickle, A. M.; Stockton, A. M.; Taylor, C.; Zanetti, M.; JPL Team X

    2011-12-01

    We present a concept-level study of a New Frontiers class, Venus lander mission that was developed during Session 1 of NASA's 2011 Planetary Science Summer School, hosted by Team X at JPL. Venus is often termed Earth's sister planet, yet they have evolved in strikingly different ways. Venus' surface and atmosphere dynamics, and their complex interaction are poorly constrained. A lander mission to Venus would enable us to address a multitude of outstanding questions regarding the geological evolution of the Venusian atmosphere and crust. Our proposed mission concept, VenUs Lander for Composition ANalysis (VULCAN), is a two-component mission, consisting of a lander and a carrier spacecraft functioning as relay to transmit data to Earth. The total mission duration is 150 days, with primary science obtained during a 1-hour descent through the atmosphere and a 2-hour residence on the Venusian surface. In the atmosphere, the lander will provide new data on atmospheric evolution by measuring dominant and trace gas abundances, light stable isotopes, and noble gas isotopes with a neutral mass spectrometer. It will make important meteorological observations of mid-lower atmospheric dynamics with pressure and temperature sensors and obtain unprecedented, detailed imagery of surface geomorphology and properties with a descent Near-IR/VIS camera. A nepholometer will provide new constraints on the sizes of suspended particulate matter within the lower atmosphere. On the surface, the lander will quantitatively investigate the chemical and mineralogical evolution of the Venusian crust with a LIBS-Raman spectrometer. Planetary differentiation processes recorded in heavy elements will be evaluated using a gamma-ray spectrometer. The lander will also provide the first stereo images for evaluating the geomorphologic/volcanic evolution of the Venusian surface, as well as panoramic views of the sample site using multiple filters, and detailed images of unconsolidated material and rock

  7. Nonlinear dynamics of global atmospheric and Earth system processes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saltzman, Barry

    1993-01-01

    During the past eight years, we have been engaged in a NASA-supported program of research aimed at establishing the connection between satellite signatures of the earth's environmental state and the nonlinear dynamics of the global weather and climate system. Thirty-five publications and four theses have resulted from this work, which included contributions in five main areas of study: (1) cloud and latent heat processes in finite-amplitude baroclinic waves; (2) application of satellite radiation data in global weather analysis; (3) studies of planetary waves and low-frequency weather variability; (4) GCM studies of the atmospheric response to variable boundary conditions measurable from satellites; and (5) dynamics of long-term earth system changes. Significant accomplishments from the three main lines of investigation pursued during the past year are presented and include the following: (1) planetary atmospheric waves and low frequency variability; (2) GCM studies of the atmospheric response to changed boundary conditions; and (3) dynamics of long-term changes in the global earth system.

  8. Upper atmosphere research satellite program. [to study the chemistry energetics, and dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huntress, W. T., Jr.

    1978-01-01

    A satellite program to conduct research on the chemistry, energetics, and dynamics of the upper atmosphere was developed. The scientific goals of the Upper Atmospheric Research Program, the program requirements, and the approach toward meeting those requirements are outlined. An initial series of two overlapping spacecraft missions is described. Both spacecraft are launched and recovered by the STS, one in the winter of 1983 at a 56 deg inclination, and the other a year later at a 70 deg inclination. The duration of each mission is 18 months, and each carries instruments to make global measurements of the temperature, winds, composition, irradation, and radiance in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere between the tropopause and 120 km altitude. The program requires a dedicated ground-based data system and a science team organization that leads to a strong interaction between the experiments and theory. The program includes supportive observations from other platforms such as rockets, balloons, and the Spacelab.

  9. Mass spectrometric measurements of atmospheric composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoffman, J. H.

    1974-01-01

    The development of a magnetic sector field analyzer for continuous sampling and measurement of outer planetary atmospheres is discussed. Special features of the analyzer include a dynamic range of 10 to the minus 7th power, a mass range from 1 to 48 AMU, two ion sensitivities, a special scan time of 35 sec at 14 BPS, and the use of ion counting techniques for analysis.

  10. Convective dynamics and chemical disequilibrium in the atmospheres of substellar objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bordwell, Baylee; Brown, Benjamin P.; Oishi, Jeffrey S.

    2017-11-01

    The thousands of substellar objects now known provide a unique opportunity to test our understanding of atmospheric dynamics across a range of environments. The chemical timescales of certain species transition from being much shorter than the dynamical timescales to being much longer than them at a point in the atmosphere known as the quench point. This transition leads to a state of dynamical disequilibrium, the effects of which can be used to probe the atmospheric dynamics of these objects. Unfortunately, due to computational constraints, models that inform the interpretation of these observations are run at dynamical parameters which are far from realistic values. In this study, we explore the behavior of a disequilibrium chemical process with increasingly realistic planetary conditions, to quantify the effects of the approximations used in current models. We simulate convection in 2-D, plane-parallel, polytropically-stratified atmospheres, into which we add reactive passive tracers that explore disequilibrium behavior. We find that as we increase the Rayleigh number, and thus achieve more realistic planetary conditions, the behavior of these tracers does not conform to the classical predictions of disequilibrium chemistry.

  11. Classroom Demonstrations Of Atmosphere-ocean Dynamics: Baroclinic Instability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aurnou, Jonathan; Nadiga, B. T.

    2008-09-01

    Here we will present simple hands-on experimental demonstrations that show how baroclinic instabilities develop in rotating fluid dynamical systems. Such instabilities are found in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere as well as in the atmospheres and oceans of planetary bodies throughout the solar system and beyond. Our inexpensive experimental apparatus consists of a vinyl-record player, a wide shallow pan, and a weighted, dyed block of ice. Most directly, these demonstrations can be used to explain winter-time atmospheric weather patterns observed in Earth's mid-latitudes.

  12. Active Upper-atmosphere Chemistry and Dynamics from Polar Circulation Reversal on Titan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Teanby, Nicholas A.; Irwin, Patrick Gerard Joseph; Nixon, Conor A.; DeKok, Remco; Vinatier, Sandrine; Coustenis, Athena; Sefton-Nash, Elliot; Calcutt, Simon B.; Flasar, Michael F.

    2012-01-01

    Saturn's moon Titan has a nitrogen atmosphere comparable to Earth's, with a surface pressure of 1.4 bar. Numerical models reproduce the tropospheric conditions very well but have trouble explaining the observed middle-atmosphere temperatures, composition and winds. The top of the middle-atmosphere circulation has been thought to lie at an altitude of 450 to 500 kilometres, where there is a layer of haze that appears to be separated from the main haze deck. This 'detached' haze was previously explained as being due to the colocation of peak haze production and the limit of dynamical transport by the circulation's upper branch. Herewe report a build-up of trace gases over the south pole approximately two years after observing the 2009 post-equinox circulation reversal, from which we conclude that middle-atmosphere circulation must extend to an altitude of at least 600 kilometres. The primary drivers of this circulation are summer-hemisphere heating of haze by absorption of solar radiation and winter-hemisphere cooling due to infrared emission by haze and trace gases; our results therefore imply that these effects are important well into the thermosphere (altitudes higher than 500 kilometres). This requires both active upper-atmosphere chemistry, consistent with the detection of high-complexity molecules and ions at altitudes greater than 950 kilometres, and an alternative explanation for the detached haze, such as a transition in haze particle growth from monomers to fractal structures.

  13. Nonlinear dynamics of global atmospheric and Earth-system processes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saltzman, Barry; Ebisuzaki, Wesley; Maasch, Kirk A.; Oglesby, Robert; Pandolfo, Lionel

    1990-01-01

    Researchers are continuing their studies of the nonlinear dynamics of global weather systems. Sensitivity analyses of large-scale dynamical models of the atmosphere (i.e., general circulation models i.e., GCM's) were performed to establish the role of satellite-signatures of soil moisture, sea surface temperature, snow cover, and sea ice as crucial boundary conditions determining global weather variability. To complete their study of the bimodality of the planetary wave states, they are using the dynamical systems approach to construct a low-order theoretical explanation of this phenomenon. This work should have important implications for extended range forecasting of low-frequency oscillations, elucidating the mechanisms for the transitions between the two wave modes. Researchers are using the methods of jump analysis and attractor dimension analysis to examine the long-term satellite records of significant variables (e.g., long wave radiation, and cloud amount), to explore the nature of mode transitions in the atmosphere, and to determine the minimum number of equations needed to describe the main weather variations with a low-order dynamical system. Where feasible they will continue to explore the applicability of the methods of complex dynamical systems analysis to the study of the global earth-system from an integrative viewpoint involving the roles of geochemical cycling and the interactive behavior of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

  14. Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC)

    Science.gov Websites

    , state and local government web resources and services. Home > Network for the Detection of and troposphere, and establishing links between climate change and atmospheric composition. Following

  15. Helicity in dynamic atmospheric processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurgansky, M. V.

    2017-03-01

    An overview on the helicity of the velocity field and the role played by this concept in modern research in the field of geophysical fluid dynamics and dynamic meteorology is given. Different (both previously known in the literature and first presented) formulations of the equation of helicity balance in atmospheric motions (including those with allowance for effects of air compressibility and Earth's rotation) are brought together. Equations and relationships are given which are valid in different approximations accepted in dynamic meteorology: Boussinesq approximation, quasi-static approximation, and quasi-geostrophic approximation. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of helicity budget in large-scale quasi-geostrophic systems of motion; a formula for the helicity flux across the upper boundary of the nonlinear Ekman boundary layer is given, and this flux is shown to be exactly compensated for by the helicity destruction inside the Ekman boundary layer.

  16. Investigation of the small-scale structure and dynamics of Uranus' atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eshleman, Von R.; Hinson, David P.

    1991-01-01

    This document constitutes the final technical report of the Uranus Analysis Program. Papers and/or abstracts resulting from this research are presented. The following topics are covered: (1) past and future of radio occultation studies of planetary atmospheres; (2) equatorial waves in the stratosphere of Uranus; (3) the atmosphere of Uranus- results of radio occultation measurements with Voyager 2; (4) Uranus' atmospheric dynamics and circulation; (5) small-scale structure and dynamics in the atmosphere of Uranus; (6) evidence for inertia-gravity waves in the stratosphere of Uranus derived from Voyager 2 radio occultation data; and (7) planetary waves in the equatorial stratosphere of Uranus.

  17. Deterministic chaos in atmospheric radon dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cuculeanu, Vasile; Lupu, Alexandru

    2001-08-01

    The correlation dimension and Lyapunov exponents have been calculated for two time series of atmospheric radon daughter concentrations obtained from four daily measurements during the period 1993-1996. A number of about 6000 activity concentration values of 222Rn and 220Rn daughters have been used. The measuring method is based on aerosol collection on filters. In order to determine the filter activity, a low background gross beta measuring device with Geiger-Müller counter tubes in anticoincidence was used. The small noninteger value of the correlation dimension (≃2.2) and the existence of a positive Lyapunov exponent prove that deterministic chaos is present in the time series of atmospheric 220Rn daughters. This shows that a simple diffusion equation with a parameterized turbulent diffusion coefficient is insufficient for describing the dynamics in the near-ground layer where turbulence is not fully developed and coherent structures dominate. The analysis of 222Rn series confirms that the dynamics of the boundary layer cannot be described by a system of ordinary differential equations with a low number of independent variables.

  18. Realistic Modeling of Multi-Scale MHD Dynamics of the Solar Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kitiashvili, Irina; Mansour, Nagi N.; Wray, Alan; Couvidat, Sebastian; Yoon, Seokkwan; Kosovichev, Alexander

    2014-01-01

    Realistic 3D radiative MHD simulations open new perspectives for understanding the turbulent dynamics of the solar surface, its coupling to the atmosphere, and the physical mechanisms of generation and transport of non-thermal energy. Traditionally, plasma eruptions and wave phenomena in the solar atmosphere are modeled by prescribing artificial driving mechanisms using magnetic or gas pressure forces that might arise from magnetic field emergence or reconnection instabilities. In contrast, our 'ab initio' simulations provide a realistic description of solar dynamics naturally driven by solar energy flow. By simulating the upper convection zone and the solar atmosphere, we can investigate in detail the physical processes of turbulent magnetoconvection, generation and amplification of magnetic fields, excitation of MHD waves, and plasma eruptions. We present recent simulation results of the multi-scale dynamics of quiet-Sun regions, and energetic effects in the atmosphere and compare with observations. For the comparisons we calculate synthetic spectro-polarimetric data to model observational data of SDO, Hinode, and New Solar Telescope.

  19. The Dynamic Atmospheres of Carbon Rich Giants: Constraining Models Via Interferometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rau, Gioia; Hron, Josef; Paladini, Claudia; Aringer, Bernard; Eriksson, Kjell; Marigo, Paola

    2016-07-01

    Dynamic models for the atmospheres of C-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch stars are quite advanced and have been overall successful in reproducing spectroscopic and photometric observations. Interferometry provides independent information and is thus an important technique to study the atmospheric stratification and to further constrain the dynamic models. We observed a sample of six C-rich AGBs with the mid infrared interferometer VLTI/MIDI. These observations, combined with photometric and spectroscopic data from the literature, are compared with synthetic observables derived from dynamic model atmospheres (DMA, Eriksson et al. 2014). The SEDs can be reasonably well modelled and the interferometry supports the extended and multi-component structure of the atmospheres, but some differences remain. We discuss the possible reasons for these differences and we compare the stellar parameters derived from this comparison with stellar evolution models. Finally, we point out the high potential of MATISSE, the second generation VLTI instrument allowing interferometric imaging in the L, M, and N bands, for further progress in this field.

  20. Dynamic Probabilistic Instability of Composite Structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chamis, Christos C.

    2009-01-01

    A computationally effective method is described to evaluate the non-deterministic dynamic instability (probabilistic dynamic buckling) of thin composite shells. The method is a judicious combination of available computer codes for finite element, composite mechanics and probabilistic structural analysis. The solution method is incrementally updated Lagrangian. It is illustrated by applying it to thin composite cylindrical shell subjected to dynamic loads. Both deterministic and probabilistic buckling loads are evaluated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. A universal plot is obtained for the specific shell that can be used to approximate buckling loads for different load rates and different probability levels. Results from this plot show that the faster the rate, the higher the buckling load and the shorter the time. The lower the probability, the lower is the buckling load for a specific time. Probabilistic sensitivity results show that the ply thickness, the fiber volume ratio and the fiber longitudinal modulus, dynamic load and loading rate are the dominant uncertainties in that order.

  1. Atmospheric science on the Galileo mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hunten, D. M.; Colin, L.; Hansen, J. E.

    1986-01-01

    The atmospheric science goals of the Galileo mission, and instruments of the probe and orbiter are described. The current data available, and the goals of the Galileo mission concerning the chemical composition of the Jovian atmosphere; the thermal structure of the atmosphere; the nature of cloud particles and cloud layering; the radiative energy balance; atmospheric dynamics; and the upper atmosphere are discussed. The objectives and operations of the atmospheric structure instrument, neutral mass spectrometer, helium abundance interferometer, nephelometer, net flux radiometer, lightning and radio emission detector, solid state imaging system, NIR mapping spectrometer, photopolarimeter radiometer, and UV spectrometer are examined.

  2. A size-composition resolved aerosol model for simulating the dynamics of externally mixed particles: SCRAM (v 1.0)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, S.; Sartelet, K. N.; Seigneur, C.

    2015-06-01

    The Size-Composition Resolved Aerosol Model (SCRAM) for simulating the dynamics of externally mixed atmospheric particles is presented. This new model classifies aerosols by both composition and size, based on a comprehensive combination of all chemical species and their mass-fraction sections. All three main processes involved in aerosol dynamics (coagulation, condensation/evaporation and nucleation) are included. The model is first validated by comparison with a reference solution and with results of simulations using internally mixed particles. The degree of mixing of particles is investigated in a box model simulation using data representative of air pollution in Greater Paris. The relative influence on the mixing state of the different aerosol processes (condensation/evaporation, coagulation) and of the algorithm used to model condensation/evaporation (bulk equilibrium, dynamic) is studied.

  3. Dynamical systems proxies of atmospheric predictability and mid-latitude extremes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Messori, Gabriele; Faranda, Davide; Caballero, Rodrigo; Yiou, Pascal

    2017-04-01

    Extreme weather ocurrences carry enormous social and economic costs and routinely garner widespread scientific and media coverage. Many extremes (for e.g. storms, heatwaves, cold spells, heavy precipitation) are tied to specific patterns of midlatitude atmospheric circulation. The ability to identify these patterns and use them to enhance the predictability of the extremes is therefore a topic of crucial societal and economic value. We propose a novel predictability pathway for extreme events, by building upon recent advances in dynamical systems theory. We use two simple dynamical systems metrics - local dimension and persistence - to identify sets of similar large-scale atmospheric flow patterns which present a coherent temporal evolution. When these patterns correspond to weather extremes, they therefore afford a particularly good forward predictability. We specifically test this technique on European winter temperatures, whose variability largely depends on the atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic region. We find that our dynamical systems approach provides predictability of large-scale temperature extremes up to one week in advance.

  4. Effects of atmospheric air plasma treatment on interfacial properties of PBO fiber reinforced composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Chengshuang; Li, Cuiyun; Wang, Baiya; Wang, Bin; Cui, Hong

    2013-07-01

    Poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber was modified by atmospheric air plasma treatment. The effects of plasma treatment power and speed on both surface properties of PBO fibers and interfacial properties of PBO/epoxy composites were investigated. Surface chemical composition of PBO fibers were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Surface morphologies of the fibers and interface structures of the composites were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Interfacial adhesion property of the composites was evaluated by interlaminar shear strength (ILSS). Mechanical properties of PBO multifilament were measured by universal testing machine. The results indicate that atmospheric air plasma treatment introduced some polar or oxygen-containing groups to PBO fiber surfaces, enhanced surface roughness and changed surface morphologies of PBO fibers by plasma etching and oxidative reactions. The plasma treatment also improved interfacial adhesion of PBO/epoxy composites but has little effect on tensile properties of PBO multifilament. The ILSS of PBO/epoxy composites increased to 40.0 MPa after atmospheric air plasma treatment with plasma treatment power of 300 W and treatment speed of 6 m/min.

  5. Studies of planetary upper atmospheres through occultations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elliot, J. L.

    1982-01-01

    The structure, composition, dynamics and energy balance of planetary upper atmospheres through interpretation of steller occultation data from Uranus is discussed. The wave-optical problem of modelling strong scintillation for arbitrary turbulent atmospheres is studied, as well as influence of turbulence. It was concluded that quasi-global features of atmospheric structure are accurately determined by numerical inversion. Horizontally inhomogeneous structures are filtered out and have little effect on temperature profiles.

  6. Probabilistic Dynamic Buckling of Smart Composite Shells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abumeri, Galib H.; Chamis, Christos C.

    2003-01-01

    A computational simulation method is presented to evaluate the deterministic and nondeterministic dynamic buckling of smart composite shells. The combined use of composite mechanics, finite element computer codes, and probabilistic analysis enable the effective assessment of the dynamic buckling load of smart composite shells. A universal plot is generated to estimate the dynamic buckling load of composite shells at various load rates and probabilities. The shell structure is also evaluated with smart fibers embedded in the plies right below the outer plies. The results show that, on the average, the use of smart fibers improved the shell buckling resistance by about 10 percent at different probabilities and delayed the buckling occurrence time. The probabilistic sensitivities results indicate that uncertainties in the fiber volume ratio and ply thickness have major effects on the buckling load while uncertainties in the electric field strength and smart material volume fraction have moderate effects. For the specific shell considered in this evaluation, the use of smart composite material is not recommended because the shell buckling resistance can be improved by simply re-arranging the orientation of the outer plies, as shown in the dynamic buckling analysis results presented in this report.

  7. Probabilistic Dynamic Buckling of Smart Composite Shells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chamis, Christos C.; Abumeri, Galib H.

    2007-01-01

    A computational simulation method is presented to evaluate the deterministic and nondeterministic dynamic buckling of smart composite shells. The combined use of intraply hybrid composite mechanics, finite element computer codes, and probabilistic analysis enable the effective assessment of the dynamic buckling load of smart composite shells. A universal plot is generated to estimate the dynamic buckling load of composite shells at various load rates and probabilities. The shell structure is also evaluated with smart fibers embedded in the plies right next to the outer plies. The results show that, on the average, the use of smart fibers improved the shell buckling resistance by about 10% at different probabilities and delayed the buckling occurrence time. The probabilistic sensitivities results indicate that uncertainties in the fiber volume ratio and ply thickness have major effects on the buckling load while uncertainties in the electric field strength and smart material volume fraction have moderate effects. For the specific shell considered in this evaluation, the use of smart composite material is not recommended because the shell buckling resistance can be improved by simply re-arranging the orientation of the outer plies, as shown in the dynamic buckling analysis results presented in this report.

  8. Optimal estimation retrievals of the atmospheric structure and composition of HD 189733b from secondary eclipse spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, J.-M.; Fletcher, L. N.; Irwin, P. G. J.

    2012-02-01

    Recent spectroscopic observations of transiting hot Jupiters have permitted the derivation of the thermal structure and molecular abundances of H2O, CO2, CO and CH4 in these extreme atmospheres. Here, for the first time, we apply the technique of optimal estimation to determine the thermal structure and composition of an exoplanet by solving the inverse problem. The development of a suite of radiative transfer and retrieval tools for exoplanet atmospheres is described, building upon a retrieval algorithm which is extensively used in the study of our own Solar system. First, we discuss the plausibility of detection of different molecules in the dayside atmosphere of HD 189733b and the best-fitting spectrum retrieved from all publicly available sets of secondary eclipse observations between 1.45 and 24 μm. Additionally, we use contribution functions to assess the vertical sensitivity of the emission spectrum to temperatures and molecular composition. Over the altitudes probed by the contribution functions, the retrieved thermal structure shows an isothermal upper atmosphere overlying a deeper adiabatic layer (temperature decreasing with altitude), which is consistent with previously reported dynamical and observational results. The formal uncertainties on retrieved parameters are estimated conservatively using an analysis of the cross-correlation functions and the degeneracy between different atmospheric properties. The formal solution of the inverse problem suggests that the uncertainties on retrieved parameters are larger than suggested in previous studies, and that the presence of CO and CH4 is only marginally supported by the available data. Nevertheless, by including as broad a wavelength range as possible in the retrieval, we demonstrate that available spectra of HD 189733b can constrain a family of potential solutions for the atmospheric structure.

  9. Predicting atmospheric states from local dynamical properties of the underlying attractor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faranda, Davide; Rodrigues, David; Alvarez-Castro, M. Carmen; Messori, Gabriele; Yiou, Pascal

    2017-04-01

    Mid-latitude flows are characterized by a chaotic dynamics and recurring patterns hinting to the existence of an atmospheric attractor. In 1963 Lorenz described this object as: "the collection of all states that the system can assume or approach again and again, as opposed to those that it will ultimately avoid" and analyzed a low dimensional system describing a convective dynamics whose attractor has the shape of a butterfly. Since then, many studies try to find equivalent of the Lorenz butterfly in the complex atmospheric dynamics. Most of the studies where focused to determine the average dimension D of the attractor i.e. the number of degrees of freedom sufficient to describe the atmospheric circulation. However, obtaining reliable estimates of D has proved challenging. Moreover, D does not provide information on transient atmospheric motions, such as those leading to weather extremes. Using recent developments in dynamical systems theory, we show that such motions can be classified through instantaneous rather than average properties of the attractor. The instantaneous properties are uniquely determined by instantaneous dimension and stability. Their extreme values correspond to specific atmospheric patterns, and match extreme weather occurrences. We further show the existence of a significant correlation between the time series of instantaneous stability and dimension and the mean spread of sea-level pressure fields in an operational ensemble weather forecast at lead times of over two weeks. Instantaneous properties of the attractor therefore provide an efficient way of evaluating and informing operational weather forecasts.

  10. Towards an exploitation of IAGOS atmospheric composition measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marshall, Julia; Gerbig, Christoph; Petzold, Andreas; Zahn, Andreas

    2015-04-01

    IAGOS, In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System, has installed instrumentation on a growing fleet of commercial airliners in order to continuously monitor atmospheric composition around the globe. IAGOS is providing accurate in situ observations of greenhouse gases (GHGs), reactive gases, aerosols, and cloud particles at high spatial resolution in the free atmosphere, thereby covering the essential climate variables (ECVs) for atmospheric composition as designated by the GCOS programme (Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC, 2010). The greenhouse gas measurements made by IAGOS will be submitted to the WMO/GAW World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG). Within the EU FP7 project IGAS (IAGOS for the GMES Atmospheric Service), the links between this new data stream and scientific users, including the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, are being improved. This includes the provision of measurements in both near-real-time and delayed mode, and improved accessibility to the data through linkages to the databases of both the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) flight campaign archive and the Copernicus data archive. Work has been undertaken to investigate the use of the near-real-time profile measurements in order to correct bias in satellite measurements assimilated by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. Documentation of the QA/QC procedures and measurement techniques for each instrument have been formalized and reviewed by external experts, to provide users with a measurement traceable to WMO standards. The representativeness of the measurements has been assessed, to better interpret results in polluted regions and near the tropopause. The potential impact of the GHG measurements on regional scale flux inversions has been quantified, which is relevant for ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observing System). Finally, tools have been developed to use the measurements for validation of satellite column

  11. Simulation of all-scale atmospheric dynamics on unstructured meshes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smolarkiewicz, Piotr K.; Szmelter, Joanna; Xiao, Feng

    2016-10-01

    The advance of massively parallel computing in the nineteen nineties and beyond encouraged finer grid intervals in numerical weather-prediction models. This has improved resolution of weather systems and enhanced the accuracy of forecasts, while setting the trend for development of unified all-scale atmospheric models. This paper first outlines the historical background to a wide range of numerical methods advanced in the process. Next, the trend is illustrated with a technical review of a versatile nonoscillatory forward-in-time finite-volume (NFTFV) approach, proven effective in simulations of atmospheric flows from small-scale dynamics to global circulations and climate. The outlined approach exploits the synergy of two specific ingredients: the MPDATA methods for the simulation of fluid flows based on the sign-preserving properties of upstream differencing; and the flexible finite-volume median-dual unstructured-mesh discretisation of the spatial differential operators comprising PDEs of atmospheric dynamics. The paper consolidates the concepts leading to a family of generalised nonhydrostatic NFTFV flow solvers that include soundproof PDEs of incompressible Boussinesq, anelastic and pseudo-incompressible systems, common in large-eddy simulation of small- and meso-scale dynamics, as well as all-scale compressible Euler equations. Such a framework naturally extends predictive skills of large-eddy simulation to the global atmosphere, providing a bottom-up alternative to the reverse approach pursued in the weather-prediction models. Theoretical considerations are substantiated by calculations attesting to the versatility and efficacy of the NFTFV approach. Some prospective developments are also discussed.

  12. The Atmospheric Dynamics of Venus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín; Lebonnois, Sebastien; Imamura, Takeshi; Read, Peter; Luz, David

    2017-11-01

    We review our current knowledge of the atmospheric dynamics of Venus prior to the Akatsuki mission, in the altitude range from the surface to approximately the cloud tops located at about 100 km altitude. The three-dimensional structure of the wind field in this region has been determined with a variety of techniques over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales (from the mesoscale to planetary, from days to years, in daytime and nighttime), spanning a period of about 50 years (from the 1960s to the present). The global panorama is that the mean atmospheric motions are essentially zonal, dominated by the so-called super-rotation (an atmospheric rotation that is 60 to 80 times faster than that of the planetary body). The zonal winds blow westward (in the same direction as the planet rotation) with a nearly constant speed of ˜ 100 m s^{-1} at the cloud tops (65-70 km altitude) from latitude 50°N to 50°S, then decreasing their speeds monotonically from these latitudes toward the poles. Vertically, the zonal winds decrease with decreasing altitude towards velocities ˜ 1-3 m s^{-1} in a layer of thickness ˜ 10 km close to the surface. Meridional motions with peak speeds of ˜ 15 m s^{-1} occur within the upper cloud at 65 km altitude and are related to a Hadley cell circulation and to the solar thermal tide. Vertical motions with speeds ˜1-3 m s^{-1} occur in the statically unstable layer between altitudes of ˜ 50 - 55 km. All these motions are permanent with speed variations of the order of ˜10%. Various types of wave, from mesoscale gravity waves to Rossby-Kelvin planetary scale waves, have been detected at and above cloud heights, and are considered to be candidates as agents for carrying momentum that drives the super-rotation, although numerical models do not fully reproduce all the observed features. Momentum transport by atmospheric waves and the solar tide is thought to be an indispensable component of the general circulation of the Venus atmosphere

  13. Dynamics of the Wigner crystal of composite particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Junren; Ji, Wencheng

    2018-03-01

    Conventional wisdom has long held that a composite particle behaves just like an ordinary Newtonian particle. In this paper, we derive the effective dynamics of a type-I Wigner crystal of composite particles directly from its microscopic wave function. It indicates that the composite particles are subjected to a Berry curvature in the momentum space as well as an emergent dissipationless viscosity. While the dissipationless viscosity is the Chern-Simons field counterpart for the Wigner crystal, the Berry curvature is a feature not presented in the conventional composite fermion theory. Hence, contrary to general belief, composite particles follow the more general Sundaram-Niu dynamics instead of the ordinary Newtonian one. We show that the presence of the Berry curvature is an inevitable feature for a dynamics conforming to the dipole picture of composite particles and Kohn's theorem. Based on the dynamics, we determine the dispersions of magnetophonon excitations numerically. We find an emergent magnetoroton mode which signifies the composite-particle nature of the Wigner crystal. It occurs at frequencies much lower than the magnetic cyclotron frequency and has a vanishing oscillator strength in the long-wavelength limit.

  14. Dynamic compressive strength of epoxy composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plastinin, A. V.; Sil'vestrov, V. V.

    1996-11-01

    The strength of laminated and unidirectionally reinforced composite materials was investigated in conditions of dynamic uniaxial compression with a strain rate of 50-1000 sec-1 using the split Hopkinson pressure bar method. It was shown that in conditions of dynamic compression, glass/epoxy, aramid/epoxy, and carbon/epoxy composites exhibit elastic-brittle behavior with anisotropy of the strength and elastic properties. The effect of the strain rate on the strength characteristics of fiberglass-reinforced plastics was demonstrated.

  15. Studies for the 3-Dimensional Structure, Composition, and Dynamic of Io's Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smyth, William H.

    2001-01-01

    Research work is discussed for the following: (1) the exploration of new H and Cl chemistry in Io's atmosphere using the already developed two-dimensional multi-species hydrodynamic model of Wong and Smyth; and (2) for the development of a new three-dimensional multi-species hydrodynamic model for Io's atmosphere.

  16. COMPOSITIONAL DIVERSITY IN THE ATMOSPHERES OF HOT NEPTUNES, WITH APPLICATION TO GJ 436b

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moses, J. I.; Line, M. R.; Visscher, C.

    2013-11-01

    Neptune-sized extrasolar planets that orbit relatively close to their host stars—often called {sup h}ot Neptunes{sup —}are common within the known population of exoplanets and planetary candidates. Similar to our own Uranus and Neptune, inefficient accretion of nebular gas is expected produce hot Neptunes whose masses are dominated by elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. At high atmospheric metallicities of 10-10,000 times solar, hot Neptunes will exhibit an interesting continuum of atmospheric compositions, ranging from more Neptune-like, H{sub 2}-dominated atmospheres to more Venus-like, CO{sub 2}-dominated atmospheres. We explore the predicted equilibrium and disequilibrium chemistry of generic hot Neptunes and find thatmore » the atmospheric composition varies strongly as a function of temperature and bulk atmospheric properties such as metallicity and the C/O ratio. Relatively exotic H{sub 2}O, CO, CO{sub 2}, and even O{sub 2}-dominated atmospheres are possible for hot Neptunes. We apply our models to the case of GJ 436b, where we find that a CO-rich, CH{sub 4}-poor atmosphere can be a natural consequence of a very high atmospheric metallicity. From comparisons of our results with Spitzer eclipse data for GJ 436b, we conclude that although the spectral fit from the high-metallicity forward models is not quite as good as the best fit obtained from pure retrieval methods, the atmospheric composition predicted by these forward models is more physically and chemically plausible in terms of the relative abundance of major constituents. High-metallicity atmospheres (orders of magnitude in excess of solar) should therefore be considered as a possibility for GJ 436b and other hot Neptunes.« less

  17. Influence of Atmospheric Pressure and Composition on LIBS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hatch, Jeremy J.; Scott, Jill R.; Effenberger, A. J. Jr.

    2014-03-01

    Most LIBS experiments are conducted at standard atmospheric pressure in air. However, there are LIBS studies that vary the pressure and composition of the gas. These studies have provided insights into fundamentals of the mechanisms that lead to the emission and methods for improving the quality of LIBS spectra. These atmospheric studies are difficult because the effects of pressure and gas composition and interconnected, making interpretation of the results difficult. The influence of pressures below and above 760 Torr have been explored. Performing LIBS on a surface at reduced pressures (<760 Torr) can result in enhanced spectra due to highermore » resolution, increased intensity, improved signal-to-noise (S/N), and increased ablation. Lower pressures produce increased resolution because the line width in LIBS spectra is predominantly due to Stark and Doppler broadening. Stark broadening is primarily caused from collisions between electrons and atoms, while Doppler broadening is proportional to the plasma temperature. Close examination using a high resolution spectrometer reveals that spectra show significant peak broadening and self-absorption as pressures increase, especially for pressures >760 Torr. During LIBS plasma expansion, energy is lost to the surrounding atmosphere, which reduces the lifetime of the laser plasma. Therefore, reducing the pressure increases the lifetime of the plasma, allowing more light from the laser plasma to be collected; thus, increasing the observed signal intensity. However, if pressures are too low (<10 Torr), then there is a steep drop in LIBS spectral intensity. This loss in intensity is mostly due to a disordered plasma that results from the lack of sufficient atmosphere to provide adequate confinement. At reduced pressures, the plasma expands into a less dense atmosphere, which results in a less dense shock wave. The reduced density in the shock wave results in reduced plasma shielding, allowing more photons to reach the

  18. The Wmo Global Atmosphere Watch Programme: Global Framework for Atmospheric Composition Observations and Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarasova, O. A.; Jalkanen, L.

    2010-12-01

    The WMO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme is the only existing long-term international global programme providing an international coordinated framework for observations and analysis of the chemical composition of the atmosphere. GAW is a partnership involving contributors from about 80 countries. It includes a coordinated global network of observing stations along with supporting facilities (Central Facilities) and expert groups (Scientific Advisory Groups, SAGs and Expert Teams, ETs). Currently GAW coordinates activities and data from 27 Global Stations and a substantial number of Regional and Contributing Stations. Station information is available through the GAW Station Information System GAWSIS (http://gaw.empa.ch/gawsis/). There are six key groups of variables which are addressed by the GAW Programme, namely: ozone, reactive gases, greenhouse gases, aerosols, UV radiation and precipitation chemistry. GAW works to implement integrated observations unifying measurements from different platforms (ground based in situ and remote, balloons, aircraft and satellite) supported by modeling activities. GAW provides data for ozone assessments, Greenhouse Gas Bulletins, Ozone Bulletins and precipitation chemistry assessments published on a regular basis and for early warnings of changes in the chemical composition and related physical characteristics of the atmosphere. To ensure that observations can be used for global assessments, the GAW Programme has developed a Quality Assurance system. Five types of Central Facilities dedicated to the six groups of measurement variables are operated by WMO Members and form the basis of quality assurance and data archiving for the GAW global monitoring network. They include Central Calibration Laboratories (CCLs) that host primary standards (PS), Quality Assurance/Science Activity Centres (QA/SACs), World Calibration Centers (WCCs), Regional Calibration Centers (RCCs), and World Data Centers (WDCs) with responsibility for

  19. [Quantitative estimation source of urban atmospheric CO2 by carbon isotope composition].

    PubMed

    Liu, Wei; Wei, Nan-Nan; Wang, Guang-Hua; Yao, Jian; Zeng, You-Shi; Fan, Xue-Bo; Geng, Yan-Hong; Li, Yan

    2012-04-01

    To effectively reduce urban carbon emissions and verify the effectiveness of currently project for urban carbon emission reduction, quantitative estimation sources of urban atmospheric CO2 correctly is necessary. Since little fractionation of carbon isotope exists in the transportation from pollution sources to the receptor, the carbon isotope composition can be used for source apportionment. In the present study, a method was established to quantitatively estimate the source of urban atmospheric CO2 by the carbon isotope composition. Both diurnal and height variations of concentrations of CO2 derived from biomass, vehicle exhaust and coal burning were further determined for atmospheric CO2 in Jiading district of Shanghai. Biomass-derived CO2 accounts for the largest portion of atmospheric CO2. The concentrations of CO2 derived from the coal burning are larger in the night-time (00:00, 04:00 and 20:00) than in the daytime (08:00, 12:00 and 16:00), and increase with the increase of height. Those derived from the vehicle exhaust decrease with the height increase. The diurnal and height variations of sources reflect the emission and transport characteristics of atmospheric CO2 in Jiading district of Shanghai.

  20. Understanding the formation and composition of hazes in planetary atmospheres that contain carbon monoxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hörst, S. M.; Yoon, Y. H.; Hicks, R. K.; Tolbert, M. A.

    2012-09-01

    Measurements from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) have revealed the presence of molecules in Titan's ionosphere with masses in excess of hundreds of amu. Negative ions with mass/charge (m/z) up to 10,000 amu/q [1] and positive ions with m/z up to 400 amu/q [2] have been detected. CAPS has also observed O+ flowing into Titan's upper atmosphere [3], which appears to originate from Enceladus and is likely the source of oxygen bearing molecules in Titan's atmosphere [4]. The observed O+ is deposited in the region now known to contain large organic molecules. A recent Titan atmosphere simulation experiment has shown that incorporation of oxygen into Titan aerosol analogues results in the formation of all five nucleotide bases and the two smallest amino acids, glycine and alanine [5]. Similar chemical processes may have occurred in the atmosphere of the early Earth, or in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets; atmospheric aerosols may be an important source of the building blocks of life. Atmospheric aerosols play an important role in determining the radiation budget of an atmosphere and can also provide a wealth of organic material to the surface. The presence of atmospheric aerosols has been invoked to explain the relatively featureless spectrum of HD 189773b, including the lack of predicted atmospheric Na and K spectral lines [9]. The majority of the O+ precipitating into Titan's atmosphere forms CO (O(3P)+CH3 -> CO+H2+H) [4]. CO has also been detected in the atmospheres of a number of exoplanets including HD 189733b, HD 209458b, and WASP-12b [6-8]. It is therefore important to understand the role CO plays in the formation and composition of hazes in planetary atmospheres. Using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) (see e.g. [10]) we have obtained in situ composition measurements of aerosol particles (so-called "tholins") produced in N2/CH4/CO gas mixtures subjected to either FUV radiation (deuterium lamp, 115-400 nm) or a

  1. The long-term carbon cycle, fossil fuels and atmospheric composition.

    PubMed

    Berner, Robert A

    2003-11-20

    The long-term carbon cycle operates over millions of years and involves the exchange of carbon between rocks and the Earth's surface. There are many complex feedback pathways between carbon burial, nutrient cycling, atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen, and climate. New calculations of carbon fluxes during the Phanerozoic eon (the past 550 million years) illustrate how the long-term carbon cycle has affected the burial of organic matter and fossil-fuel formation, as well as the evolution of atmospheric composition.

  2. Effect of solar radiation on the optical properties and molecular composition of laboratory proxies of atmospheric brown carbon.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyun Ji Julie; Aiona, Paige Kuuipo; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia; Nizkorodov, Sergey A

    2014-09-02

    Sources, optical properties, and chemical composition of atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) aerosol are uncertain, making it challenging to estimate its contribution to radiative forcing. Furthermore, optical properties of BrC may change significantly during its atmospheric aging. We examined the effect of photolysis on the molecular composition, mass absorption coefficient, and fluorescence of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) prepared by high-NOx photooxidation of naphthalene (NAP SOA). Our experiments were designed to model photolysis processes of NAP SOA compounds dissolved in cloud or fog droplets. Aqueous solutions of NAP SOA were observed to photobleach (i.e., lose their ability to absorb visible radiation) with an effective half-life of ∼15 h (with sun in its zenith) for the loss of near-UV (300-400 nm) absorbance. The molecular composition of NAP SOA was significantly modified by photolysis, with the average SOA formula changing from C14.1H14.5O5.1N0.085 to C11.8H14.9O4.5N0.023 after 4 h of irradiation. However, the average O/C ratio did not change significantly, suggesting that it is not a good metric for assessing the extent of photolysis-driven aging in NAP SOA (and in BrC in general). In contrast to NAP SOA, the photobleaching of BrC material produced by the reaction of limonene + ozone SOA with ammonia vapor (aged LIM/O3 SOA) was much faster, but it did not result in a significant change in average molecular composition. The characteristic absorbance of the aged LIM/O3 SOA in the 450-600 nm range decayed with an effective half-life of <0.5 h. These results emphasize the highly variable and dynamic nature of different types of atmospheric BrC.

  3. The Influence of CO2 Admixtures on the Product Composition in a Nitrogen-Methane Atmospheric Glow Discharge Used as a Prebiotic Atmosphere Mimic.

    PubMed

    Mazankova, V; Torokova, L; Krcma, F; Mason, N J; Matejcik, S

    2016-11-01

    This work extends our previous experimental studies of the chemistry of Titan's atmosphere by atmospheric glow discharge. The Titan's atmosphere seems to be similarly to early Earth atmospheric composition. The exploration of Titan atmosphere was initiated by the exciting results of the Cassini-Huygens mission and obtained results increased the interest about prebiotic atmospheres. Present work is devoted to the role of CO 2 in the prebiotic atmosphere chemistry. Most of the laboratory studies of such atmosphere were focused on the chemistry of N 2  + CH 4 mixtures. The present work is devoted to the study of the oxygenated volatile species in prebiotic atmosphere, specifically CO 2 reactivity. CO 2 was introduced to the standard N 2  + CH 4 mixture at different mixing ratio up to 5 % CH 4 and 3 % CO 2 . The reaction products were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. This work shows that CO 2 modifies the composition of the gas phase with the detection of oxygenated compounds: CO and others oxides. There is a strong influence of CO 2 on increasing concentration other products as cyanide (HCN) and ammonia (NH 3 ).

  4. Diagnosis of middle atmosphere chemistry-dynamics interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, X.; Swartz, W. H.; Garcia, R. R.; Chartier, A.; Yee, J. H.; Yue, J.

    2017-12-01

    We apply the recently developed middle atmosphere climate feedback-response analysis method (MCFRAM) to diagnosing the temperature variations associated with chemistry-dynamics interactions in the middle atmosphere. By using output fields from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) coupled with the measurements, we identify and isolate the distinctive characteristics of different components in the observed temperature variations. Both the temperature trends associated with the anthropogenic forcing and temperature changes associated with natural and internal feedback processes are quantified based on MCFRAM defined partial temperature changes corresponding to localized radiative heating, non-localized chemical heating, eddy transport, and transport by the mean meridional circulation of energy and chemical species. In addition, the temperature responses to variations of CO2, O3, and solar flux have distinctly different spatial structures that can be systematically categorized by the eigenmodes of the generalized damping matrix derived from MCFRAM.

  5. An Integrated Global Atmospheric Composition Observing System: Progress and Impediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keating, T. J.

    2016-12-01

    In 2003-2005, a vision of an integrated global observing system for atmospheric composition and air quality emerged through several international forums (IGACO, 2004; GEO, 2005). In the decade since, the potential benefits of such a system for improving our understanding and mitigation of health and climate impacts of air pollution have become clearer and the needs more urgent. Some progress has been made towards the goal: technology has developed, capabilities have been demonstrated, and lessons have been learned. In Europe, the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service has blazed a trail for other regions to follow. Powerful new components of the emerging global system (e.g. a constellation of geostationary instruments) are expected to come on-line in the near term. But there are important gaps in the emerging system that are likely to keep us from achieving for some time the full benefits that were envisioned more than a decade ago. This presentation will explore the components and benefits of an integrated global observing system for atmospheric composition and air quality, some of the gaps and obstacles that exist in our current capabilities and institutions, and efforts that may be needed to achieve the envisioned system.

  6. Prediction of moisture and temperature changes in composites during atmospheric exposure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tompkins, S. S.; Tenney, D. R.; Unnan, J.

    1978-01-01

    The effects of variations in diffusion coefficients, surface properties of the composite, panel tilt, ground reflection, and geographical location on the moisture concentration profiles and average moisture content of composite laminates were studied analytically. A heat balance which included heat input due to direct and sky diffuse solar radiation, ground reflection, and heat loss due to reradiation and convection was used to determine the temperature of composites during atmospheric exposure. The equilibrium moisture content was assumed proportional to the relative humidity of the air in the boundary layer of the composite. Condensation on the surface was neglected. Histograms of composite temperatures were determined and compared with those for the ambient environment.

  7. Non-Deterministic Dynamic Instability of Composite Shells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chamis, Christos C.; Abumeri, Galib H.

    2004-01-01

    A computationally effective method is described to evaluate the non-deterministic dynamic instability (probabilistic dynamic buckling) of thin composite shells. The method is a judicious combination of available computer codes for finite element, composite mechanics, and probabilistic structural analysis. The solution method is incrementally updated Lagrangian. It is illustrated by applying it to thin composite cylindrical shell subjected to dynamic loads. Both deterministic and probabilistic buckling loads are evaluated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. A universal plot is obtained for the specific shell that can be used to approximate buckling loads for different load rates and different probability levels. Results from this plot show that the faster the rate, the higher the buckling load and the shorter the time. The lower the probability, the lower is the buckling load for a specific time. Probabilistic sensitivity results show that the ply thickness, the fiber volume ratio and the fiber longitudinal modulus, dynamic load and loading rate are the dominant uncertainties, in that order.

  8. Assessing Northern Hemisphere Land-Atmosphere Hotspots Using Dynamical Adjustment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merrifield, Anna; Lehner, Flavio; Deser, Clara; Xie, Shang-Ping

    2017-04-01

    Understanding the influence of soil moisture on surface air temperature (SAT) is made more challenging by large-scale, internal atmospheric variability present in the midlatitude summer atmosphere. In this study, dynamical adjustment is used to characterize and remove summer SAT variability associated with large-scale circulation patterns in the Community Earth System Model large ensemble (CESM-LE). The adjustment is performed over North America and Europe with two different circulation indicators: sea level pressure (SLP) and 500mb height (Z500). The removal of dynamical "noise" leaves residual SAT variability in the central U.S. and Mediterranean regions identified as hotspots of land-atmosphere interaction (e.g. Koster et al. 2004, Seneviratne et al. 2006). The residual SAT variability "signal" is not clearly related to modes of sea surface temperature (SST) variability, but is related to local soil moisture, evaporative fraction, and radiation availability. These local relationships suggest that residual SAT variability is representative of the aggregate land surface signal. SLP dynamical adjustment removes ˜15% more variability in the central U.S. hotspot region than Z500 dynamical adjustment. Similar amounts of variability are removed by SLP and Z500 in the Mediterranean region. Differences in SLP and Z500 signal magnitude in the central U.S. are likely due to the modification of SLP by local land surface conditions, while the proximity of European hotspots to the Mediterranean sea mitigates the land surface influence. Variations in the Z500 field more closely resemble large-scale midlatitude circulation patterns and therefore Z500 may be a more suitable circulation indicator for summer dynamical adjustment. Changes in the residual SAT variability signal under increased greenhouse gas forcing will also be explored.

  9. Solar-wind interactions - Nature and composition of lunar atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mukherjee, N. R.

    1975-01-01

    The nature and composition of the lunar atmosphere are examined on the basis of solar-wind interactions, and the nature of the species in the trapped-gas layer is discussed using results of theoretical and experimental investigations. It is shown that the moon has a highly tenuous atmosphere consisting of various species derived from five sources: solar-wind interaction products, cosmic-ray interaction products, effects of meteoritic impacts, planetary degassing, and radioactive-decay products. Atmospheric concentrations are determined for those species derived from solar-wind protons, alpha particles, and oxygen ions. Carbon chemistry is briefly discussed, and difficulties encountered in attempts to determine quantitatively the concentrations of molecular oxygen, atomic oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane are noted. The calculated concentrations are shown to be in good agreement with observations by the Apollo 17 lunar-surface mass spectrometer and orbital UV spectrometer.

  10. The Development of Atmospheric Cherenkov Detectors at Milagro to Measure Cosmic-Ray Composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atkins, Robert; Dingus, Brenda; Benbow, Wystan; Coyne, Don; Kelley, Linda; Williams, David; Goodman, Jordan; Haines, Todd; Hoffman, Cyrus; Samuelson, Frank; Sinnis, Gus; McEnery, Julie; Mohanty, Gora; Stephens, Tom; Stochaj, Steve; Tumer, Tumay; Yodh, Gaurang

    2002-04-01

    Cosmic-ray composition in the region of the knee is being measured with the array of wide angle Cherenkov telescopes (WACT). WACT consists of six atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (ACTs) located around the Milagro experiment. WACT is at an atmospheric depth of 750 g/cm^2 and is located 40 miles west of Los Alamos National Lab. WACT measures composition by examining the lateral distribution of Cherenkov light produced by cosmic-ray induced extensive air showers. Simulation and preliminary data analysis from the winter 2001/2002 observing campaign will be presented.

  11. Results on Jupiter's Atmosphere from the Juno Microwave Radiometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Janssen, M. A.; Bolton, S. J.; Levin, S.; Adumitroaie, V.; Allison, M. D.; Arballo, J. K.; Atreya, S. K.; Bellotti, A.; Brown, S. T.; Gulkis, S.; Ingersoll, A. P.; Li, C.; Li, L.; Lunine, J. I.; Misra, S.; Orton, G. S.; Oyafuso, F. A.; Santos-Costa, D.; Sarkissian, E.; Steffes, P. G.; Zhang, Z.

    2017-12-01

    The Juno Microwave Radiometer (MWR) was designed to investigate Jupiter's atmosphere and radiation belts as one of a suite of instruments on the Juno mission. The MWR's main objective is to investigate the composition and dynamics of Jupiter's neutral atmosphere. Juno has now completed eight perijove passes that sample the atmosphere approximately every 45° in longitude, and the MWR has completed its main collection of data pertaining to the composition and structure of Jupiter's atmosphere. The primary results for atmospheric structure elaborate on the original discovery that the concentration of ammonia is far from uniformly mixed beneath its saturation level in the atmosphere and that deep atmospheric circulations control its distribution. Conversely, features of the deep circulation may be inferred from this distribution. Distinct circulation patterns are seen for three latitudinal regions: 1) Equatorial, where a column of increased ammonia concentration associated with the equatorial zone is sandwiched by off-equatorial regions of depleted ammonia in the north and south equatorial belts, with structure apparent to approximately the 100-bar pressure level, 2) Midlatitudes, where a stratified ammonia concentration appears stable, and 3) Polar, dominated by deep vertical structures associated with the observed surface vortices. Longitudinal structure is seen in the equatorial region primarily above the level of the water cloud around the 8-bar level, while significant structure appears small or absent outside and below this region. The ability of the MWR to detect lightning at its longest wavelengths was unexpected but sheds light on the presence of water and the distribution of strong convective regions in the atmosphere. The implications of these results for atmospheric dynamics and composition will be discussed.

  12. SPICAM: studying the global structure and composition of the Martian atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bertaux, J.-L.; Fonteyn, D.; Korablev, O.; Chassefre, E.; Dimarellis, E.; Dubois, J. P.; Hauchecorne, A.; Lefèvre, F.; Cabane, M.; Rannou, P.; Levasseur-Regourd, A. C.; Cernogora, G.; Quemerais, E.; Hermans, C.; Kockarts, G.; Lippens, C.; de Maziere, M.; Moreau, D.; Muller, C.; Neefs, E.; Simon, P. C.; Forget, F.; Hourdin, F.; Talagrand, O.; Moroz, V. I.; Rodin, A.; Sandel, B.; Stern, A.

    2004-08-01

    The SPICAM (SPectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars) instrument consists of two spectrometers. The UV spectrometer addresses key issues about ozone and its H2O coupling, aerosols, the atmospheric vertical temperature structure and the ionosphere. The IR spectrometer is aimed primarily at H2O and abundances and vertical profiling of H2O and aerosols. SPICAM's density/temperature profiles will aid the development of meteorological and dynamical atmospheric models from the surface up to 160 km altitude. UV observations of the upper atmosphere will study the ionosphere and its direct interaction with the solar wind. They will also allow a better understanding of escape mechanisms, crucial for insight into the long-term evolution of the atmosphere.

  13. NOAA's National Air Quality Predictions and Development of Aerosol and Atmospheric Composition Prediction Components for the Next Generation Global Prediction System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stajner, I.; Hou, Y. T.; McQueen, J.; Lee, P.; Stein, A. F.; Tong, D.; Pan, L.; Huang, J.; Huang, H. C.; Upadhayay, S.

    2016-12-01

    NOAA provides operational air quality predictions using the National Air Quality Forecast Capability (NAQFC): ozone and wildfire smoke for the United States and airborne dust for the contiguous 48 states at http://airquality.weather.gov. NOAA's predictions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) became publicly available in February 2016. Ozone and PM2.5 predictions are produced using a system that operationally links the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model with meteorological inputs from the North American mesoscale forecast Model (NAM). Smoke and dust predictions are provided using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Current NAQFC focus is on updating CMAQ to version 5.0.2, improving PM2.5 predictions, and updating emissions estimates, especially for NOx using recently observed trends. Wildfire smoke emissions from a newer version of the USFS BlueSky system are being included in a new configuration of the NAQFC NAM-CMAQ system, which is re-run for the previous 24 hours when the wildfires were observed from satellites, to better represent wildfire emissions prior to initiating predictions for the next 48 hours. In addition, NOAA is developing the Next Generation Global Prediction System (NGGPS) to represent the earth system for extended weather prediction. NGGPS will include a representation of atmospheric dynamics, physics, aerosols and atmospheric composition as well as coupling with ocean, wave, ice and land components. NGGPS is being developed with a broad community involvement, including community developed components and academic research to develop and test potential improvements for potentially inclusion in NGGPS. Several investigators at NOAA's research laboratories and in academia are working to improve the aerosol and gaseous chemistry representation for NGGPS, to develop and evaluate the representation of atmospheric composition, and to establish and improve the coupling with radiation and microphysics

  14. Southeast Pacific atmospheric composition and variability sampled along 20˚S during VOCALS-REx

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Allen, G.; Kleinman, L.; Coe, H.

    2011-01-10

    The VAMOS Ocean-Climate-Atmosphere-Land Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx) was conducted from 15 October to 15 November 2008 in the South East Pacific region to investigate interactions between land, sea and atmosphere in this unique tropical eastern ocean environment and to improve the skill of global and regional models in representing the region. This study synthesises selected aircraft, ship and surface site observations from VOCALS-REx to statistically summarise and characterise the atmospheric composition and variability of the Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) and Free Troposphere (FT) along the 20{sup o} S parallel between 70{sup o} W and 85{sup o} W. Significant zonal gradients inmore » mean MBL sub-micron aerosol particle size and composition, carbon monoxide, ozone and sulphur dioxide were seen over the campaign, with a generally more variable and polluted coastal environment and a less variable, more pristine remote maritime regime. Gradients are observed to be associated with strong gradients in cloud droplet number. The FT is often more polluted in terms of trace gases than the MBL in the mean; however increased variability in the FT composition suggests an episodic nature to elevated concentrations. This is consistent with a complex vertical interleaving of airmasses with diverse sources and hence pollutant concentrations as seen by generalised back trajectory analysis, which suggests contributions from both local and long-range sources. Furthermore, back trajectory analysis demonstrates that the observed zonal gradients both in the boundary layer and the free troposphere are characteristic of marked changes in airmass history with distance offshore - coastal boundary layer airmasses having been in recent contact with the local land surface and remote maritime airmasses having resided over ocean for in excess of ten days. Boundary layer composition to the east of 75{sup o} W was observed to be dominated by coastal emissions from sources to the west of the

  15. New Discoveries Resulted from Lidar Investigation of Middle and Upper Atmosphere Temperature, Composition, Chemistry and Dynamics at McMurdo, Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, X.; Yu, Z.; Fong, W.; Chen, C.; Huang, W.; Lu, X.; Gardner, C. S.; McDonald, A.; Fuller-Rowell, T. J.; Vadas, S.

    2013-12-01

    discoveries may have opened the new door to observing the neutral thermosphere with ground-based instruments. Extreme Fe events in summer were observed and understood as the interesting interactions among the meteoric metal atoms, sub-visible ice particles and energetic particles during aurora precipitation. Furthermore, the McMurdo middle and upper atmosphere is found to be very dynamical, especially in winter when inertia-gravity waves and eastward propagating planetary waves are predominant in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere and in the stratosphere, respectively. Despite small amplitudes below 100 km, the diurnal and semidiurnal tidal amplitudes exhibit fast growth from 100 to 110 km depending on the geomagnetic activities. These observations pose great challenges to our understanding of the Earth's upper atmosphere but also provide excellent opportunities to exploring how the electrodynamics and neutral dynamics work together at this high southern latitude to produce many intriguing geophysical phenomena.

  16. Effect of Solar Radiation on the Optical Properties and Molecular Composition of Laboratory Proxies of Atmospheric Brown Carbon

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Hyun Ji; Aiona, Paige K.; Laskin, Alexander

    2014-09-02

    Sources, optical properties, and chemical composition of atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) aerosol are uncertain, making it challenging to estimate its contribution to radiative forcing. Furthermore, optical properties of BrC may change significantly during its atmospheric aging. We examined the effect of solar photolysis on the molecular composition, mass absorption coefficient, and fluorescence of secondary organic aerosol prepared by high-NO x photooxidation of naphthalene (NAP SOA). The aqueous solutions of NAP SOA was observed to photobleach with an effective half-time of ~15 hours (with sun in its zenith) for the loss of the near-UV (300 -400 nm) absorbance. The molecular compositionmore » of NAP SOA was significantly modified by photolysis, with the average SOA formula changing from C 14.1H 14.5O 5.1N 0.08 to C 11.8H 14.9O 4.5N 0.02 after 4 hours of irradiation. The average O/C ratio did not change significantly, however, suggesting that it is not a good metric for assessing the extent of photolysis-driven aging in NAP SOA (and in BrC in general). In contrast to NAP SOA, the photolysis of BrC material produced by aqueous reaction of limonene+O 3 SOA (LIM/O 3 SOA) with ammonium sulfate was much faster, but it did not result in a significant change in the molecular level composition. The characteristic absorbance of the aged LIM/O 3 SOA in the 450-600 nm range decayed with an effective half-time of <0.5 hour. This result emphasizes the highly variable and dynamic nature of different types of atmospheric BrC.« less

  17. Dynamically Consistent Shallow-Atmosphere Equations with a Complete Coriolis force

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tort, Marine; Dubos, Thomas; Bouchut, François; Zeitlin, Vladimir

    2014-05-01

    Dynamically Consistent Shallow-Atmosphere Equations with a Complete Coriolis force Marine Tort1, Thomas Dubos1, François Bouchut2 & Vladimir Zeitlin1,3 1 Laboratoire of Dynamical Meteorology, Univ. P. and M. Curie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, and Ecole Polytechnique, FRANCE 2 Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire d'Analyse et de Mathématiques Appliquées, FRANCE 3 Institut Universitaire de France Atmospheric and oceanic motion are usually modeled within the shallow-fluid approximation, which simplifies the 3D spherical geometry. For dynamical consistency, i.e. to ensure conservation laws for potential vorticity, energy and angular momentum, the horizontal component of the Coriolis force is neglected. Here new equation sets combining consistently a simplified shallow-fluid geometry with a complete Coriolis force is presented. The derivation invokes Hamilton's principle of least action with an approximate Lagrangian capturing the small increase with height of the solid-body entrainment velocity due to planetary rotation. A three-dimensional compressible model and a one-layer shallow-water model are obtained. The latter extends previous work done on the f-plane and β-plane. Preliminary numerical results confirm the accuracy of the 3D model within the range of parameters for which the equations are relevant. These new models could be useful to incorporate a full Coriolis force into existing numerical models and to disentangle the effects of the shallow-atmosphere approximation from those of the traditional approximation. Related papers: Tort M., Dubos T., Bouchut F. and Zeitlin V. Consistent shallow-water equations on the rotating sphere with complete Coriolis force and topography. J. Fluid Mech. (under revisions) Tort M. and Dubos T. Dynamically consistent shallow-atmosphere equations with a complete Coriolis force. Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc. (DOI: 10.1002/qj.2274)

  18. Dynamics of the middle atmosphere as observed by the ARISE project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blanc, Elisabeth

    2015-04-01

    The atmosphere is a complex system submitted to disturbances in a wide range of scales, including high frequency sources as volcanoes, thunderstorms, tornadoes and at larger scales, gravity waves from deep convection or wind over mountains, atmospheric tides and planetary waves. These waves affect the different atmospheric layers submitted to different temperature and wind systems which strongly control the general atmospheric circulation. The full description of gravity and planetary waves constitutes a challenge for the development of future models of atmosphere and climate. The objective of this paper is to present a review of recent advances obtained in this topic, especially in the framework of the ARISE (Atmospheric dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe) project

  19. Dynamic properties of composite cemented clay.

    PubMed

    Cai, Yuan-Qiang; Liang, Xu

    2004-03-01

    In this work, the dynamic properties of composite cemented clay under a wide range of strains were studied considering the effect of different mixing ratio and the change of confining pressures through dynamic triaxial test. A simple and practical method to estimate the dynamic elastic modulus and damping ratio is proposed in this paper and a related empirical normalized formula is also presented. The results provide useful guidelines for preliminary estimation of cement requirements to improve the dynamic properties of clays.

  20. Dynamic Loading and Characterization of Fiber-Reinforced Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sierakowski, Robert L.; Chaturvedi, Shive K.

    1997-02-01

    Emphasizing polymer based fiber-reinforced composites, this book is designed to provide readers with a significant understanding of the complexities involved in characterizing dynamic events and the corresponding response of advanced fiber composite materials and structures. These elements include dynamic loading devices, material properties characterization, analytical and experimental techniques to assess the damage and failure modes associated with various dynamic loading events. Concluding remarks are presented throughout the text which summarize key points and raise issues related to important research needed.

  1. Application of atmospheric pressure plasma in polymer and composite adhesion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Hang

    An atmospheric pressure helium and oxygen plasma was used to investigate surface activation and bonding in polymer composites. This device was operated by passing 1.0-3.0 vol% of oxygen in helium through a pair of parallel plate metal electrodes powered by 13.56 or 27.12 MHz radio frequency power. The gases were partially ionized between the capacitors where plasma was generated. The reactive species in the plasma were carried downstream by the gas flow to treat the substrate surface. The temperature of the plasm gas reaching the surface of the substrate did not exceed 150 °C, which makes it suitable for polymer processing. The reactive species in the plasma downstream includes ~ 1016-1017 cm-3 atomic oxygen, ~ 1015 cm-3 ozone molecule, and ~ 10 16 cm-3 metastable oxygen molecule (O2 1Deltag). The substrates were treated at 2-5 mm distance from the exit of the plasma. Surface properties of the substrates were characterized using water contact angle (WCA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Subsequently, the plasma treated samples were bonded adhesively or fabricated into composites. The increase in mechanical strength was correlated to changes in the material composition and structure after plasma treatment. The work presented hereafter establishes atmospheric pressure plasma as an effective method to activate and to clean the surfaces of polymers and composites for bonding. This application can be further expanded to the activation of carbon fibers for better fiber-resin interactions during the fabrication of composites. Treating electronic grade FR-4 and polyimide with the He/O2 plasma for a few seconds changed the substrate surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, which allowed complete wetting of the surface by epoxy in underfill applications. Characterization of the surface by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows formation of oxygenated functional groups, including hydroxyl, carbonyl, and

  2. Isotopic composition of atmospheric nitrate in a tropical marine boundary layer.

    PubMed

    Savarino, Joel; Morin, Samuel; Erbland, Joseph; Grannec, Francis; Patey, Matthew D; Vicars, William; Alexander, Becky; Achterberg, Eric P

    2013-10-29

    Long-term observations of the reactive chemical composition of the tropical marine boundary layer (MBL) are rare, despite its crucial role for the chemical stability of the atmosphere. Recent observations of reactive bromine species in the tropical MBL showed unexpectedly high levels that could potentially have an impact on the ozone budget. Uncertainties in the ozone budget are amplified by our poor understanding of the fate of NOx (= NO + NO2), particularly the importance of nighttime chemical NOx sinks. Here, we present year-round observations of the multiisotopic composition of atmospheric nitrate in the tropical MBL at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory. We show that the observed oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate are compatible with nitrate formation chemistry, which includes the BrNO3 sink at a level of ca. 20 ± 10% of nitrate formation pathways. The results also suggest that the N2O5 pathway is a negligible NOx sink in this environment. Observations further indicate a possible link between the NO2/NOx ratio and the nitrogen isotopic content of nitrate in this low NOx environment, possibly reflecting the seasonal change in the photochemical equilibrium among NOx species. This study demonstrates the relevance of using the stable isotopes of oxygen and nitrogen of atmospheric nitrate in association with concentration measurements to identify and constrain chemical processes occurring in the MBL.

  3. Isotopic composition of atmospheric nitrate in a tropical marine boundary layer

    PubMed Central

    Savarino, Joel; Morin, Samuel; Erbland, Joseph; Grannec, Francis; Patey, Matthew D.; Vicars, William; Alexander, Becky; Achterberg, Eric P.

    2013-01-01

    Long-term observations of the reactive chemical composition of the tropical marine boundary layer (MBL) are rare, despite its crucial role for the chemical stability of the atmosphere. Recent observations of reactive bromine species in the tropical MBL showed unexpectedly high levels that could potentially have an impact on the ozone budget. Uncertainties in the ozone budget are amplified by our poor understanding of the fate of NOx (= NO + NO2), particularly the importance of nighttime chemical NOx sinks. Here, we present year-round observations of the multiisotopic composition of atmospheric nitrate in the tropical MBL at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory. We show that the observed oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate are compatible with nitrate formation chemistry, which includes the BrNO3 sink at a level of ca. 20 ± 10% of nitrate formation pathways. The results also suggest that the N2O5 pathway is a negligible NOx sink in this environment. Observations further indicate a possible link between the NO2/NOx ratio and the nitrogen isotopic content of nitrate in this low NOx environment, possibly reflecting the seasonal change in the photochemical equilibrium among NOx species. This study demonstrates the relevance of using the stable isotopes of oxygen and nitrogen of atmospheric nitrate in association with concentration measurements to identify and constrain chemical processes occurring in the MBL. PMID:23431201

  4. Composition and Chemistry of the Neutral Atmosphere of Venus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marcq, Emmanuel; Mills, Franklin P.; Parkinson, Christopher D.; Vandaele, Ann Carine

    2018-02-01

    This paper deals with the composition and chemical processes occurring in the neutral atmosphere of Venus. Since the last synthesis, observers as well as modellers have emphasised the spatial and temporal variability of minor species, going beyond a static and uniform picture that may have prevailed in the past. The outline of this paper acknowledges this situation and follows closely the different dimensions along which variability in composition can be observed: vertical, latitudinal, longitudinal, temporal. The strong differences between the atmosphere below and above the cloud layers also dictate the structure of this paper. Observational constraints, obtained from both Earth and Venus Express, as well as 1D, 2D and 3D models results obtained since 1997 are also extensively referred and commented by the authors. An non-exhaustive list of topics included follows: modelled and observed latitudinal and vertical profiles of CO and OCS below the clouds of Venus; vertical profiles of CO and SO2 above the clouds as observed by solar occultation and modelled; temporal and spatial variability of sulphur oxides above the clouds. As a conclusion, open questions and topics of interest for further studies are discussed.

  5. Middle atmosphere electrical structure, dynamics and coupling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hale, L. C.

    1984-01-01

    The ram current to ion traps and the insensitivity of ion conductivity to compressibility provide the basis of robust techniques for middle atmosphere measurements. Gerdien condensers are more difficult to implement but provide more information. Mesospheric electrical conductivity shows many orders of magnitude variability, with depressions below gas phase model values indicating dominance by aerosol particles. The mobility of these ions has been directly measured and indicates particles of thousands of AMU. Large mesospheric fields have come into question, and diagnostic measurements show that many such measurements may be artifacts. However, some measurements of V/m fields with symmetrical and redundant sensors appear to be real. These fields complicate the 'mapping' picture of electrical coupling and may also modulate the transport of aerosol particles. They are probably related to neutral atmospheric dynamics and/or the aerosol particles. Lightning couples much more energy to the middle atmosphere and above than previously suspected, primarily in the ELF-UHF range. There are many important unanswered questions in this relatively unexplored frontier area which may be answered with low cost balloon and sounding rocket experiments.

  6. The Earth's Middle Atmosphere: COSPAR Plenary Meeting, 29th, Washington, DC, 28 Aug.-5 Sep., 1992

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grosse, W. L. (Editor); Ghazi, A. (Editor); Geller, M. A. (Editor); Shepherd, G. G. (Editor)

    1994-01-01

    The conference presented the results from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) in the areas of wind, temperature, composition, and energy input into the upper atmosphere. Also presented is the current status of validation of the UARS temperature and wind instruments measuring at and above the menopause. The two UARS instruments involved were the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) and the WIND Imaging Interferometer (WINDII). Papers are presented covering almost all aspects of middle atmospheric science, including dynamics, layering in the middle atmosphere, atmospheric composition, solar and geomagnetic effects, electrodynamics, and the ionosphere.

  7. Effects of paddy rice agriculture on the seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane concentration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, G.; Xiao, X.; Dong, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xin, F.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, J.; Wu, X.; Moore, B., III

    2017-12-01

    Methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas (GHG) and may account for 20 % of anticipated global warming. The atmospheric CH4 concentration was nearly constant from 1999 to 2006, following with a strong growth resumed since 2007. Previous study attributed the increase in CH4 to agriculture. Specifically, paddy rice agriculture is a significant source of CH4, but large uncertainty still exists on methane emission estimates from rice paddies, largely due to lack of detailed geospatial datasets of rice paddies. In this study, based on a pixel- and phenology-based image analysis system with multi-temporal MODIS imagery (MODIS-RICE), we generated the paddy rice map in 2005 to document the spatiotemporal pattern of paddy rice dynamics in Monsoon Asia, which accounts for more than 90% of the global rice production. Furthermore, we examined the effects of paddy rice agriculture on atmospheric CH4 concentration over Monsoon Asia, by comparing atmospheric CH4 concentration data from SCIAMACHY sensor and the paddy rice maps in 2005. We found a significant spatial consistency between spatial patterns of paddy rice and atmospheric CH4 concentration. Based on the high resolution paddy rice map, different seasonal dynamics of CH4 concentration, including single, double to triple peaks, were found based on the rice paddy distribution information. That suggests paddy rice agriculture contributes substantially to the spatial and seasonal pattern of atmospheric CH4 concentration in Monsoon Asia. This study provides satellite evidence for seasonal cycle of CH4 dynamics at regional scale, and suggests that shifting regime of paddy rice agriculture and cropping intensity could affect the seasonal dynamics and spatial pattern of atmospheric methane concentration.

  8. Atmospheric stability analysis over statically and dynamically rough surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maric, Emina; Metzger, Meredith; Singha, Arindam; Sadr, Reza

    2011-11-01

    The ratio of buoyancy flux to turbulent kinetic energy production in the atmospheric surface layer is investigated experimentally for air flow over two types of surfaces characterized by static and dynamic roughness. In this study, ``static'' refers to the time-invariant nature of naturally-occurring roughness over a mud/salt playa; while, ``dynamic'' refers to the behavior of water waves along an air-water interface. In both cases, time-resolved measurements of the momentum and heat fluxes were acquired from synchronized 3D sonic anemometers mounted on a vertical tower. Field campaigns were conducted at two sites, representing the ``statically'' and ``dynamically'' rough surfaces, respectively: (1) the SLTEST facility in Utah's western desert, and (2) the new Doha airport in Qatar under construction along the coast of the Persian Gulf. Note, at site 2, anemometers were located directly above the water by extension from a tower secured to the end of a 1 km-long pier. Comparisons of the Monin-Obukhov length, flux Richardson number, and gradient Richardson number are presented, and discussed in the context of the observed evolution of the turbulent spectra in response to diurnal variations of atmospheric stability. Supported by the Qatar National Research Fund.

  9. Efficient Nonlinear Low-Order Models for Atmospheric and Climate Dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grady, Kevin A.

    The governing equations of atmospheric and climate dynamics present enormous mathematical challenges when studied analytically. Following the pioneering work of Kolmogorov, Lorenz, and Obukhov, a popular approach to handle these difficult partial differential equations (PDEs) is to approximate them with finite systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), called low-order models (LOMs). One such LOM is the celebrated Lorenz (1963) model of just three ODEs, but attempts to extend it to larger, more realistic models of atmospheric dynamics have sometimes led to LOMs exhibiting unphysical behavior, such as a lack of energy conservation in the dissipationless limit. These behaviors can be avoided by constructing LOMs using 3-mode nonlinear dynamical systems known in mechanics as Volterra gyrostats, the simplest one being equivalent to the Lorenz model. Gyrostatic LOMs guarantee energy conservation, suggesting they may offer a general framework for deriving efficient LOMs for atmospheric and climate dynamics. This study explores the use of gyrostatic LOMs in three important related problems of atmospheric dynamics. The first is 2D Rayleigh-Benard convection (RBC), where an algorithm for studying gyrostatic LOMs was developed. Before now this had to be done manually, limiting the LOMs that could be studied as well as their size. This algorithm permits the study of LOMs larger than previously possible as well as their conservation properties. It was used here to demonstrate that all physically sound LOMs for this problem from recent publications have a gyrostatic form. The second problem is the interplay of buoyancy and shear in the formation of rolls versus cells in mesoscale shallow convection (MSC). A gyrostatic LOM for 3D RBC with the ability to parameterize buoyancy and shear was developed using an adopted version of the algorithm for 2D RBC. This model was run for hundreds of different combinations of buoyancy and shear, with the results generally matching

  10. Study of the dynamics of meteoroids through the Earth's atmosphere and retrieval of meteorites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guadalupe Cordero Tercero, Maria; Farah-Simon, Alejandro; Velázquez-Villegas, Fernando

    2016-07-01

    When a comet , asteroid or meteoroid impact with a planet several things can happen depending on the mass, velocity and composition of the impactor, if the planet or moon has an atmosphere or not, and the angle of impact. On bodies without an atmosphere like Mercury or the Moon, every object that strikes their surfaces produces impact craters with sizes ranging from centimeters to hundreds and even thousands of kilometers across. On bodies with an atmosphere, this encounter can produce impact craters, meteorites, meteors and fragmentation. Each and every one of these phenomena is interesting because they provide information about the surfaces and the geological evolution of solar system bodies. Meteors (shooting stars) are luminous wakes on the sky due to the interaction between the meteoroid and the Earth's atmosphere. A meteoroid is asteroidal or cometary material ranging in size from 2 mm to a few tens of meters. The smallest tend to evaporate at heights between 80 and 120 km. Objects of less than 2 mm are called micrometeorites. If the meteor brightness exceeds the brightness of Venus, the phenomenon is called a bolide or fireball. If a meteoroid, or a fragment of it, survives atmospheric ablation and it can be recovered on the ground, that piece is called a meteorite. Most meteoroids 2 meters long fragment suddenly into the atmosphere, it produces a shock wave that can affect humans and their environment like the Chelyabinsk event occurred on February 15, 2013 an two less energetic events in Mexico in 2010 and 2011. To understand the whole phenomenon, we proposed a video camera network for observing meteors. The objectives of this network are to: a) contribute to the study of the fragmentation of meteoroids in the Earth's atmosphere, b) determine values of important physical parameters; c ) study seismic waves produced by atmospheric shock waves, d) study the dynamics of meteoroids and f ) recover and study meteorites. During this meeting, the academic

  11. SIMULATION OF SUMMER-TIME DIURNAL BACTERIAL DYNAMICS IN THE ATMOSPHERIC SURFACE LAYER

    EPA Science Inventory

    A model was prepared to simulate the observed concentration dynamics of culturable bacteria in the diurnal summer atmosphere at a Willamette River Valley, Oregon location. The meteorological and bacterial mechanisms included in a dynamic null-dimensional model with one-second tim...

  12. Exploration Spacecraft and Space Suit Internal Atmosphere Pressure and Composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lange, Kevin; Duffield, Bruce; Jeng, Frank; Campbell, Paul

    2005-01-01

    The design of habitat atmospheres for future space missions is heavily driven by physiological and safety requirements. Lower EVA prebreathe time and reduced risk of decompression sickness must be balanced against the increased risk of fire and higher cost and mass of materials associated with higher oxygen concentrations. Any proposed increase in space suit pressure must consider impacts on space suit mass and mobility. Future spacecraft designs will likely incorporate more composite and polymeric materials both to reduce structural mass and to optimize crew radiation protection. Narrowed atmosphere design spaces have been identified that can be used as starting points for more detailed design studies and risk assessments.

  13. Megafauna and frozen soil: the drivers of atmospheric CH4 dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zimov, N.; Zimov, S. A.

    2010-12-01

    During the last deglaciation (LD) a strong increase in atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations occurred simultaneously with a rise in Greenland temperatures indicating that in the north, during this time period, strong CH4 sources “awakened”, as additionally documented by the appearance of a strong gradient between northern (Greenland) and southern (Antarctica) hemisphere atmospheric CH4 concentrations. This rise could not be caused by wetland expansion. A reconstruction of peatland formation dynamics has indicated that wetlands on Earth were few in LD and only actively expanded 10,000 yr BP, after atmospheric CH4 concentrations began to decline. Destabilization of methane clathrates also could not be the source for atmospheric CH4 increase. Geological CH4 (including methane clathrates) has the highest deuterium content (δD) among all of the known sources of CH4 while atmospheric CH4 δD values determined for the LD were record low. To explain recorded atmospheric CH4 and its isotopic dynamics required a strong northern source, which was active only during the LD and that provided very low δD CH4 values. Such a source is permafrost thawing under anaerobic conditions (or better stated soils of mammoth steppe-tundra ecosystems). Permafrost thawing is the strongest, among known, wetland sources (usually over 100g CH4/m2yr) and has a unique isotopic signature (δD = -400 per mil (-338 to -479 per mil), δ13C = -73 per mil (-58 to -99 per mil)). The main sources of atmospheric CH4 have different isotopic signatures (δ13C, δD). The isotopic content of atmospheric CH4 is a simple function of the weight average for all of the sources. Inclusion of permafrost source into a budget model of the atmospheric methane and its isotopes allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of methane’s main sources. Model indicated geological source to be negligible as in LGM so and in LD and Holocene. During the glaciation, the largest methane source was megafauna, whose 1

  14. High-Order Shock-Capturing Methods for Modeling Dynamics of the Solar Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bryson, Steve; Kosovichev, Alexander; Levy, Doron

    2004-01-01

    We use one-dimensional high-order central shock capturing numerical methods to study the response of various model solar atmospheres to forcing at the solar surface. The dynamics of the atmosphere is modeled with the Euler equations in a variable-sized flux tube in the presence of gravity. We study dynamics of the atmosphere suggestive of spicule formation and coronal oscillations. These studies are performed on observationally-derived model atmospheres above the quiet sun and above sunspots. To perform these simulations, we provide a new extension of existing second- and third- order shock-capturing methods to irregular grids. We also solve the problem of numerically maintaining initial hydrostatic balance via the introduction of new variables in the model equations and a careful initialization mechanism. We find several striking results: all model atmospheres respond to a single impulsive perturbation with several strong shock waves consistent with the rebound-shock model. These shock waves lift material and the transition region well into the initial corona, and the sensitivity of this lift to the initial impulse depends non-linearly on the details of the atmosphere model. We also reproduce an observed 3-minute coronal oscillation above sunspots compared to 5-minute oscillations above the quiet sun.

  15. Postglacial Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics and Atmospheric CO2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prentice, C. I.; Harrison, S. P.; Kaplan, J. O.

    2002-12-01

    Combining PMIP climate model results from the last glacial maximum (LGM) with biome modelling indicates the involvement of both cold, dry climate and physiological effects of low atmospheric CO2 in reducing tree cover on the continents. Further results with the LPJ dynamic vegetation model agree with independent evidence for greatly reduced terrestrial carbon storage at LGM, and suggest that terrestrial carbon storage continued to increase during the Holocene. These results point to predominantly oceanic explanations for preindustrial changes in atmospheric CO2, although land changes after the LGM may have contributed indirectly by reducing the aeolian marine Fe source and (on a longer time scale) by triggering CaCO3 compensation in the ocean.

  16. Atmospheric dynamics and habitability range in Earth-like aquaplanets obliquity simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nowajewski, Priscilla; Rojas, M.; Rojo, P.; Kimeswenger, S.

    2018-05-01

    We present the evolution of the atmospheric variables that affect planetary climate by increasing the obliquity by using a general circulation model (PlaSim) coupled to a slab ocean with mixed layer flux correction. We increase the obliquity between 30° and 90° in 16 aquaplanets with liquid sea surface and perform the simulation allowing the sea ice cover formation to be a consequence of its atmospheric dynamics. Insolation is maintained constant in each experiment, but changing the obliquity affects the radiation budget and the large scale circulation. Earth-like atmospheric dynamics is observed for planets with obliquity under 54°. Above this value, the latitudinal temperature gradient is reversed giving place to a new regime of jet streams, affecting the shape of Hadley and Ferrel cells and changing the position of the InterTropical Convergence Zone. As humidity and high temperatures determine Earth's habitability, we introduce the wet bulb temperature as an atmospheric index of habitability for Earth-like aquaplanets with above freezing temperatures. The aquaplanets are habitable all year round at all latitudes for values under 54°; above this value habitability decreases toward the poles due to high temperatures.

  17. Monthly dynamics of atmospheric wet nitrogen deposition on different spatial scales in China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qiongyu; Wang, Qiufeng; Xu, Li; Zhu, Jianxing; He, Nianpeng

    2018-06-16

    China is one of three global hotspots for nitrogen (N) deposition, which has concerned scientists and the public. While previous studies on N deposition in China have focused on its composition, spatial pattern, and interannual dynamics, its monthly dynamics in different regions remain unclear, hindering our ability to evaluate its ecological effects. Therefore, we obtained monthly wet N deposition data from196 sites after continuous network observations and published data in China and analyzed the monthly dynamics of NH 4 + -N, NO 3 - -N, and dissolved inorganic N (DIN=NH 4 + -N+NO 3 - -N) deposition fluxes on site, regional, and national scales. We observed that the deposition fluxes of NH 4 + -N, NO 3 - -N, and DIN in China showed clear monthly patterns and regional differences. In Northern China, wet N deposition predominantly showed a unimodal trend, whereas in Southern China, it revealed a bimodal trend or irregular fluctuations. During 2000-2016, NH 4 + -N, NO 3 - -N, and DIN deposition fluxes were estimated as 9.09, 6.12, and 15.21 kg N ha -1  year. -1 , respectively. Our findings enhance our understanding of atmospheric wet N deposition, and can serve as a reference for N deposition simulation experiments in different regions, and for generating long-term N deposition data for model optimization. Regional differences in the monthly dynamics of wet N deposition should be emphasized to accurately evaluate its ecological effects on terrestrial ecosystems in different regions.

  18. Nonlinear dynamics of global atmospheric and earth system processes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhang, Taiping; Verbitsky, Mikhail; Saltzman, Barry; Mann, Michael E.; Park, Jeffrey; Lall, Upmanu

    1995-01-01

    During the grant period, the authors continued ongoing studies aimed at enhancing their understanding of the operation of the atmosphere as a complex nonlinear system interacting with the hydrosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere in response to external radiative forcing. Five papers were completed with support from the grant, representing contributions in three main areas of study: (1) theoretical studies of the interactive atmospheric response to changed biospheric boundary conditions measurable from satellites; (2) statistical-observational studies of global-scale temperature variability on interannual to century time scales; and (3) dynamics of long-term earth system changes associated with ice sheet surges.

  19. Higgs Discovery: Impact on Composite Dynamics Technicolor & eXtreme Compositeness Thinking Fast and Slow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sannino, Francesco

    I discuss the impact of the discovery of a Higgs-like state on composite dynamics starting by critically examining the reasons in favour of either an elementary or composite nature of this state. Accepting the standard model interpretation I re-address the standard model vacuum stability within a Weyl-consistent computation. I will carefully examine the fundamental reasons why what has been discovered might not be the standard model Higgs. Dynamical electroweak breaking naturally addresses a number of the fundamental issues unsolved by the standard model interpretation. However this paradigm has been challenged by the discovery of a not-so-heavy Higgs-like state. I will therefore review the recent discovery1 that the standard model top-induced radiative corrections naturally reduce the intrinsic non-perturbative mass of the composite Higgs state towards the desired experimental value. Not only we have a natural and testable working framework but we have also suggested specic gauge theories that can realise, at the fundamental level, these minimal models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking. These strongly coupled gauge theories are now being heavily investigated via first principle lattice simulations with encouraging results. The new findings show that the recent naive claims made about new strong dynamics at the electroweak scale being disfavoured by the discovery of a not-so-heavy composite Higgs are unwarranted. I will then introduce the more speculative idea of extreme compositeness according to which not only the Higgs sector of the standard model is composite but also quarks and leptons, and provide a toy example in the form of gauge-gauge duality.

  20. Forecasting the atmospheric composition of southern West Africa with COSMO-ART during the DACCIWA measurement campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deetz, Konrad; Vogel, Bernhard

    2017-04-01

    The Dynamics-aerosol-chemistry-cloud interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) project (Knippertz et al., 2015) investigates the influence of anthropogenic and natural emissions on the atmospheric composition over Southern West Africa (SWA). Between 1 June and 31 July 2016 the DACCIWA measurement campaign took place in SWA, including ground based and airborne observations. By using the regional scale comprehensive model system COSMO-ART (Vogel et al., 2009), operational numerical forecasts of the atmospheric composition including aerosols and gas phase compounds were conducted between 8 May and 31 July 2016. The forecasts cover the domain 25°W to 35°E and 20°S to 30°N with a grid mesh size of 28km and a lead time of 57h. The primary assignment of the forecasts was to support the DACCIWA aircraft campaign (27 June to 17 July 2016) in terms of the decision making of the flight routes of the research aircrafts. Visualizations of the forecast results were daily uploaded to the public available server dacciwa.sedoo.fr. Apart from the support of the DACCIWA measurement campaign, the COSMO-ART model dataset is highly valuable for identifying time periods feasible for post-campaign case study simulations, the extensive validation of COSMO-ART with observational data and the derivation of model climatologies to raise knowledge in meteorological and the atmospheric composition characteristics of SWA. The presentation will show validation results of the COSMO-ART forecasts with ground based and airborne measurements from the DACCIWA campaign as well as remote sensing observations. COSMO-ART well reproduces the diurnal cycle of the observed ozone concentration at Savé site and shows very good agreement of mineral dust AOD compared to CAMS model results whereas the anthropogenic aerosol seems to be overestimated by COSMO-ART compared to MODIS AOD and AERONET observations. We will present model climatologies of the NLLS characteristics and the spatial structure of the pollution

  1. Surface ices and the atmospheric composition of Pluto

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Owen, Tobias C.; Roush, Ted L.; Cruikshank, Dale P.; Elliot, James L.; Young, Leslie A.; De Bergh, Catherine; Schmitt, Bernard; Geballe, Thomas R.; Brown, Robert H.; Bartholomew, Mary J.

    1993-01-01

    Observations of the 1.4- to 2.4-micrometer spectrum of Pluto reveal absorptions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen ices and confirm the presence of solid methane. Frozen nitrogen is more abundant than the other two ices by a factor of about 50; gaseous nitrogen must therefore be the major atmospheric constituent. The absence of carbon dioxide absorptions is one of several differences between the spectra of Pluto and Triton in this region. Both worlds carry information about the composition of the solar nebula and the processes by which icy planetesimals formed.

  2. Composition of the earth's atmosphere by shock-layer radiometry during the PAET entry probe experiment.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whiting, E. E.; Arnold, J. O.; Page, W. A.; Reynolds, R. M.

    1973-01-01

    A determination of the composition of the earth's atmosphere obtained from onboard radiometer measurements of the spectra emitted from the bow shock layer of a high-speed entry probe is reported. The N2, O2, CO2, and noble gas concentrations in the earth's atmosphere were determined to good accuracy by this technique. The results demonstrate unequivocally the feasibility of determining the composition of an unknown planetary atmosphere by means of a multichannel radiometer viewing optical emission from the heated atmospheric gases in the region between the bow shock wave and the vehicle surface. The spectral locations in this experiment were preselected to enable the observation of CN violet, N2(+) first negative and atomic oxygen emission at 3870, 3910, and 7775 A, respectively. The atmospheric gases were heated and compressed by the shock wave to a peak temperature of about 6100 K and a corresponding pressure of 0.4 atm. Complete descriptions of the data analysis technique and the onboard radiometer and its calibration are given.

  3. Chemical Composition and Dynamics of the Upper Troposphere and the Lower Stratosphere: Overview of the Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sofieva, V. F.; Liu, C.; Huang, F.; Kyrola, E.; Liu, Y.; Ialongo, I.; Hakkarainen, J.; Zhang, Y.

    2016-08-01

    The DRAGON-3 cooperation study on the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere (UTLS) is based on new satellite data and modern atmospheric models. The objectives of the project are: (i) assessment of satellite data on chemical composition in UTLS, (ii) dynamical and chemical structures of the UTLS and its variability, (iii) multi-scale variability of stratospheric ozone, (iv) climatology of the stratospheric aerosol layer and its variability, and (v) updated ozone climatology and its relation to tropopause/multiple tropopauses.In this paper, we present the main results of the project.

  4. Nanoscopic dynamics in hybrid hydroxyapatite-CTAB composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubey, P. S.; Sharma, V. K.; Mitra, S.; Verma, G.; Hassan, P. A.; Dutta, B.; Johnson, M.; Mukhopadhyay, R.

    2017-06-01

    Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) is an important material in biomedical engineering due to its excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity. HAp nanoparticles were synthesized by the co-precipitation method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelles as a template and are characterized using x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric measurements. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) demonstrates the formation of rod-shaped HAp. Dynamics of CTAB in HAp-CTAB composite as studied by using quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) technique is reported here. HAp-CTAB composite provides an ideal system for studying the dynamics of CTAB micelles without any aqueous media. QENS data indicate that the observed dynamics are reminiscent of localized motions in ionic micellar systems, consisting of segmental and fast torsional motions. Segmental dynamics has been described with a model, in which hydrogen atoms in the alkyl chain undergoes localized translation diffusion and the CH3 unit associated with the head group undergo 3-fold jump rotation. Within this model, the hydrogen atoms in the alkyl chain undergo diffusion within spherical domains having different radii and diffusivities. A simple linear distribution of the radius and diffusivity has been assumed, in which the CH2 unit nearest to the head group has the least value and the ones furthest from the head group, that is, at the end of the alkyl chain has the largest value. The fast torsional motion is described by a 2-fold jump rotation model. Quantitative estimate of the different parameters characterizing various dynamical motions active within the time scale of the instrument is also presented. We have provided a detailed description of the observed dynamical features in hybrid HAp-CTAB composite, a potential candidate for biomedical applications.

  5. Atmospheric circulations required for thick high-altitude clouds and featureless transit spectra

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, H.; Wordsworth, R. D.

    2017-12-01

    The transmission spectra of exoplanet GJ 1214b and GJ 436b are featureless as measured by current instruments. According to the measured density of these planets, we have reason to believe these planets have atmospheres, and the spectroscopy features of the atmospheres are unexpectedly not shown in the transit spectra. An explanation is high-altitude clouds or hazes are optically thick enough to make the transit spectra flat in the current observed wavelength range. We analyze the atmospheric circulations and vertical mixing that are crucial for the possible existence of the thick high-altitude clouds. We perform a series of GCM simulations with different atmospheric compositions and planetary parameters to reveal the conditions that are required for showing featureless spectra, and study the dynamical processes. We also study the role of cloud particles with different sizes, compositions and spectral characteristics with a radiative transfer model and cloud physics models. Varying the compositions and sizes of the cloud particles results in different requirements for the atmospheric circulations.

  6. Stellar occultation spikes as probes of atmospheric structure and composition. [for Jupiter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elliot, J. L.; Veverka, J.

    1976-01-01

    The characteristics of spikes observed in occultation light curves of Beta Scorpii by Jupiter are discussed in terms of the gravity-gradient model. The occultation of Beta Sco by Jupiter on May 13, 1971, is reviewed, and the gravity-gradient model is defined as an isothermal atmosphere of constant composition in which the refractivity is a function only of the radial coordinate from the center of refraction, which is assumed to lie parallel to the local gravity gradient. The derivation of the occultation light curve in terms of the atmosphere, the angular diameter of the occulted star, and the occultation geometry is outlined. It is shown that analysis of the light-curve spikes can yield the He/H2 concentration ratio in a well-mixed atmosphere, information on fine-scale atmospheric structure, high-resolution images of the occulted star, and information on ray crossing. Observational limits are placed on the magnitude of horizontal refractivity gradients, and it is concluded that the spikes are the result of local atmospheric density variations: atmospheric layers, density waves, or turbulence.

  7. Atmospheric aerosols: A literature summary of their physical characteristics and chemical composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, F. S., Jr.

    1976-01-01

    This report contains a summary of 199 recent references on the characterization of atmospheric aerosols with respect to their composition, sources, size distribution, and time changes, and with particular reference to the chemical elements measured by modern techniques, especially activation analysis.

  8. Human population and atmospheric carbon dioxide growth dynamics: Diagnostics for the future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hüsler, A. D.; Sornette, D.

    2014-10-01

    We analyze the growth rates of human population and of atmospheric carbon dioxide by comparing the relative merits of two benchmark models, the exponential law and the finite-time-singular (FTS) power law. The later results from positive feedbacks, either direct or mediated by other dynamical variables, as shown in our presentation of a simple endogenous macroeconomic dynamical growth model describing the growth dynamics of coupled processes involving human population (labor in economic terms), capital and technology (proxies by CO2 emissions). Human population in the context of our energy intensive economies constitutes arguably the most important underlying driving variable of the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Using some of the best databases available, we perform empirical analyses confirming that the human population on Earth has been growing super-exponentially until the mid-1960s, followed by a decelerated sub-exponential growth, with a tendency to plateau at just an exponential growth in the last decade with an average growth rate of 1.0% per year. In contrast, we find that the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has continued to accelerate super-exponentially until 1990, with a transition to a progressive deceleration since then, with an average growth rate of approximately 2% per year in the last decade. To go back to CO2 atmosphere contents equal to or smaller than the level of 1990 as has been the broadly advertised goals of international treaties since 1990 requires herculean changes: from a dynamical point of view, the approximately exponential growth must not only turn to negative acceleration but also negative velocity to reverse the trend.

  9. On the interplay of gas dynamics and the electromagnetic field in an atmospheric Ar/H2 microwave plasma torch

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Synek, Petr; Obrusník, Adam; Hübner, Simon; Nijdam, Sander; Zajíčková, Lenka

    2015-04-01

    A complementary simulation and experimental study of an atmospheric pressure microwave torch operating in pure argon or argon/hydrogen mixtures is presented. The modelling part describes a numerical model coupling the gas dynamics and mixing to the electromagnetic field simulations. Since the numerical model is not fully self-consistent and requires the electron density as an input, quite extensive spatially resolved Stark broadening measurements were performed for various gas compositions and input powers. In addition, the experimental part includes Rayleigh scattering measurements, which are used for the validation of the model. The paper comments on the changes in the gas temperature and hydrogen dissociation with the gas composition and input power, showing in particular that the dependence on the gas composition is relatively strong and non-monotonic. In addition, the work provides interesting insight into the plasma sustainment mechanism by showing that the power absorption profile in the plasma has two distinct maxima: one at the nozzle tip and one further upstream.

  10. Reduction Dynamics of Doped Ceria, Nickel Oxide, and Cermet Composites Probed Using In Situ Raman Spectroscopy

    PubMed Central

    Shearing, Paul R.; Brightman, Edward; Brett, Dan J. L.; Brandon, Nigel P.; Cohen, Lesley F.

    2016-01-01

    The redox properties of gadolinium doped ceria (CGO) and nickel oxide (NiO) composite cermets underpin the operation of solid oxide electrochemical cells. Although these systems have been widely studied, a full comprehension of the reaction dynamics at the interface of these materials is lacking. Here, in situ Raman spectroscopic monitoring of the redox cycle is used to investigate the interplay between the dynamic and competing processes of hydrogen spillover and water dissociation on the doped ceria surface. In order to elucidate these mechanisms, the redox process in pure CGO and NiO is studied when exposed to wet and dry hydrogen and is compared to the cermet behavior. In dry hydrogen, CGO reduces relatively rapidly via a series of intermediate phases, while NiO reduces via a single‐step process. In wet reducing atmospheres, however, the oxidation state of pure CGO is initially stabilized due to the dissociation of water by reduced Ce(III) and subsequent incorporation of oxygen into the structure. In the reduction process involving the composite cermet, the close proximity of the NiO improves the efficiency and speed of the composite reduction process. Although NiO is already incorporated into working cells, these observations suggest direct routes to further improve cell performance. PMID:27595058

  11. Reduction Dynamics of Doped Ceria, Nickel Oxide, and Cermet Composites Probed Using In Situ Raman Spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Maher, Robert C; Shearing, Paul R; Brightman, Edward; Brett, Dan J L; Brandon, Nigel P; Cohen, Lesley F

    2016-01-01

    The redox properties of gadolinium doped ceria (CGO) and nickel oxide (NiO) composite cermets underpin the operation of solid oxide electrochemical cells. Although these systems have been widely studied, a full comprehension of the reaction dynamics at the interface of these materials is lacking. Here, in situ Raman spectroscopic monitoring of the redox cycle is used to investigate the interplay between the dynamic and competing processes of hydrogen spillover and water dissociation on the doped ceria surface. In order to elucidate these mechanisms, the redox process in pure CGO and NiO is studied when exposed to wet and dry hydrogen and is compared to the cermet behavior. In dry hydrogen, CGO reduces relatively rapidly via a series of intermediate phases, while NiO reduces via a single-step process. In wet reducing atmospheres, however, the oxidation state of pure CGO is initially stabilized due to the dissociation of water by reduced Ce(III) and subsequent incorporation of oxygen into the structure. In the reduction process involving the composite cermet, the close proximity of the NiO improves the efficiency and speed of the composite reduction process. Although NiO is already incorporated into working cells, these observations suggest direct routes to further improve cell performance.

  12. Effects of atmospheric composition on respiratory behavior, weight loss, and appearance of Camembert-type cheeses during chamber ripening.

    PubMed

    Picque, D; Leclercq-Perlat, M-N; Corrieu, G

    2006-08-01

    Respiratory activity, weight loss, and appearance of Camembert-type cheeses were studied during chamber ripening in relation to atmospheric composition. Cheese ripening was carried out in chambers under continuously renewed, periodically renewed, or nonrenewed gaseous atmospheres or under a CO(2) concentration kept constant at either 2 or 6% throughout the chamber-ripening process. It was found that overall atmospheric composition, and especially CO(2) concentration, of the ripening chamber affected respiratory activity. When CO(2) was maintained at either 2 or 6%, O(2) consumption and CO(2) production (and their kinetics) were higher compared with ripening trials carried out without regulating CO(2) concentration over time. Global weight loss was maximal under continuously renewed atmospheric conditions. In this case, the airflow increased exchanges between cheeses and the atmosphere. The ratio between water evaporation and CO(2) release also depended on atmospheric composition, especially CO(2) concentration. The thickening of the creamy underrind increased more quickly when CO(2) was present in the chamber from the beginning of the ripening process. However, CO(2) concentrations higher than 2% negatively influenced the appearance of the cheeses.

  13. Characterization of the dynamics of the atmosphere of Venus with Doppler velocimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Machado, Pedro Miguel Borges do Canto Mota

    Currently the study of the Venus' atmosphere grows as a theme of major interest among the astrophysics scientific community. The most significant aspect of the general circulation of the atmosphere of Venus is its retrograde super-rotation. A complete characterization of this dynamical phenomenon is crucial for understanding its driving mechanisms. This work participates in the international effort to characterize the atmospheric dynamics of this planet in coordination with orbiter missions, in particular with Venus Express. The objectives of this study are to investigate the nature of the processes governing the super-rotation of the atmosphere of Venus using ground-based observations, thereby complementing measurements by orbiter instruments. This thesis analyzes observations of Venus made with two different instruments and Doppler velocimetry techniques. The data analysis technique allowed an unambiguous characterization of the zonal wind latitudinal profile and its temporal variability, as well as an investigation of large-scale planetary waves signature and their role in the maintenance of the zonal super-rotation, and suggest that detection and investigation of large-scale planetary waves can be carried out with this technique.These studies complement the independent observations of the european space mission Venus Express, in particular as regards the study of atmospheric super-rotation, meridional flow and its variability. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

  14. Dynamic response of composite beams with induced-strain actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandra, Ramesh

    1994-05-01

    This paper presents an analytical-experimental study on dynamic response of open-section composite beams with actuation by piezoelectric devices. The analysis includes the essential features of open-section composite beam modeling, such as constrained warping and transverse shear deformation. A general plate segment of the beam with and without piezoelectric ply is modeled using laminated plate theory and the forces and displacement relations of this plate segment are then reduced to the force and displacement of the one-dimensional beam. The dynamic response of bending-torsion coupled composite beams excited by piezoelectric devices is predicted. In order to validate the analysis, kevlar-epoxy and graphite-epoxy beams with surface mounted pieziceramic actuators are tested for their dynamic response. The response was measured using accelerometer. Good correlation between analysis and experiment is achieved.

  15. Jupiter and the Extrasolar Giant Planets: Composition and origin of atmospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atreya, S.; Wong, A.; Mahaffy, P.; Niemann, H.; Wong, M.; Owen, T.

    In this paper, we will discuss the related issues of the composition and origin of Jupiter's atmosphere, and how this can help in understanding the atmospheres of the extrasolar giant planets (EGP). In the case of Jupiter, a wealth of data on the planet's atmosphere is available, largely as a result of the successful spacecraft observations by the Galileo Orbiter and Probe, ISO and Voyager, complemented by ground-based observations (Atreya et al., PSS 47, 1243, 1999; Encrenaz et al., PSS, 47, 1223, 1999; Atreya et al., PSS, 2002, in press). Although the atmosphere is made up of mostly H and He, trace amounts of CH4 and its products, H O, NH 3, H2S,22 heavy noble gases (Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe), and disequilibrium species (PH3, CO, CO2, GeH4, AsH3), are also detected. From measurements of the trace constituents in Jupiter's upper and the deep well-mixed troposphere by the Galileo Probe, it has been possible to determine the "bulk" abundance of the heavy elements, which is key to understanding the origin and evolution of the planet's atmosphere. C, N, S, Ar, Kr and Xe are all found to be enriched by a factor of 2-4 relative to their solar ratios to H. This unexpected finding led Owen et al. (Nature, 402, 269, 1999) to suggest that the icy planetesimals that formed Jupiter must have had a low temperature (=30 K) origin in order for them to trap the volatiles containing the heavy elements. An alternate hypothesis - according to which the volatiles were trapped in clathrate hydrates instead (Gautier et al., Ap. J., 550, L227, 2001) - overestimates Jupiter's sulfur abundance, and it too requires a remarkably low temperature of =38 K for argon clathration (Gautier et al., Ap. J., 559, L183, 2001) Could the known composition of Jupiter help in understanding the atmospheres of the EGP's? So far, only sodium has been detected in the atmosphere of an EGP that orbits a sun-like star, HD 209458, at 0.0468 AU (Charbonneau et al., Ap. J., 568, 377, 2002). However, sodium has not been

  16. Adhesion enhancement of Al coatings on carbon/epoxy composite surfaces by atmospheric plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coulon, J. F.; Tournerie, N.; Maillard, H.

    2013-10-01

    Adhesion strengths between aluminium thin film coatings and manufactured carbon/epoxy composite surfaces were measured by assessing fracture tensile strengths using pull-off tests. The effect of the substrate roughness (nm to μm) of these composite surfaces on adhesion was studied by examining the surface free energies and adhesion strengths. The adhesion strengths of the coatings varied significantly. To improve the coating adhesion, each composite surface was treated with atmospheric plasma prior to deposition, which resulted in an increase in the surface free energy from approximately 40 mJ/m2 to 70 mJ/m2 because the plasma pretreatment led to the formation of hydrophilic Csbnd O and Cdbnd O bonds on the composite surfaces, as demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The adhesion strengths of the coatings were enhanced for all surface roughnesses studied. In our study, the effect of mechanical adhesion due to roughness was separated from the effect of modifying the chemical bonds with plasma activation. The adhesion ability of the pure resin was relatively weak. Increasing the surface roughness largely improved the adhesion of the resin surface. Plasma treatment of the pure resin also increased the surface adhesion. Our study shows that plasma activation effectively enhances the adhesion of manufactured composites, even when the surface roughness is on the order of microns. The ageing of the surface activation was also investigated, and the results demonstrate that atmospheric plasma has potential for use in the pretreatment of composite materials.

  17. Tight coupling of particle size and composition in atmospheric cloud droplet activation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Topping, D.; McFiggans, G.

    2011-09-01

    The substantial uncertainty in the indirect effect on radiative forcing in large part arises from the influences of atmospheric aerosol particles on (i) the brightness of clouds, exerting significant shortwave cooling with no appreciable compensation in the longwave, and on (ii) their ability to precipitate, with implications for cloud cover and lifetime. Predicting the ambient conditions at which aerosol particles may become cloud droplets is largely reliant on an equilibrium relationship derived in 1936. However, the theoretical basis of the relationship restricts its application to particles solely comprising involatile compounds and water, whereas a substantial fraction of particles in the real atmosphere will contain potentially thousands of semi-volatile organic compounds in addition to containing semi-volatile inorganic components such as ammonium nitrate. We show that equilibration of atmospherically reasonable concentrations of organic compounds with a growing particle as the ambient humidity increases has larger implications on cloud droplet formation than any other equilibrium compositional dependence, owing to inextricable linkage between the aerosol composition and a particles size under ambient conditions. Whilst previous attempts to account for co-condensation of gases other than water vapour have been restricted to one inorganic condensate, our method demonstrates that accounting for the co-condensation of any number of organic compounds substantially decreases the saturation ratio of water vapour required for droplet activation. This effect is far greater than any other compositional dependence; moreso even than the unphysical effect of surface tension reduction in aqueous organic mixtures, ignoring differences in bulk and surface surfactant concentrations.

  18. C/O Ratios in Exoplanetary Atmospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madhusudhan, N.

    2012-04-01

    Recent observations are allowing unprecedented constraints on the carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratios of giant exoplanetary atmospheres. Elemental abundance ratios, such as the C/O ratio, of planetary atmospheres provide important constraints on planetary interior compositions and formation conditions, and on the chemical and dynamical processes in the atmospheres. In addition, for super-Earths, the potential availability of water and oxygen, and hence the notion of `habitability', is contingent on the C/O ratio. Typically, an oxygen-rich composition, motivated by the solar nebula C/O of 0.5, is assumed in models of exoplanetary formation, interiors, and atmospheres. However, recent observations of exoplanetary atmospheres are suggesting the possibility of C/O ratios of 1.0 or higher, motivating the new class of Carbon-rich Planets (CRPs). In this talk, we will present observational constraints on atmospheric C/O ratios for an ensemble of transiting exoplanets and discuss their implications on the various aspects of exoplanetary characterization described above. Motivated by these results, we propose a two-dimensional classification scheme for irradiated giant exoplanets in which the incident irradiation and the atmospheric C/O ratio are the two dimensions. We demonstrate that some of the extreme anomalies reported in the literature for hot Jupiter atmospheres can be explained based on this 2-D scheme. An overview of new theoretical avenues and observational efforts underway for chemical characterization of extrasolar planets, from hot Jupiters to super-Earths, will be presented.

  19. Static stability and thermal wind in an atmosphere of variable composition Applications to Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hess, S. L.

    1979-01-01

    Radiometric measurements of the temperature of the south polar cap of Mars in winter have yielded values significantly below the expected 148 K. One proposed explanation for this result is a substantial reduction in the CO2 content of the atmosphere and a lowering of the mean molecule weight near the surface. The meteorological consequences of this explanation are explored by deriving a criterion for vertical static stability and a thermal wind law for an atmosphere of variable composition. The atmosphere proves to be statically unstable unless the anomaly in the CO2 mixing ratio extends to heights of tens of kilometers. The effect of varying molecular weight exceeds the effect of temperature gradient, producing shears with height of reversed sign. The shears are baroclinically unstable, and this instability would eradicate the latitudinal gradient of molecular weight. This inconsistency can be resolved by invoking a reasonable elevation of the central polar cap and by imposing an adequate zonal wind. It is concluded that if the explanation requiring a change in atmospheric composition is correct, it must be accompanied by other special circumstances to make it meteorologically consistent.

  20. Three-dimensional dynamical and chemical modelling of the upper atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prinn, R. G.; Alyea, F. N.; Cunnold, D. M.

    1976-01-01

    Progress in coding a 3-D upper atmospheric model and in modeling the ozone perturbation resulting from the shuttle booster exhaust is reported. A time-dependent version of a 2-D model was studied and the sulfur cycle in the stratosphere was investigated. The role of meteorology in influencing stratospheric composition measurements was also studied.

  1. The composite dynamic method as evidence for age-specific waterfowl mortality

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burnham, Kenneth P.; Anderson, David R.

    1979-01-01

    For the past 25 years estimation of mortality rates for waterfowl has been based almost entirely on the composite dynamic life table. We examined the specific assumptions for this method and derived a valid goodness of fit test. We performed this test on 45 data sets representing a cross section of banded sampled for various waterfowl species, geographic areas, banding periods, and age/sex classes. We found that: (1) the composite dynamic method was rejected (P <0.001) in 37 of the 45 data sets (in fact, 29 were rejected at P <0.00001) and (2) recovery and harvest rates are year-specific (a critical violation of the necessary assumptions). We conclude that the restrictive assumptions required for the composite dynamic method to produce valid estimates of mortality rates are not met in waterfowl data. Also we demonstrate that even when the required assumptions are met, the method produces very biased estimates of age-specific mortality rates. We believe the composite dynamic method should not be used in the analysis of waterfowl banding data. Furthermore, the composite dynamic method does not provide valid evidence for age-specific mortality rates in waterfowl.

  2. Atmospheric waves and dynamics beneath Jupiter's clouds from radio wavelength observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cosentino, Richard G.; Butler, Bryan; Sault, Bob; Morales-Juberías, Raúl; Simon, Amy; de Pater, Imke

    2017-08-01

    We observed Jupiter at wavelengths near 2 cm with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in February 2015. These frequencies are mostly sensitive to variations in ammonia abundance and probe between ∼ 0.5 - 2.0 bars of pressure in Jupiter's atmosphere; within and below the visible cloud deck which has its base near 0.7 bars. The resultant observed data were projected into a cylindrical map of the planet with spatial resolution of ∼1500 km at the equator. We have examined the data for atmospheric waves and observed a prominent bright belt of radio hotspot features near 10°N, likely connected to the same equatorial wave associated with the 5-μm hotspots. We conducted a passive tracer power spectral wave analysis for the entire map and latitude regions corresponding to eastward and westward jets and compare our results to previous studies. The power spectra analysis revealed that the atmosphere sampled in our observation (excluding the NEB region) is in a 2-D turbulent regime and its dynamics are predominately governed by the shallow water equations. The Great Red Spot (GRS) is also very prominent and has a noticeable meridional asymmetry and we compare it, and nearby storms, with optical images. We find that the meridional radio profile has a global north-south hemisphere distinction and find correlations of it to optical intensity banding and to shear zones of the zonal wind profile over select regions of latitude. Amateur optical images taken before and after our observation complemented the radio wavelength map to investigate dynamics of the equatorial region in Jupiter's atmosphere. We find that two radio hotspots at 2 cm are well correlated with optical plumes in the NEB, additionally revealing they are not the same 5 μm hotspot features correlated with optical dark patches between adjacent plumes. This analysis exploits the VLA's upgraded sensitivity and explores the opportunities now possible when studying gas giants, especially atmospheric dynamics

  3. Atmospheric Waves and Dynamics Beneath Jupiters Clouds from Radio Wavelength Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cosentino, Richard G.; Butler, Bryan; Sault, Bob; Morales-Juberias, Raul; Simon, Amy; De Pater, Imke

    2017-01-01

    We observed Jupiter at wavelengths near 2 cm with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in February 2015. These frequencies are mostly sensitive to variations in ammonia abundance and probe between approx. 0.5- 2.0 bars of pressure in Jupiters atmosphere; within and below the visible cloud deck which has its base near 0.7 bars. The resultant observed data were projected into a cylindrical map of the planet with spatial resolution of approx. 1500 km at the equator. We have examined the data for atmospheric waves and observed a prominent bright belt of radio hotspot features near 10 N, likely connected to the same equatorial wave associated with the 5-m hotspots. We conducted a passive tracer power spectral wave analysis for the entire map and latitude regions corresponding to eastward and westward jets and compare our results to previous studies. The power spectra analysis revealed that the atmosphere sampled in our observation (excluding the NEB region) is in a 2-D turbulent regime and its dynamics are predominately governed by the shallow water equations. The Great Red Spot (GRS) is also very prominent and has a noticeable meridional asymmetry and we compare it, and nearby storms, with optical images. We find that the meridional radio profile has a global north-south hemisphere distinction and find correlations of it to optical intensity banding and to shear zones of the zonal wind profile over select regions of latitude. Amateur optical images taken before and after our observation complemented the radio wave- length map to investigate dynamics of the equatorial region in Jupiters atmosphere. We find that two radio hotspots at 2 cm are well correlated with optical plumes in the NEB, additionally revealing they are not the same 5 m hotspot features correlated with optical dark patches between adjacent plumes. This analysis exploits the VLAs upgraded sensitivity and explores the opportunities now possible when studying gas giants, especially atmospheric

  4. Transport composite fuselage technology: Impact dynamics and acoustic transmission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jackson, A. C.; Balena, F. J.; Labarge, W. L.; Pei, G.; Pitman, W. A.; Wittlin, G.

    1986-01-01

    A program was performed to develop and demonstrate the impact dynamics and acoustic transmission technology for a composite fuselage which meets the design requirements of a 1990 large transport aircraft without substantial weight and cost penalties. The program developed the analytical methodology for the prediction of acoustic transmission behavior of advanced composite stiffened shell structures. The methodology predicted that the interior noise level in a composite fuselage due to turbulent boundary layer will be less than in a comparable aluminum fuselage. The verification of these analyses will be performed by NASA Langley Research Center using a composite fuselage shell fabricated by filament winding. The program also developed analytical methodology for the prediction of the impact dynamics behavior of lower fuselage structure constructed with composite materials. Development tests were performed to demonstrate that the composite structure designed to the same operating load requirement can have at least the same energy absorption capability as aluminum structure.

  5. Composition of LHB Comets and Their Influence on the Early Earth Atmosphere Composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tornow, C.; Kupper, S.; Ilgner, M.; Kuehrt, E.; Motschmann, U.

    2011-01-01

    Two main processes were responsible for the composition of this atmosphere: chemical evolution of the volatile fraction of the accretion material forming the planet and the delivery of gasses to the planetary surface by impactors during the late heavy bombardment (LHB). The amount and composition of the volatile fraction influences the outgassing of the Earth mantle during the last planetary formation period. A very weakened form of outgassing activity can still be observed today by examining the composition of volcanic gasses. An enlightenment of the second process is based on the sparse records of the LHB impactors resulting from the composition of meteorites, observed cometary comas, and the impact material found on the Moon. However, for an assessment of the influence of the outgassing on the one hand and the LHB event on the other, one has to supplement the observations with numerical simulations of the formation of volatiles and their incorporation into the accretion material which is the precursors of planetary matter, comets and asteroids. These simulations are performed with a combined hydrodynamic-chemical model of the solar nebula (SN). We calculate the chemical composition of the gas and dust phase of the SN. From these data, we draw conclusions on the upper limits of the water content and the amount of carbon and nitrogen rich volatiles incorporated later into the accretion material. Knowing these limits we determine the portion of major gas compounds delivered during the LHB and compare it with the related quantities of the outgassed species.

  6. Simulated GOLD Observations of Atmospheric Waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Correira, J.; Evans, J. S.; Lumpe, J. D.; Rusch, D. W.; Chandran, A.; Eastes, R.; Codrescu, M.

    2016-12-01

    The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will measure structures in the Earth's airglow layer due to dynamical forcing by vertically and horizontally propagating waves. These measurements focus on global-scale structures, including compositional and temperature responses resulting from dynamical forcing. Daytime observations of far-UV emissions by GOLD will be used to generate two-dimensional maps of the ratio of atomic oxygen and molecular nitrogen column densities (ΣO/N2 ) as well as neutral temperature that provide signatures of large-scale spatial structure. In this presentation, we use simulations to demonstrate GOLD's capability to deduce periodicities and spatial dimensions of large-scale waves from the spatial and temporal evolution observed in composition and temperature maps. Our simulations include sophisticated forward modeling of the upper atmospheric airglow that properly accounts for anisotropy in neutral and ion composition, temperature, and solar illumination. Neutral densities and temperatures used in the simulations are obtained from global circulation and climatology models that have been perturbed by propagating waves with a range of amplitudes, periods, and sources of excitation. Modeling of airglow emission and predictions of ΣO/N2 and neutral temperatures are performed with the Atmospheric Ultraviolet Radiance Integrated Code (AURIC) and associated derived product algorithms. Predicted structure in ΣO/N2 and neutral temperature due to dynamical forcing by propagating waves is compared to existing observations. Realistic GOLD Level 2 data products are generated from simulated airglow emission using algorithm code that will be implemented operationally at the GOLD Science Data Center.

  7. Atmospheric circulation of extrasolar giant planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Showman, A. P.

    2012-12-01

    Of the many known extrasolar planets, over 100 have orbital semi-major axes less than 0.1 AU, and a significant fraction of these hot Jupiters and Neptunes are known to transit their stars, allowing them to be characterized with the Spitzer, Hubble, and groundbased telescopes. The stellar flux incident on these planets is expected to drive an atmospheric circulation that shapes the day-night temperature difference, infrared light curves, spectra, albedo, and atmospheric composition, and recent Spitzer infrared light curves show evidence for dynamical meteorology in these planets' atmospheres. Here, I will survey basic dynamical ideas and detailed 3D numerical models that illuminate the atmospheric circulation of these exotic, tidally locked planets. These models suggest that, generally, the circulation will be characterized by broad, fast zonal jets, with day-night temperature contrasts at the photosphere that may vary from small in some cases to large in others. I will discuss the dynamical mechanisms for maintaining the fast zonal jets that develop in these models, as well as the mechanisms for controlling the temperature patterns, including the day-night temperature contrasts. These mechanisms help to explain current observations, and they predict regime transitions for how the wind and temperature patterns should vary with the incident stellar flux, strength of atmospheric drag, and other parameters. These transitions are observable and in some cases are already becoming evident in the data. I will also compare the circulation of the hot Jupiters to that of young, massive giant planets being directly imaged around other stars, which will be the subject of a new observational vanguard over the next decade. To emphasize the similarities as well as differences, I will ground this discussion in our understanding of the more familiar atmospheric dynamical regime of Earth, as well as our "local" giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

  8. Atmospheric circulation of extrasolar giant planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Showman, A. P.

    2011-12-01

    Of the many known extrasolar planets, nearly 200 have orbital semi-major axes less than 0.1 AU, and a significant fraction of these hot Jupiters and Neptunes are known to transit their stars, allowing them to be characterized with the Spitzer, Hubble, and groundbased telescopes. The stellar flux incident on these planets is expected to drive an atmospheric circulation that shapes the day-night temperature difference, infrared light curves, spectra, albedo, and atmospheric composition, and recent Spitzer infrared light curves show evidence for dynamical meteorology in these planets' atmospheres. Here, I will survey basic dynamical ideas and detailed 3D numerical models that illuminate the atmospheric circulation of these exotic, tidally locked planets. These models suggest that, generally, the circulation will be characterized by broad, fast zonal jets, with day-night temperature contrasts at the photosphere that may vary from small in some cases to large in others. I will discuss the dynamical mechanisms for maintaining the fast zonal jets that develop in these models, as well as the mechanisms for controlling the temperature patterns, including the day-night temperature contrasts. These mechanisms help to explain current observations, and they predict regime transitions for how the wind and temperature patterns should vary with the incident stellar flux, strength of atmospheric drag, and other parameters. These transitions are observable and in some cases are already becoming evident in the data. I will also compare the circulation of the hot Jupiters to that of young, massive giant planets being directly imaged around other stars, which will be the subject of a new observational vanguard over the next decade. To emphasize the similarities as well as differences, I will ground this discussion in our understanding of the more familiar atmospheric dynamical regime of Earth, as well as our "local" giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

  9. Dynamics of elastic nonlinear rotating composite beams with embedded actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghorashi, Mehrdaad

    2009-08-01

    A comprehensive study of the nonlinear dynamics of composite beams is presented. The study consists of static and dynamic solutions with and without active elements. The static solution provides the initial conditions for the dynamic analysis. The dynamic problems considered include the analyses of clamped (hingeless) and articulated (hinged) accelerating rotating beams. Numerical solutions for the steady state and transient responses have been obtained. It is shown that the transient solution of the nonlinear formulation of accelerating rotating beam converges to the steady state solution obtained by the shooting method. The effect of perturbing the steady state solution has also been calculated and the results are shown to be compatible with those of the accelerating beam analysis. Next, the coupled flap-lag rigid body dynamics of a rotating articulated beam with hinge offset and subjected to aerodynamic forces is formulated. The solution to this rigid-body problem is then used, together with the finite difference method, in order to produce the nonlinear elasto-dynamic solution of an accelerating articulated beam. Next, the static and dynamic responses of nonlinear composite beams with embedded Anisotropic Piezo-composite Actuators (APA) are presented. The effect of activating actuators at various directions on the steady state force and moments generated in a rotating composite beam has been presented. With similar results for the transient response, this analysis can be used in controlling the response of adaptive rotating beams.

  10. Constraints on Earth degassing history from the argon isotope composition of Devonian atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stuart, F. M.; Mark, D.

    2012-04-01

    The primordial and radiogenic isotopes of the noble gases combine to make them a powerful tool for determining the time and tempo of the outgassing of the Earth's interior. The outgassing history of the Earth is largely constrained from measurements of the isotopic composition of He, Ne, Ar and Xe in samples of modern mantle, crust and atmosphere. There have been few unequivocal measurement of the isotopic composition of noble gases in ancient atmosphere. We have re-visited whether ancient Ar is trapped in the ~400 Ma Rhynie chert [1]. We have analysed samples of pristine Rhynie chert using the ARGUS multi-collector mass spectrometer calibrated against the new determination of atmospheric Ar isotope ratios [2]. 40Ar/36Ar ratios are low, with many lower than the modern air value (298.8). Importantly these are accompanied by atmospheric 38Ar/36Ar ratios indicating that the low 40Ar/36Ar are not due to mass fractionation. We conclude that the Rhynie chert has captured Devonian atmosphere-derived Ar. The data indicate that the Devonian atmosphere 40Ar/36Ar was at least 3 % lower than the modern air value. Thus the Earth's atmosphere has accumulated at least 5 ± 0.2 x 1016 moles of 40Ar in the last 400 million years, at an average rate of 1.24 ± 0.06 x 108 mol 40Ar/year. This overlaps the rate determined from ice cores for the last 800,000 years [3] and implies that there has been no resolvable temporal change in Earth outgassing rate since mid-Palaeozoic times. The new data require the Earth outgassed early, and suggests that pristine samples of Archaean and Proterozoic chert may prove useful as palaeo-atmosphere tracers. [1] G. Turner, J. Geol. Soc. London 146, 147-154 (1989) [2] D. Mark, F.M. Stuart, M. de Podesta, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 75, 7494-7501 [3] M. Bender et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 105, 8232-8237 (2008)

  11. Vibrational-Rotational Spectroscopy For Planetary Atmospheres, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mumma, M. J. (Editor); Fox, K. (Editor); Hornstein, J. (Editor)

    1982-01-01

    Comprehensive information on the composition and dynamics of the varied planetary atmospheres is summarized. New observations resulted in new demands for supporting laboratory studies. Spectra observed from spacecraft used to interpret planetary atmospheric structure measurements, to aid in greenhouse and cloud physics calculations, and to plan future experiments are discussed. Current findings and new ideas of physicists, chemists, and planetry astronomers relating to the knowledge of the structure of things large and small, of planets and of molecules are summarized.

  12. A strategic outlook for coordination of ground-based measurement networks of atmospheric state variables and atmospheric composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bodeker, G. E.; Thorne, P.; Braathen, G.; De Maziere, M.; Thompson, A. M.; Kurylo, M. J., III

    2016-12-01

    There are a number of ground-based global observing networks that collectively aim to make key measurements of atmospheric state variables and atmospheric chemical composition. These networks include, but are not limited to:NDACC: Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change GUAN: GCOS Upper Air Network GRUAN: GCOS Reference Upper Air Network EARLINET: the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network GAW: Global Atmosphere Watch SHADOZ: Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes TCCON: Total Carbon Column Observing Network BSRN: Baseline Surface Radiation Network While each network brings unique capabilities to the global observing system, there are many instances where the activities and capabilities of the networks overlap. These commonalities across multiple networks can confound funding agencies when allocating scarce financial resources. Overlaps between networks may also result in some duplication of effort and a resultant sub-optimal use of funding resource for the global observing system. While some degree of overlap is useful for quality assurance, it is essential to identify the degree to which one network can take on a specific responsibility on behalf of all other networks to avoid unnecessary duplication, to identify where expertise in any one network may serve other networks, and to develop a long-term strategy for the evolution of these networks that clarifies to funding agencies where new investment is required. This presentation will briefly summarise the key characteristics of each network listed above, adopt a matrix approach to identify commonalities and, in particular, where there may be a danger of duplication of effort, and where gaps between the networks may be compromising the services that these networks are expected to collectively deliver to the global atmospheric and climate science research communities. The presentation will also examine where sharing of data and tools between networks may result in a more efficient delivery

  13. Simulation of Degraded Properties of 2D plain Woven C/SiC Composites under Preloading Oxidation Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Xihui; Sun, Zhigang; Sun, Jianfen; Song, Yingdong

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, a numerical model which incorporates the oxidation damage model and the finite element model of 2D plain woven composites is presented for simulation of the oxidation behaviors of 2D plain woven C/SiC composite under preloading oxidation atmosphere. The equal proportional reduction method is firstly proposed to calculate the residual moduli and strength of unidirectional C/SiC composite. The multi-scale method is developed to simulate the residual elastic moduli and strength of 2D plain woven C/SiC composite. The multi-scale method is able to accurately predict the residual elastic modulus and strength of the composite. Besides, the simulated residual elastic moduli and strength of 2D plain woven C/SiC composites under preloading oxidation atmosphere show good agreements with experimental results. Furthermore, the preload, oxidation time, temperature and fiber volume fractions of the composite are investigated to show their influences upon the residual elastic modulus and strength of 2D plain woven C/SiC composites.

  14. Planetary Atmosphere Dynamics and Radiative Transfer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Atkinson, David H.

    1996-01-01

    This research program has dealt with two projects in the field of planetary atmosphere dynamics and radiative energy transfer, one theoretical and one experimental. The first project, in radiative energy transfer, incorporated the capability to isolate and quantify the contribution of individual atmospheric components to the Venus radiative balance and thermal structure to greatly improve the current understanding of the radiative processes occurring within the Venus atmosphere. This is possible by varying the mixing ratios of each gas species, and the location, number density and aerosol size distributions of the clouds. This project was a continuation of the work initiated under a 1992 University Consortium Agreement. Under the just completed grant, work has continued on the use of a convolution-based algorithm that provided the capability to calculate the k coefficients of a gas mixture at different temperatures, pressures and spectral intervals from the separate k-distributions of the individual gas species. The second primary goal of this research dealt with the Doppler wind retrieval for the Successful Galileo Jupiter probe mission in December, 1995. In anticipation of the arrival of Galileo at Jupiter, software development continued to read the radioscience and probe/orbiter trajectory data provided by the Galileo project and required for Jupiter zonal wind measurements. Sample experiment radioscience data records and probe/orbiter trajectory data files provided by the Galileo Radioscience and Navigation teams at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, respectively, were used for the first phase of the software development. The software to read the necessary data records was completed in 1995. The procedure by which the wind retrieval takes place begins with initial consistency checks of the raw data, preliminary data reductions, wind recoveries, iterative reconstruction of the probe descent profile, and refined wind recoveries. At each stage of the wind recovery

  15. Atmospheric composition - Influence of biology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcelroy, M. B.

    1983-01-01

    The variability of atmospheric constituents influenced by biological organisms over various time scales is examined, together with the human contribution to atmospheric sulfur. The biogeochemistry of nitrogen is discussed, with an emphasis on N2O, NO, and microbially mediated reactions in soil and water. Carbon species are bound up mainly in sediments and the deep ocean, but human activities involving combustion may cause a doubling of the atmospheric levels of CO2 in the near future, which could produce a general low-level atmospheric warming. Longer term measurements are required to assess the effects of CH4 augmentation in the atmosphere through fuel combustion. Coal burning effectively doubles the amount of SO2 produced by natural sources, and reduces the pH of rainwater, thus posing hazards to fish, plankton, and mollusc life.

  16. Constraints on the composition of the ancient terrestrial atmosphere and hydrosphere from fluid inclusion analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marty, B.; Avice, G.; Burgess, R.

    2016-12-01

    The evolution of the hydrosphere and atmosphere during the first half of Earth's history is still largely unknown. We are currently investigating the compositions of these reservoirs from the analysis of fluid inclusions trapped in 3.5-2.7 Ga-old hydrothermal quartz. We specifically analyze noble gases and nitrogen which are conservative enough to have survived the long history of their host phases. The samples come from Archean terranes situated in North Pole, the Pilbara, NW Australia, and in the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa. Their morphologies suggest that the quartz deposition was contemporary with terrane formation. They were selected on the basis of their ages determined by the Ar-Ar method. The results published by our group show that the noble gas isotopic composition of the Archean atmosphere was similar to the modern one, with the outstanding exception of xenon. This heavy noble gas experienced gradual isotopic fractionation through time, as a result of its preferential escape to space, which mechanism remains to be elucidated. In contrast, the isotope composition of atmospheric N was similar to the modern one, suggesting little, if any, loss of this element from the terrestrial atmosphere from 3.5 Ga to Present. The atmospheric partial pressure of N2 was likely to be comparable to, or lower than, the modern one, casting doubt on the possibility of enhanced pN2 as a mean to counterbalance the faint Sun energy flux. Here we shall newly report data on chlorine and potassium in fluid inclusions with, together with noble gases, suggest that the salinity of the Archean oceans was not very different from that of the modern seawater.

  17. The model of the composition of the Martian atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Izakov, M. N.; Krasitskiy, O. P.

    1977-01-01

    Global mean distributions of Martian atmospheric components concentrations from the planet's surface up to an altitude of 250 km are calculated. Improved data on the turbulent mixing coefficient, as a function of altitude, on temperature distribution and on chemical and photochemical reaction rates are used. The model data agree well with available measurements of some components concentrations. Variations of composition due to long-period variations of temperature, moisture and turbulent mixing are investigated. The relative significance of different catalytic cycles and the important role of excited atoms 0 (d-1) are revealed.

  18. Fungi in the future: Interannual variation and effects of atmospheric change on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities

    DOE PAGES

    Cotton, T. E. Anne; Fitter, Alastair H.; Miller, R. Michael; ...

    2015-01-05

    Understanding the natural dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and their response to global environmental change is essential for the prediction of future plant growth and ecosystem functions. We investigated the long-term temporal dynamics and effect of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2) and ozone (O 3) concentrations on AM fungal communities. Molecular methods were used to characterize the AM fungal communities of soybean ( Glycine max) grown under elevated and ambient atmospheric concentrations of both CO 2 and O 3 within a free air concentration enrichment experiment in three growing seasons over 5 yr. Elevated CO 2 altered themore » community composition of AM fungi, increasing the ratio of Glomeraceae to Gigasporaceae. By contrast, no effect of elevated O 3 on AM fungal communities was detected. However, the greatest compositional differences detected were between years, suggesting that, at least in the short term, large-scale interannual temporal dynamics are stronger mediators than atmospheric CO 2 concentrations of AM fungal communities. We conclude that, although atmospheric change may significantly alter AM fungal communities, this effect may be masked by the influences of natural changes and successional patterns through time. We suggest that changes in carbon availability are important determinants of the community dynamics of AM fungi.« less

  19. Satellite Observations for Detecting and Tracking Changes in Atmospheric Composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neil, Doreen O.; Kondragunbta, Shobha; Osterman, Gregory; Pickering, Kenneth; Pinder, Robert W.; Prados, Ana I.; Szykman, James

    2009-01-01

    The satellite observations provide constraints on detailed atmospheric modeling, including emissions inventories, indications of transport, harmonized data over vast areas suitable for trends analysis, and a link between spatial scales ranging from local to global, and temporal scales from diurnal to interannual. 1 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) long-term commitments help provide these observations in cooperation with international meteorological organizations. NASA s long-term commitments will advance scientifically important observations as part of its Earth Science Program, and will assist the transition of the science measurements to applied analyses through the Applied Science Program. Both NASA and NOAA have begun to provide near realtime data and tools to visualize and analyze satellite data,2 while maintaining data quality, validation, and standards. Consequently, decision-makers can expect satellite data services to support air quality decision making now and in the future. The international scientific community's Integrated Global Atmosphere Chemistry Observation System Report3 outlined a plan for ground-based, airborne and satellite measurements and models to integrate the observations into a four-dimensional representation of the atmosphere (space and time) to support assessment and policy information needs. This plan is being carried out under the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Demonstrations of such an integrated capability4 provide new understanding of the changing atmosphere and link policy decisions to benefits for society. In this article, we highlight the use of satellite data to constrain biomass burning emissions, to assess oxides of nitrogen (NO(x)) emission reductions, and to contribute to state implementation plans, as examples of the use of satellite observations for detecting and tracking changes in atmospheric composition.

  20. Ionisation and discharge in cloud-forming atmospheres of brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helling, Ch; Rimmer, P. B.; Rodriguez-Barrera, I. M.; Wood, Kenneth; Robertson, G. B.; Stark, C. R.

    2016-07-01

    Brown dwarfs and giant gas extrasolar planets have cold atmospheres with rich chemical compositions from which mineral cloud particles form. Their properties, like particle sizes and material composition, vary with height, and the mineral cloud particles are charged due to triboelectric processes in such dynamic atmospheres. The dynamics of the atmospheric gas is driven by the irradiating host star and/or by the rotation of the objects that changes during its lifetime. Thermal gas ionisation in these ultra-cool but dense atmospheres allows electrostatic interactions and magnetic coupling of a substantial atmosphere volume. Combined with a strong magnetic field \\gg {{B}\\text{Earth}} , a chromosphere and aurorae might form as suggested by radio and x-ray observations of brown dwarfs. Non-equilibrium processes like cosmic ray ionisation and discharge processes in clouds will increase the local pool of free electrons in the gas. Cosmic rays and lighting discharges also alter the composition of the local atmospheric gas such that tracer molecules might be identified. Cosmic rays affect the atmosphere through air showers in a certain volume which was modelled with a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to be able to visualise their spacial extent. Given a certain degree of thermal ionisation of the atmospheric gas, we suggest that electron attachment to charge mineral cloud particles is too inefficient to cause an electrostatic disruption of the cloud particles. Cloud particles will therefore not be destroyed by Coulomb explosion for the local temperature in the collisional dominated brown dwarf and giant gas planet atmospheres. However, the cloud particles are destroyed electrostatically in regions with strong gas ionisation. The potential size of such cloud holes would, however, be too small and might occur too far inside the cloud to mimic the effect of, e.g. magnetic field induced star spots.

  1. Convective Dynamics and Disequilibrium Chemistry in the Atmospheres of Giant Planets and Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bordwell, Baylee; Brown, Benjamin P.; Oishi, Jeffrey S.

    2018-02-01

    Disequilibrium chemical processes significantly affect the spectra of substellar objects. To study these effects, dynamical disequilibrium has been parameterized using the quench and eddy diffusion approximations, but little work has been done to explore how these approximations perform under realistic planetary conditions in different dynamical regimes. As a first step toward addressing this problem, we study the localized, small-scale convective dynamics of planetary atmospheres by direct numerical simulation of fully compressible hydrodynamics with reactive tracers using the Dedalus code. Using polytropically stratified, plane-parallel atmospheres in 2D and 3D, we explore the quenching behavior of different abstract chemical species as a function of the dynamical conditions of the atmosphere as parameterized by the Rayleigh number. We find that in both 2D and 3D, chemical species quench deeper than would be predicted based on simple mixing-length arguments. Instead, it is necessary to employ length scales based on the chemical equilibrium profile of the reacting species in order to predict quench points and perform chemical kinetics modeling in 1D. Based on the results of our simulations, we provide a new length scale, derived from the chemical scale height, that can be used to perform these calculations. This length scale is simple to calculate from known chemical data and makes reasonable predictions for our dynamical simulations.

  2. Changes in Amazonian forest biomass, dynamics, and composition, 1980-2002

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phillips, Oliver L.; Higuchi, Niro; Vieira, Simone; Baker, Timothy R.; Chao, Kuo-Jung; Lewis, Simon L.

    Long-term, on-the-ground monitoring of forest plots distributed across Amazonia provides a powerful means to quantify stocks and fluxes of biomass and biodiversity. Here we examine the evidence for concerted changes in the structure, dynamics, and functional composition of old-growth Amazonian forests over recent decades. Mature forests have, as a whole, gained biomass and undergone accelerated growth and dynamics, but questions remain as to the long-term persistence of these changes. Because forest growth on average exceeds mortality, intact Amazonian forests have been functioning as a carbon sink. We estimate a net biomass increase in trees ≥10 cm diameter of 0.62 ± 0.23 t C ha-1 a-1 through the late twentieth century. If representative of the wider forest landscape, this translates into a sink in South American old-growth forest of at least 0.49 ± 0.18 Pg C a-1. If other biomass and necromass components also increased proportionally, the estimated South American old-growth forest sink is 0.79 ± 0.29 Pg C a-1, before allowing for possible gains in soil carbon. If tropical forests elsewhere are behaving similarly, the old-growth biomass forest sink would be 1.60 ± 0.58 Pg C a-1. This bottom-up estimate of the carbon balance of tropical forests is preliminary, pending syntheses of detailed biometric studies across the other tropical continents. There is also some evidence for recent changes in the functional composition (biodiversity) of Amazonian forest, but the evidence is less comprehensive than that for changes in structure and dynamics. The most likely driver(s) of changes are recent increases in the supply of resources such as atmospheric carbon dioxide, which would increase net primary productivity, increasing tree growth and recruitment, and, in turn, mortality. In the future the growth response of remaining undisturbed Amazonian forests is likely to saturate, and there is a risk of these ecosystems transitioning from sink to source driven by higher

  3. The Saturn PRobe Interior and aTmosphere Explorer (SPRITE) Mission Concept

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atkinson, David H.; Simon, Amy; Banfield, Don

    2017-04-01

    The proposed NASA New Frontiers Saturn PRobe Interior and aTmosphere Explorer (SPRITE) mission would measure the abundance of helium and the other noble gases, elemental and isotopic abundances, the clouds, dynamics, and processes within Saturn's troposphere. In situ measurements of Saturn's atmosphere by SPRITE would provide a significantly improved context for understanding the results from the Galileo Jupiter probe, and the formation and evolution of the gas giant planets, resulting in a paradigm shift in our understanding of the formation, evolution, and ultimately the present day structure of the solar system. The proposed SPRITE concept carries an instrument payload to measure Saturn's atmospheric structure, dynamics, composition, chemistry, and clouds to at least 10 bars. A Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer measures noble gases and noble gas isotopes to accuracies that exceed the Galileo probe measurements at Jupiter and allows for discrimination between competing theories of giant planet formation, evolution, and possible migration. Of particular importance are measurements of helium, key to understanding Saturn's thermal evolution. A Tunable Laser Spectrometer measures molecular abundances and isotope ratios to determine the chemical structure of Saturn's atmosphere, and disequilibrium species such as PH3 and CO which can be used to predict Saturn's deep water abundance. An Atmospheric Structure Instrument provides the pressure/temperature profile of Saturn's atmosphere to determine the altitude profile of static stability, and when combined with cloud measurements from the SPRITE Nephelometer, would elucidate processes that determine the location and structure of Saturn's multiple cloud layers. Coupled with the measurement of atmospheric vertical velocities from the Atmospheric Structure Instrument, a Doppler Wind Experiment provides a measure of the 3-dimensional dynamics of the Saturn atmosphere, including the profile of zonal winds with depth and vertical

  4. An effective chaos-geometric computational approach to analysis and prediction of evolutionary dynamics of the environmental systems: Atmospheric pollution dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buyadzhi, V. V.; Glushkov, A. V.; Khetselius, O. Yu; Bunyakova, Yu Ya; Florko, T. A.; Agayar, E. V.; Solyanikova, E. P.

    2017-10-01

    The present paper concerns the results of computational studying dynamics of the atmospheric pollutants (dioxide of nitrogen, sulphur etc) concentrations in an atmosphere of the industrial cities (Odessa) by using the dynamical systems and chaos theory methods. A chaotic behaviour in the nitrogen dioxide and sulphurous anhydride concentration time series at several sites of the Odessa city is numerically investigated. As usually, to reconstruct the corresponding attractor, the time delay and embedding dimension are needed. The former is determined by the methods of autocorrelation function and average mutual information, and the latter is calculated by means of a correlation dimension method and algorithm of false nearest neighbours. Further, the Lyapunov’s exponents spectrum, Kaplan-Yorke dimension and Kolmogorov entropy are computed. It has been found an existence of a low-D chaos in the time series of the atmospheric pollutants concentrations.

  5. Impacts of Species Interactions on Atmospheric Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lerdau, M.; Wang, B.; Cook, B.; Neu, J. L.; Schimel, D.

    2016-12-01

    The current fascination with interactions between air quality and ecosystems began over 60 years ago with the discovery by Arie Haagen-Smit and colleagues that organic carbon emissions from plants play a role in ozone formation. In the seven decades since, thanks to biochemical and physiological studies of these emissions, their biosynthetic pathways and short-term flux-regulation mechanisms are now well understood. This `metabolic' approach has been invaluable for developing models of VOC emissions and atmospheric oxidant dynamics that function on local spatial scales over time intervals of minutes to days, but it has been of limited value for predicting emissions across larger spatial and temporal scales. This limited success arises in large part from the species-specific nature of volatile organic carbon production by plants. Each plant species produces certain volatile compounds but not others, so predicting emissions through time requires consideration of plant species composition. As the plant species composition of an ecosystem changes through time, so too do its VOC emissions. When VOC impacts on the atmosphere influence species composition by altering inter-specific interactions, there exists the possibility for feedbacks among emissions, atmospheric chemistry, higher order ecological processes such as competition & pollination, and species composition. For example, previous work has demonstrated that VOC emissions may affect ozone, which, in turn, alters competition among trees species, and current efforts suggest that plant reproductive success may be mediated by ozone impacts on floral signals. These changes in ecological processes alter the species composition and future VOC emissions from ecosystems. We present empirical and simulated data demonstrating that biological diversity may be affected by VOC impacts on the atmosphere and that these diversity changes may, in turn, alter the emissions of VOC's and other photochemically active compounds to the

  6. Global Wetland Contribution to 2000-2012 Atmospheric Methane Growth Rate Dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poulter, Benjamin; Bousquet, Philippe; Canadell, Josep G.; Ciais, Philippe; Peregon, Anna; Saunois, Marielle; Arora, Vivek K.; Beerling, David J.; Brovkin, Victor; Jones, Chris D.; hide

    2017-01-01

    Increasing atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations have contributed to approximately 20% of anthropogenic climate change. Despite the importance of CH4 as a greenhouse gas, its atmospheric growth rate and dynamics over the past two decades, which include a stabilization period (1999-2006), followed by renewed growth starting in 2007, remain poorly understood. We provide an updated estimate of CH4 emissions from wetlands, the largest natural global CH4 source, for 2000-2012 using an ensemble of biogeochemical models constrained with remote sensing surface inundation and inventory-based wetland area data. Between 2000-2012, boreal wetland CH4 emissions increased by 1.2 Tg yr(sup -1) (-0.2-3.5 Tg yr(sup -1), tropical emissions decreased by 0.9 Tg yr(sup -1) (-3.2-1.1 Tg yr(sup -1), yet globally, emissions remained unchanged at 184 +/- 22 Tg yr(sup -1). Changing air temperature was responsible for increasing high-latitude emissions whereas declines in low-latitude wetland area decreased tropical emissions; both dynamics are consistent with features of predicted centennial-scale climate change impacts on wetland CH4 emissions. Despite uncertainties in wetland area mapping, our study shows that global wetland CH4 emissions have not contributed significantly to the period of renewed atmospheric CH4 growth, and is consistent with findings from studies that indicate some combination of increasing fossil fuel and agriculture-related CH4 emissions, and a decrease in the atmospheric oxidative sink.

  7. A moist aquaplanet variant of the Held–Suarez test for atmospheric model dynamical cores

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thatcher, Diana R.; Jablonowski, Christiane

    A moist idealized test case (MITC) for atmospheric model dynamical cores is presented. The MITC is based on the Held–Suarez (HS) test that was developed for dry simulations on “a flat Earth” and replaces the full physical parameterization package with a Newtonian temperature relaxation and Rayleigh damping of the low-level winds. This new variant of the HS test includes moisture and thereby sheds light on the nonlinear dynamics–physics moisture feedbacks without the complexity of full-physics parameterization packages. In particular, it adds simplified moist processes to the HS forcing to model large-scale condensation, boundary-layer mixing, and the exchange of latent and sensible heat betweenmore » the atmospheric surface and an ocean-covered planet. Using a variety of dynamical cores of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)'s Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), this paper demonstrates that the inclusion of the moist idealized physics package leads to climatic states that closely resemble aquaplanet simulations with complex physical parameterizations. This establishes that the MITC approach generates reasonable atmospheric circulations and can be used for a broad range of scientific investigations. This paper provides examples of two application areas. First, the test case reveals the characteristics of the physics–dynamics coupling technique and reproduces coupling issues seen in full-physics simulations. In particular, it is shown that sudden adjustments of the prognostic fields due to moist physics tendencies can trigger undesirable large-scale gravity waves, which can be remedied by a more gradual application of the physical forcing. Second, the moist idealized test case can be used to intercompare dynamical cores. These examples demonstrate the versatility of the MITC approach and suggestions are made for further application areas. Furthermore, the new moist variant of the HS test can be considered a test case of intermediate

  8. A moist aquaplanet variant of the Held–Suarez test for atmospheric model dynamical cores

    DOE PAGES

    Thatcher, Diana R.; Jablonowski, Christiane

    2016-04-04

    A moist idealized test case (MITC) for atmospheric model dynamical cores is presented. The MITC is based on the Held–Suarez (HS) test that was developed for dry simulations on “a flat Earth” and replaces the full physical parameterization package with a Newtonian temperature relaxation and Rayleigh damping of the low-level winds. This new variant of the HS test includes moisture and thereby sheds light on the nonlinear dynamics–physics moisture feedbacks without the complexity of full-physics parameterization packages. In particular, it adds simplified moist processes to the HS forcing to model large-scale condensation, boundary-layer mixing, and the exchange of latent and sensible heat betweenmore » the atmospheric surface and an ocean-covered planet. Using a variety of dynamical cores of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)'s Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), this paper demonstrates that the inclusion of the moist idealized physics package leads to climatic states that closely resemble aquaplanet simulations with complex physical parameterizations. This establishes that the MITC approach generates reasonable atmospheric circulations and can be used for a broad range of scientific investigations. This paper provides examples of two application areas. First, the test case reveals the characteristics of the physics–dynamics coupling technique and reproduces coupling issues seen in full-physics simulations. In particular, it is shown that sudden adjustments of the prognostic fields due to moist physics tendencies can trigger undesirable large-scale gravity waves, which can be remedied by a more gradual application of the physical forcing. Second, the moist idealized test case can be used to intercompare dynamical cores. These examples demonstrate the versatility of the MITC approach and suggestions are made for further application areas. Furthermore, the new moist variant of the HS test can be considered a test case of intermediate

  9. Wake Dynamics in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Over Complex Terrain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Markfort, Corey D.

    The goal of this research is to advance our understanding of atmospheric boundary layer processes over heterogeneous landscapes and complex terrain. The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is a relatively thin (˜ 1 km) turbulent layer of air near the earth's surface, in which most human activities and engineered systems are concentrated. Its dynamics are crucially important for biosphere-atmosphere couplings and for global atmospheric dynamics, with significant implications on our ability to predict and mitigate adverse impacts of land use and climate change. In models of the ABL, land surface heterogeneity is typically represented, in the context of Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, as changes in aerodynamic roughness length and surface heat and moisture fluxes. However, many real landscapes are more complex, often leading to massive boundary layer separation and wake turbulence, for which standard models fail. Trees, building clusters, and steep topography produce extensive wake regions currently not accounted for in models of the ABL. Wind turbines and wind farms also generate wakes that combine in complex ways to modify the ABL. Wind farms are covering an increasingly significant area of the globe and the effects of large wind farms must be included in regional and global scale models. Research presented in this thesis demonstrates that wakes caused by landscape heterogeneity must be included in flux parameterizations for momentum, heat, and mass (water vapor and trace gases, e.g. CO2 and CH4) in ABL simulation and prediction models in order to accurately represent land-atmosphere interactions. Accurate representation of these processes is crucial for the predictions of weather, air quality, lake processes, and ecosystems response to climate change. Objectives of the research reported in this thesis are: 1) to investigate turbulent boundary layer adjustment, turbulent transport and scalar flux in wind farms of varying configurations and develop an improved

  10. The Jovian Atmospheres

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allison, Michael (Editor); Travis, Larry D. (Editor)

    1986-01-01

    A conference on the atmosphere of Jupiter produced papers in the areas of thermal and ortho-para hydrogen structure, clouds and chemistry, atmospheric structure, global dynamics, synoptic features and processes, atmospheric dynamics, and future spaceflight opportunities. A session on the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune was included, and the atmosphere of Saturn was discussed in several papers.

  11. Dynamic tests of composite panels of an aircraft wing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Splichal, Jan; Pistek, Antonin; Hlinka, Jiri

    2015-10-01

    The paper describes the analysis of aerospace composite structures under dynamic loading. Today, it is common to use design procedures based on assumption of static loading only, and dynamic loading is rarely assumed and applied in design and certification of aerospace structures. The paper describes the application of dynamic loading for the design of aircraft structures, and the validation of the procedure on a selected structure. The goal is to verify the possibility of reducing the weight through improved design/modelling processes using dynamic loading instead of static loading. The research activity focuses on the modelling and testing of a composite panel representing a local segment of an aircraft wing section, investigating in particular the buckling behavior under dynamic loading. Finite Elements simulation tools are discussed, as well as the advantages of using a digital optical measurement system for the evaluation of the tests. The comparison of the finite element simulations with the results of the tests is presented.

  12. The Vega balloons - A tool for studying atmosphere dynamics on Venus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kremnev, R. S.; Selivanov, A. S.; Linkin, V. M.; Lipatov, A. N.; Tarnoruder, I. IA.; Puchkov, V. I.; Kustodiev, V. D.; Shurupov, A. A.; Ragent, B.; Preston, R. A.

    1986-01-01

    The Vega balloon experiment, designed to measure the dynamics of the Venus atmosphere, comprised the balloons themselves, their gondolas with on-board sensors and radio transmitters, and the radio telescope network on the earth. The structures and the physical parameters of the balloon probe are described, together with the instruments on the gondola, designed for the measurements of the atmospheric pressure, temperature, and vertical wind flows, and illumination, as well as possible flashes of lightning. Consideration is also given to the formatting of the information flow for the individual parameters measured.

  13. ALMA Long Baseline Observations of the Dynamical Atmospheres of AGB Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vlemmings, Wouter

    2018-04-01

    I will present the current status of ALMA long baseline observations of W Hya, R Leo, R Dor and Mira. We have recently obtained band 4, 6 and 7 observations of the line and continuum emission tracing the temperature and dynamics in their extended atmosphere. Our preliminary analysis confirms our previous detection of a hotspot on W Hya, and reveals unexpected lines in most of the sources, as well as possible fast rotation in the atmopshere of one of the stars. The observations show the unique power of ALMA in observing the extended stellar atmospheres.

  14. Facilitating atmosphere oxidation through mantle convection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, K. K. M.; Gu, T.; Creasy, N.; Li, M.; McCammon, C. A.; Girard, J.

    2017-12-01

    Earth's mantle connects the surface with the deep interior through convection, and the evolution of its redox state will affect the distribution of siderophile elements, recycling of refractory isotopes, and the oxidation state of the atmosphere through volcanic outgassing. While the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere, i.e., the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) occurred 2.4 billion years ago (Ga), multiple lines of evidence point to oxygen production in the atmosphere well before 2.4 Ga. In contrast to the fluctuations of atmospheric oxygen, vanadium in Archean mantle lithosphere suggests that the mantle redox state has been constant for 3.5 Ga. Indeed, the connection between the redox state of the deep Earth and the atmosphere is enigmatic as is the effect of redox state on mantle dynamics. Here we show a redox-induced density contrast affects mantle convection and may potentially cause the oxidation of the upper mantle. We compressed two synthetic enstatite chondritic samples with identical bulk compositions but formed under different oxygen fugacities (fO2) to lower mantle pressures and temperatures and find Al2O3 forms its own phase separate from the dominant bridgmanite phase in the more reduced composition, in contrast to a more Al-rich, bridgmanite-dominated assemblage for a more oxidized starting composition. As a result, the reduced material is 1-1.5% denser than the oxidized material. Subsequent experiments on other plausible mantle compositions, which differ only in redox state of the starting glass materials, show similar results: distinct mineral assemblages and density contrasts up to 4%. Our geodynamic simulations suggest that such a density contrast causes a rapid ascent and accumulation of oxidized material in the upper mantle, with descent of the denser reduced material to the core-mantle boundary. The resulting heterogeneous redox conditions in Earth's interior may have contributed to the large low-shear velocity provinces in the lower mantle and the

  15. Ensemble Simulations with Coupled Atmospheric Dynamic and Dispersion Models: Illustrating Uncertainties in Dosage Simulations.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Warner, Thomas T.; Sheu, Rong-Shyang; Bowers, James F.; Sykes, R. Ian; Dodd, Gregory C.; Henn, Douglas S.

    2002-05-01

    Ensemble simulations made using a coupled atmospheric dynamic model and a probabilistic Lagrangian puff dispersion model were employed in a forensic analysis of the transport and dispersion of a toxic gas that may have been released near Al Muthanna, Iraq, during the Gulf War. The ensemble study had two objectives, the first of which was to determine the sensitivity of the calculated dosage fields to the choices that must be made about the configuration of the atmospheric dynamic model. In this test, various choices were used for model physics representations and for the large-scale analyses that were used to construct the model initial and boundary conditions. The second study objective was to examine the dispersion model's ability to use ensemble inputs to predict dosage probability distributions. Here, the dispersion model was used with the ensemble mean fields from the individual atmospheric dynamic model runs, including the variability in the individual wind fields, to generate dosage probabilities. These are compared with the explicit dosage probabilities derived from the individual runs of the coupled modeling system. The results demonstrate that the specific choices made about the dynamic-model configuration and the large-scale analyses can have a large impact on the simulated dosages. For example, the area near the source that is exposed to a selected dosage threshold varies by up to a factor of 4 among members of the ensemble. The agreement between the explicit and ensemble dosage probabilities is relatively good for both low and high dosage levels. Although only one ensemble was considered in this study, the encouraging results suggest that a probabilistic dispersion model may be of value in quantifying the effects of uncertainties in a dynamic-model ensemble on dispersion model predictions of atmospheric transport and dispersion.

  16. The NO+O3 reaction: a triple oxygen isotope perspective on the reaction dynamics and atmospheric implications for the transfer of the ozone isotope anomaly.

    PubMed

    Savarino, J; Bhattacharya, S K; Morin, S; Baroni, M; Doussin, J-F

    2008-05-21

    Atmospheric nitrate shows a large oxygen isotope anomaly (Delta 17 O), characterized by an excess enrichment of 17 O over 18 O, similar to the ozone molecule. Modeling and observations assign this specific isotopic composition mainly to the photochemical steady state that exists in the atmosphere between ozone and nitrate precursors, namely, the nitrogen oxides (NOx=NO+NO2). However, this transfer is poorly quantified and is built on unverified assumptions about which oxygen atoms of ozone are transferred to NO(x), greatly weakening any interpretation of the nitrate oxygen isotopic composition in terms of chemical reaction pathways and the oxidation state of the atmosphere. With the aim to improve our understanding and quantify how nitrate inherits this unusual isotopic composition, we have carried out a triple isotope study of the reaction NO+O3. Using ozone intramolecular isotope distributions available in the literature, we have found that the central atom of the ozone is abstracted by NO with a probability of (8+/-5)%(+/-2 sigma) at room temperature. This result is at least qualitatively supported by dynamical reaction experiments, the non-Arrhenius behavior of the kinetic rate of this reaction, and the kinetic isotope fractionation factor. Finally, we have established the transfer function of the isotope anomaly of O3 to NO2, which is described by the linear relationship Delta 17 O(NO2)=A x Delta 17 O(O3)+B, with A=1.18+/-0.07(+/-1 sigma) and B=(6.6+/-1.5)[per thousand](+/-1 sigma). Such a relationship can be easily incorporated into models dealing with the propagation of the ozone isotope anomaly among oxygen-bearing species in the atmosphere and should help to better interpret the oxygen isotope anomaly of atmospheric nitrate in terms of its formation reaction pathways.

  17. Lidar determination of the composition of atmosphere aerosols

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wright, M. L.

    1980-01-01

    Theoretical and experimental studies of the feasibility of using DIfferential SCatter (DISC) lidar to measure the composition of atmospheric aerosols are described. This technique involves multiwavelength measurements of the backscatter cross section of aerosols in the middle infrared, where a number of materials display strong restrahlen features that significantly modulate the backscatter spectrum. The theoretical work indicates that a number of materials of interest, including sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, and silicates, can be discriminated among with a CO2 lidar. An initial evaluation of this procedure was performed in which cirrus clouds and lower altitude tropospheric aerosols were developed. The observed ratio spectrum of the two types of aerosol displays structure that is in crude accord with theoretical expectations.

  18. Effects of atmospheric composition on apparent activation energy of silicate weathering: I. Model formulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanzaki, Yoshiki; Murakami, Takashi

    2018-07-01

    We have developed a weathering model to comprehensively understand the determining factors of the apparent activation energy of silicate weathering in order to better estimate the silicate-weathering flux in the Precambrian. The model formulates the reaction rate of a mineral as a basis, then the elemental loss by summing the reaction rates of whole minerals, and finally the weathering flux from a given weathering profile by integrating the elemental losses along the depth of the profile. The rate expressions are formulated with physicochemical parameters relevant to weathering, including solution and atmospheric compositions. The apparent activation energies of silicate weathering are then represented by the temperature dependences of the physicochemical parameters based on the rate expressions. It was found that the interactions between individual mineral-reactions and the compositions of solution and atmosphere are necessarily accompanied by those of temperature-dependence counterparts. Indeed, the model calculates the apparent activation energy of silicate weathering as a function of the temperature dependence of atmospheric CO2 (Δ HCO2‧) . The dependence of the apparent activation energy of silicate weathering on Δ HCO2‧ may explain the empirical dependence of silicate weathering on the atmospheric composition. We further introduce a compensation law between the apparent activation energy and the pre-exponential factor to obtain the relationship between the silicate-weathering flux (FCO2), temperature and the apparent activation energy. The model calculation and the compensation law enable us to predict FCO2 as a function of temperature, once Δ HCO2‧ is given. The validity of the model is supported by agreements between the model prediction and observations of the apparent activation energy and FCO2 in the modern weathering systems. The present weathering model will be useful for the estimation of FCO2 in the Precambrian, for which Δ HCO2‧ can be

  19. Highlights in the study of exoplanet atmospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burrows, Adam S.

    2014-09-01

    Exoplanets are now being discovered in profusion. To understand their character, however, we require spectral models and data. These elements of remote sensing can yield temperatures, compositions and even weather patterns, but only if significant improvements in both the parameter retrieval process and measurements are made. Despite heroic efforts to garner constraining data on exoplanet atmospheres and dynamics, reliable interpretation has frequently lagged behind ambition. I summarize the most productive, and at times novel, methods used to probe exoplanet atmospheres; highlight some of the most interesting results obtained; and suggest various broad theoretical topics in which further work could pay significant dividends.

  20. Dynamical buoyancy of hydrodynamic eddies. [in solar atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parker, E. N.

    1991-01-01

    The dynamical pressure reduction within a vortex tube produces both a tension along the tube and a general buoyancy, analogous to magnetic flux tubes. The dynamical buoyancy causes convective cells to rise at speeds comparable to the rms fluid velocity within the cell. Consequently, the convective cells in a stratified atmosphere are more active than indicated by the standard anelastic approximation. The coherent convective cells at each level actively crowd upward into the convective cells above, elbowing weaker cells out of the way and flattening themselves and others against the upper surface of the convective region. These effects can be seen in the recent SOUP observations of the solar granulation. Deeper in the convective zone the inhomogeneity of the buoyancy may explain the random character of the convective motions that turns up in recent numerical simulations.

  1. Pan-derived isotopic composition of atmospheric vapour in a Mediterranean wetland (Rhône River Delta, France).

    PubMed

    Vallet-Coulomb, Christine; Cartapanis, Olivier; Radakovitch, Olivier; Sonzogni, Corinne; Pichaud, Marc

    2010-03-01

    A continuous record of atmospheric vapour isotopic composition (delta(A)) can be derived from the isotope mass balance of a water body submitted to natural evaporation. In this paper, we present preliminary results of the application of this method to a drying evaporation pan, located in a Mediterranean wetland, during a two-month summer period. Results seem consistent with few atmospheric vapour data based on the assumption of isotopic equilibrium with precipitation, but we observed a shift between pan-derived delta(A) and the composition of vapour samples collected by cold trapping. These results suggest that further investigations are necessary to evaluate the effect of diurnal variations of atmospheric conditions on the applicability of the pan-evaporation method, and on the representative of grab atmospheric samples. We also propose a sensitivity analysis for evaluating the impact of the different measured components on delta(A) calculation, and show an improvement in the method efficiency as the pan is drying.

  2. The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite In-Flight Dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodard, Stanley E.

    1997-01-01

    Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite flight data from the first 737 days after launch (September 1991) was used to investigate spacecraft disturbances and responses. The investigation included two in-flight dynamics experiments (approximately three orbits each). Orbital and configuration influences on spacecraft dynamic response were also examined. Orbital influences were due to temperature variation from crossing the Earth's terminator and variation of the solar incident energy as the orbit precessed. During the terminator crossing, the rapid ambient temperature change caused the spacecraft's two flexible appendages to experience thermal elastic bending (thermal snap). The resulting response was dependent upon the orientation of the solar array and the solar incident energy. Orbital influences were also caused by on-board and environmental disturbances and spacecraft configuration changes resulting in dynamic responses which were repeated each orbit. Configuration influences were due to solar array rotation changing spacecraft modal properties. The investigation quantified the spacecraft dynamic response produced by the solar array and high gain antenna harmonic drive disturbances. The solar array's harmonic drive output resonated two solar array modes. Friction in the solar array gear drive provided sufficient energy dissipation which prevented the solar panels from resonating catastrophically; however, the solar array vibration amplitude was excessively large. The resulting vibration had a latitude-specific pattern.

  3. Study of atmospheric dynamics and pollution in the coastal area of English Channel using clustering technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokolov, Anton; Dmitriev, Egor; Delbarre, Hervé; Augustin, Patrick; Gengembre, Cyril; Fourmenten, Marc

    2016-04-01

    The problem of atmospheric contamination by principal air pollutants was considered in the industrialized coastal region of English Channel in Dunkirk influenced by north European metropolitan areas. MESO-NH nested models were used for the simulation of the local atmospheric dynamics and the online calculation of Lagrangian backward trajectories with 15-minute temporal resolution and the horizontal resolution down to 500 m. The one-month mesoscale numerical simulation was coupled with local pollution measurements of volatile organic components, particulate matter, ozone, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Principal atmospheric pathways were determined by clustering technique applied to backward trajectories simulated. Six clusters were obtained which describe local atmospheric dynamics, four winds blowing through the English Channel, one coming from the south, and the biggest cluster with small wind speeds. This last cluster includes mostly sea breeze events. The analysis of meteorological data and pollution measurements allows relating the principal atmospheric pathways with local air contamination events. It was shown that contamination events are mostly connected with a channelling of pollution from local sources and low-turbulent states of the local atmosphere.

  4. Dynamics of the Venus upper atmosphere: Outstanding problems and new constraints expected from Venus Express

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bougher, S. W.; Rafkin, S.; Drossart, P.

    2006-11-01

    A consistent picture of the dynamics of the Venus upper atmosphere from ˜90 to 200 km has begun to emerge [e.g., Bougher, S.W., Alexander, M.J., Mayr, H.G., 1997. Upper Atmosphere Dynamics: Global Circulation and Gravity Waves. Venus II, CH. 2.4. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, pp. 259-292; Lellouch, E., Clancy, T., Crisp, D., Kliore, A., Titov, D., Bougher, S.W., 1997. Monitoring of Mesospheric Structure and Dynamics. Venus II, CH. 3.1. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, pp. 295-324]. The large-scale circulation of the Venus upper atmosphere (upper mesosphere and thermosphere) can be decomposed into two distinct flow patterns: (1) a relatively stable subsolar-to-antisolar (SS-AS) circulation cell driven by solar heating, and (2) a highly variable retrograde superrotating zonal (RSZ) flow. Wave-like perturbations have also been observed. However, the processes responsible for maintaining (and driving variations in) these SS-AS and RSZ winds are not well understood. Variations in winds are thought to result from gravity wave breaking and subsequent momentum and energy deposition in the upper atmosphere [Alexander, M.J., 1992. A mechanism for the Venus thermospheric superrotation. Geophys. Res. Lett. 19, 2207-2210; Zhang, S., Bougher, S.W., Alexander, M.J., 1996. The impact of gravity waves on the Venus thermosphere and O2 IR nightglow. J. Geophys. Res. 101, 23195-23205]. However, existing data sets are limited in their spatial and temporal coverage, thereby restricting our understanding of these changing circulation patterns. One of the major goals of the Venus Express (VEX) mission is focused upon increasing our understanding of the circulation and dynamical processes of the Venus atmosphere up to the exobase [Titov, D.V., Lellouch, E., Taylor, F.W., 2001. Venus Express: Response to ESA's call for ideas for the re-use of the Mars Express platform. Proposal to European Space Agency, 1-74]. Several VEX instruments are slated to obtain remote measurements

  5. Tipping point analysis of atmospheric oxygen concentration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Livina, V. N.; Forbes, A. B.; Vaz Martins, T. M.

    2015-03-15

    We apply tipping point analysis to nine observational oxygen concentration records around the globe, analyse their dynamics and perform projections under possible future scenarios, leading to oxygen deficiency in the atmosphere. The analysis is based on statistical physics framework with stochastic modelling, where we represent the observed data as a composition of deterministic and stochastic components estimated from the observed data using Bayesian and wavelet techniques.

  6. Microbiome of the upper troposphere: species composition and prevalence, effects of tropical storms, and atmospheric implications.

    PubMed

    DeLeon-Rodriguez, Natasha; Lathem, Terry L; Rodriguez-R, Luis M; Barazesh, James M; Anderson, Bruce E; Beyersdorf, Andreas J; Ziemba, Luke D; Bergin, Michael; Nenes, Athanasios; Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T

    2013-02-12

    The composition and prevalence of microorganisms in the middle-to-upper troposphere (8-15 km altitude) and their role in aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions represent important, unresolved questions for biological and atmospheric science. In particular, airborne microorganisms above the oceans remain essentially uncharacterized, as most work to date is restricted to samples taken near the Earth's surface. Here we report on the microbiome of low- and high-altitude air masses sampled onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration DC-8 platform during the 2010 Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes campaign in the Caribbean Sea. The samples were collected in cloudy and cloud-free air masses before, during, and after two major tropical hurricanes, Earl and Karl. Quantitative PCR and microscopy revealed that viable bacterial cells represented on average around 20% of the total particles in the 0.25- to 1-μm diameter range and were at least an order of magnitude more abundant than fungal cells, suggesting that bacteria represent an important and underestimated fraction of micrometer-sized atmospheric aerosols. The samples from the two hurricanes were characterized by significantly different bacterial communities, revealing that hurricanes aerosolize a large amount of new cells. Nonetheless, 17 bacterial taxa, including taxa that are known to use C1-C4 carbon compounds present in the atmosphere, were found in all samples, indicating that these organisms possess traits that allow survival in the troposphere. The findings presented here suggest that the microbiome is a dynamic and underappreciated aspect of the upper troposphere with potentially important impacts on the hydrological cycle, clouds, and climate.

  7. Dynamics of a pulsed laser generated tin plasma expanding in an oxygen atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barreca, F.; Fazio, E.; Neri, F.; Barletta, E.; Trusso, S.; Fazio, B.

    2005-10-01

    Semiconducting tin oxide can be successfully deposited by means of the laser ablation technique. In particular by ablating metallic tin in a controlled oxygen atmosphere, thin films of SnOx have been deposited. The partial oxygen pressure at which the films are deposited strongly influences both the stoichiometry and the structural properties of the films. In this work, we present a study of the expansion dynamics of the plasma generated by ablating a tin target by means of a pulsed laser using time and space resolved optical emission spectroscopy and fast photography imaging of the expanding plasma. Both Sn I and Sn II optical emission lines have been observed from the time-integrated spectroscopy. Time resolved-measurements revealed the dynamics of the expanding plasma in the ambient oxygen atmosphere. Stoichiometry of the films has been determined by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and correlated to the expansion dynamics of the plasma.

  8. Dynamic fracture responses of alumina and two ceramic composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yang, Kwan-Ho; Kobayashi, Albert S.

    1990-01-01

    A hybrid experimental-numerical procedure was used to characterize the dynamic fracture response of Al2O3 and TiB2-particulate/SiC-matrix and SiC-whisker/Al2O3-matrix composites. Unlike metals and polymers, dynamic arrest stress intensity factors (SIFs) did not exist in the monolithic ceramics and the two ceramic composites considered. Thus a running crack in these materials cannot be arrested by lowering the driving force, i.e., the dynamic SIF. Fractography study of the alumina specimens showed that the area of transgranular failure varied from about 3 percent to about 16 percent for rapid crack extensions in statically and impact loaded specimens, respectively. The influence of kinematic constraints which enforces transgranular flat crack extension, despite the higher fracture energy of transgranular fracture, is discussed.

  9. Effects of cirrus composition on atmospheric radiation budgets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kinne, Stefan; Liou, Kuo-Nan

    1988-01-01

    A radiative transfer model that can be used to determine the change in solar and infrared fluxes caused by variations in the composition of cirrus clouds was used to investigate the importance of particle size and shape on the radiation budget of the Earth-atmosphere system. Even though the cloud optical thickness dominates the radiative properties of ice clouds, the particle size and nonsphericity of ice crystals are also important in calculations of the transfer of near-IR solar wavelengths. Results show that, for a given optical thickness, ice clouds composed of larger particles would produce larger greenhouse effects than those composed of smaller particles. Moreover, spherical particles with equivalent surface areas, frequently used for ice crystal clouds, would lead to an overestimation of the greenhouse effect.

  10. Interpretation of Titan's atmospheric composition measured by Cassini-Huygens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobie, G.; Gautier, D.; Hersant, F.; Lunine, J. I.

    2008-09-01

    ABSTRACT The GCMS instrument aboard the Huygens probe has measured the composition of Titan's atmosphere [1] and detected for the first time 36Ar and 40Ar, but no Xe and Kr. Assuming that planetesimals which formed the satellite originated from the cold solar nebula around 10 AU, we predict, on the basis of our interpretation of the CNS enrichments in Saturn [2], that they must have contained silicates, H2O ice, CO2, CH4, H2S, NH3 and some amount of noble gases. Using the evolution model of Tobie et al. [3], we have determined the fate of the different volatile species present in Titan's interior and in the atmosphere from the accretion to present time. At the end of accretion, most of the region outward of this proto-corewas warmliquid water (T > 300K), in which gas compound has very low solubility, and so potentially very large amounts of volatiles, notably methane, ended up in the primitive atmosphere and on the surface. During that early epoch, the composition of the hot-proto atmosphere should have reflected the composition of the planetesimals. The atmosphere at that time was probablymainly composed of H2O, NH3, CO2, CH4, H2S, which strongly contrasts with the nitrogen dominating atmosphere we have on Titan today. Early escape, photolysis, impact-driven chemistry and progressive condensation to the surface of the different species initially present in the primitive atmosphere gradually change the composition of the atmosphere, so that most of the primordial gas compound disappeared fromthe atmosphere. After that catastrophic early epoch, only the inner undifferentiated portion of Titans interior was able to hold primordial volatiles. These volatile species were released fromthe deep interior when internal differentiation occured, roughly 0.5 Gyr after accretion. Depending on their ability to interact with water molecules, each species follow a different evolutionnary pathway. For pressure conditions occurringwithin Titan, we show thatmost of the volatile

  11. Estimation of Dynamical Parameters in Atmospheric Data Sets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wenig, Mark O.

    2004-01-01

    In this study a new technique is used to derive dynamical parameters out of atmospheric data sets. This technique, called the structure tensor technique, can be used to estimate dynamical parameters such as motion, source strengths, diffusion constants or exponential decay rates. A general mathematical framework was developed for the direct estimation of the physical parameters that govern the underlying processes from image sequences. This estimation technique can be adapted to the specific physical problem under investigation, so it can be used in a variety of applications in trace gas, aerosol, and cloud remote sensing. The fundamental algorithm will be extended to the analysis of multi- channel (e.g. multi trace gas) image sequences and to provide solutions to the extended aperture problem. In this study sensitivity studies have been performed to determine the usability of this technique for data sets with different resolution in time and space and different dimensions.

  12. Modeling Io's Sublimation-Driven Atmosphere: Gas Dynamics and Radiation Emission

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Walker, Andrew C.; Goldstein, David B.; Varghese, Philip L.

    2008-12-31

    Io's sublimation-driven atmosphere is modeled using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method. These rarefied gas dynamics simulations improve upon earlier models by using a three-dimensional domain encompassing the entire planet computed in parallel. The effects of plasma impact heating, planetary rotation, and inhomogeneous surface frost are investigated. Circumplanetary flow is predicted to develop from the warm subsolar region toward the colder night-side. The non-equilibrium thermal structure of the atmosphere, including vibrational and rotational temperatures, is also presented. Io's rotation leads to an asymmetric surface temperature distribution which is found to strengthen circumplanetary flow near the dusk terminator. Plasma heating ismore » found to significantly inflate the atmosphere on both day- and night-sides. The plasma energy flux also causes high temperatures at high altitudes but permits relatively cooler temperatures at low altitudes near the dense subsolar point due to plasma energy depletion. To validate the atmospheric model, a radiative transfer model was developed utilizing the backward Monte Carlo method. The model allows the calculation of the atmospheric radiation from emitting/absorbing and scattering gas using an arbitrary scattering law and an arbitrary surface reflectivity. The model calculates the spectra in the {nu}{sub 2} vibrational band of SO{sub 2} which are then compared to the observational data.« less

  13. Three-pattern decomposition of global atmospheric circulation: part II—dynamical equations of horizontal, meridional and zonal circulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Shujuan; Cheng, Jianbo; Xu, Ming; Chou, Jifan

    2018-04-01

    The three-pattern decomposition of global atmospheric circulation (TPDGAC) partitions three-dimensional (3D) atmospheric circulation into horizontal, meridional and zonal components to study the 3D structures of global atmospheric circulation. This paper incorporates the three-pattern decomposition model (TPDM) into primitive equations of atmospheric dynamics and establishes a new set of dynamical equations of the horizontal, meridional and zonal circulations in which the operator properties are studied and energy conservation laws are preserved, as in the primitive equations. The physical significance of the newly established equations is demonstrated. Our findings reveal that the new equations are essentially the 3D vorticity equations of atmosphere and that the time evolution rules of the horizontal, meridional and zonal circulations can be described from the perspective of 3D vorticity evolution. The new set of dynamical equations includes decomposed expressions that can be used to explore the source terms of large-scale atmospheric circulation variations. A simplified model is presented to demonstrate the potential applications of the new equations for studying the dynamics of the Rossby, Hadley and Walker circulations. The model shows that the horizontal air temperature anomaly gradient (ATAG) induces changes in meridional and zonal circulations and promotes the baroclinic evolution of the horizontal circulation. The simplified model also indicates that the absolute vorticity of the horizontal circulation is not conserved, and its changes can be described by changes in the vertical vorticities of the meridional and zonal circulations. Moreover, the thermodynamic equation shows that the induced meridional and zonal circulations and advection transport by the horizontal circulation in turn cause a redistribution of the air temperature. The simplified model reveals the fundamental rules between the evolution of the air temperature and the horizontal, meridional

  14. Argon isotopic composition of Archaean atmosphere probes early Earth geodynamics.

    PubMed

    Pujol, Magali; Marty, Bernard; Burgess, Ray; Turner, Grenville; Philippot, Pascal

    2013-06-06

    Understanding the growth rate of the continental crust through time is a fundamental issue in Earth sciences. The isotopic signatures of noble gases in the silicate Earth (mantle, crust) and in the atmosphere afford exceptional insight into the evolution through time of these geochemical reservoirs. However, no data for the compositions of these reservoirs exists for the distant past, and temporal exchange rates between Earth's interior and its surface are severely under-constrained owing to a lack of samples preserving the original signature of the atmosphere at the time of their formation. Here, we report the analysis of argon in Archaean (3.5-billion-year-old) hydrothermal quartz. Noble gases are hosted in primary fluid inclusions containing a mixture of Archaean freshwater and hydrothermal fluid. Our analysis reveals Archaean atmospheric argon with a (40)Ar/(36)Ar value of 143 ± 24, lower than the present-day value of 298.6 (for which (40)Ar has been produced by the radioactive decay of the potassium isotope (40)K, with a half-life of 1.25 billion years; (36)Ar is primordial in origin). This ratio is consistent with an early development of the felsic crust, which might have had an important role in climate variability during the first half of Earth's history.

  15. The modern atmospheric background dust load: Recognition in Central Asian snowpack, and compositional constraints

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hinkley, T.; Pertsiger, F.; Zavjalova, L.

    1997-01-01

    Dusts in strata of snowpack in the Alai-Pamir range, Kirghizstan, Central Asia, have chemical compositions that are in the same restricted range as those of the dusts found in snowpacks at three other locations: central south Greenland, the St. Elias range (Alaska), and coastal Antarctica, where special-type local dust sources certainly cannot dominate. This similarity at the four widely separated sites appears to indicate that there is a modern atmospheric background dust that is the same on a regional, hemispheric, or global scale. The common compositional range is that of average crustal rock, or of moderately ferromagnesian volcanic rock. It is not that of carbonate, nor highly siliciceous rocks. Previously, the existence of an atmospheric background dust has been postulated only on the basis of its particle size distribution, and only from observations in polar regions. The present study partially determines the chemical composition of the background dust, and confirms its existence in snowpack at four localities worldwide, including the center of the earth's largest continent where dusts of local source have considerable influence. U.S. copyright. Published in 1997 by the American Geophysical Union.

  16. Curiosity and the Four Seasons: In Situ Measurements of the Atmospheric Composition over Three Mars Years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trainer, M. G.; Franz, H. B.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Malespin, C.; Wong, M. H.; Atreya, S. K.; Becker, R. H.; Conrad, P. G.; Lefèvre, F.; Manning, H. L. K.; Martin-Torres, F. J.; McConnochie, T.; McKay, C.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Pepin, R. O.; Webster, C. R.; Zorzano, M. P.

    2017-12-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover measures the chemical composition of major atmospheric species in the vicinity of the rover through a dedicated atmospheric inlet. We report here on measurements of atmospheric volume mixing ratios in Gale Crater using the SAM quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), over a period of nearly three Mars years (5 Earth years) from landing. The observation period spans the southern winter of MY 31, solar longitude (Ls) of 175° through southern fall of MY 34, Ls = 12°. The initial mixing ratios measured by the SAM QMS were reported for the first 105 sols of the mission [1], and were updated to account for newly developed calibration factors [2]. The SAM QMS atmospheric measurements were continued, periodically interspersed between solid sample measurements and other rover activities, with a cumulative coverage of 4 or 5 experiments per season. The three major volatiles - CO2, N2, and 40Ar - are compatible with the annual pressure cycle but with a repeatable lag that indicates incomplete mixing and the influences of seasonal circulation patterns. The mixing ratios for the two inert, non-condensable species are qualitatively consistent with what is predicted from annual cycle of CO2 deposition and sublimation at the poles, which is manifested in a large enhancement of Ar mixing ratio at the winter poles (and assumed for N2) [3]. The mixing ratio for the minor species O2 appears to follow a distinct seasonal trend and may be indicative of possible deviations from known atmospheric chemistry or a surface flux of oxygen from an unknown source, or both. This unprecedented seasonal coverage and precision in mixing ratio determination provides valuable data for understanding the seasonal chemical and dynamics cycles. Further, this measurement campaign supplies useful ground-truth data for global climate model simulations, which can study atmospheric effects for other locations on Mars

  17. Dynamic Mesh CFD Simulations of Orion Parachute Pendulum Motion During Atmospheric Entry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halstrom, Logan D.; Schwing, Alan M.; Robinson, Stephen K.

    2016-01-01

    This paper demonstrates the usage of computational fluid dynamics to study the effects of pendulum motion dynamics of the NASAs Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle parachute system on the stability of the vehicles atmospheric entry and decent. Significant computational fluid dynamics testing has already been performed at NASAs Johnson Space Center, but this study sought to investigate the effect of bulk motion of the parachute, such as pitching, on the induced aerodynamic forces. Simulations were performed with a moving grid geometry oscillating according to the parameters observed in flight tests. As with the previous simulations, OVERFLOW computational fluid dynamics tool is used with the assumption of rigid, non-permeable geometry. Comparison to parachute wind tunnel tests is included for a preliminary validation of the dynamic mesh model. Results show qualitative differences in the flow fields of the static and dynamic simulations and quantitative differences in the induced aerodynamic forces, suggesting that dynamic mesh modeling of the parachute pendulum motion may uncover additional dynamic effects.

  18. Thermosphere Dynamics Workshop, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mayr, H. G. (Editor); Miller, N. J. (Editor)

    1986-01-01

    Atmospheric observations reported on include recent measurements of thermospherical composition, gas temperatures, auroral emissions, ion-neutral collisional coupling, electric fields, and plasma convection. Theoretical studies reported on include model calculations of thermospherical general circulation, thermospheric tides, thermospheric tidal coupling to the lower atmosphere, interactions between thermospheic chemistry and dynamics and thermosphere-ionosphere coupling processes. The abstracts provide details given in each talk but the figures represent the fundamental information exchanged within the workshop

  19. Titan's Atmospheric Dynamics and Meteorology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Flasar, F. M.; Baines, K. H.; Bird, M. K.; Tokano, T.; West, R. A.

    2008-01-01

    Titan, after Venus, is the second example of an atmosphere with a global cyclostrophic circulation in the solar system, but a circulation that has a strong seasonal modulation in the middle atmosphere. Direct measurement of Titan's winds, particularly observations tracking the Huygens probe at 10degS, indicate that the zonal winds are generally in the sense of the satellites rotation. They become cyclostrophic approx. 35 km above the surface and generally increase with altitude, with the exception of a sharp minimum centered near 75 km, where the wind velocity decreases to nearly zero. Zonal winds derived from the temperature field retrieved from Cassini measurements, using the thermal wind equation, indicate a strong winter circumpolar vortex, with maximum winds at mid northern latitudes of 190 ms-' near 300 km. Above this level, the vortex decays. Curiously, the zonal winds and temperatures are symmetric about a pole that is offset from the surface pole by approx.4 degrees. The cause of this is not well understood, but it may reflect the response of a cyclostrophic circulation to the offset between the equator, where the distance to the rotation axis is greatest, and the solar equator. The mean meridional circulation can be inferred from the temperature field and the meridional distribution of organic molecules and condensates and hazes. Both the warm temperatures in the north polar region near 400 km and the enhanced concentration of several organic molecules suggests subsidence there during winter and early spring. Stratospheric condensates are localized at high northern latitudes, with a sharp cut-off near 50degN. Titan's winter polar vortex appears to share many of the same characteristics of winter vortices on Earth-the ozone holes. Global mapping of temperatures, winds, and composition in he troposphere, by contrast, is incomplete. The few suitable discrete clouds that have bee found for tracking indicate smaller velocities than aloft, consistent with the

  20. Direct Measure of Radiative and Dynamical Properties of an Exoplanet Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Wit, Julien; Lewis, Nikole K.; Langton, Jonathan; Laughlin, Gregory; Deming, Drake; Batygin, Konstantin; Fortney, Jonathan J.

    2016-04-01

    Two decades after the discovery of 51 Peg b, the formation processes and atmospheres of short-period gas giants remain poorly understood. Observations of eccentric systems provide key insights on those topics as they can illuminate how a planet’s atmosphere responds to changes in incident flux. We report here the analysis of multi-day multi-channel photometry of the eccentric (e∼ 0.93) hot Jupiter HD 80606 b obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope. The planet’s extreme eccentricity combined with the long coverage and exquisite precision of new periastron-passage observations allow us to break the degeneracy between the radiative and dynamical timescales of HD 80606 b’s atmosphere and constrain its global thermal response. Our analysis reveals that the atmospheric layers probed heat rapidly (∼4 hr radiative timescale) from \\lt 500 to 1400 K as they absorb ∼ 20% of the incoming stellar flux during the periastron passage, while the planet’s rotation period is {93}-35+85 hr, which exceeds the predicted pseudo-synchronous period (40 hr).

  1. Study of the Dynamics of Meteoroids Through the Earth's Atmosphere and Retrieval of Meteorites: The Mexican Meteor Network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cordero Tercero, M. G.; Farah Simon, A.; Velazquez-Villegas, F.

    2016-12-01

    When a comet , asteroid or meteoroid impact with a planet several things can happen depending on the mass, velocity and composition of the impactor, if the planet or moon has an atmosphere or not, and the angle of impact. On bodies without an atmosphere like Mercury or the Moon, every object that strikes their surfaces produces impact craters with sizes ranging from centimeters to hundreds and even thousands of kilometers across. On bodies with an atmosphere, this encounter can produce impact craters, meteorites, meteors and fragmentation. Each one of these phenomena is interesting because they provide information about the surfaces and the geological evolution of solar system bodies. Meteors are luminous wakes on the sky due to the interaction between the meteoroid and the Earth's atmosphere. A meteoroid is asteroidal or cometary material ranging in size from 2 mm to a few tens of meters. The smallest tend to evaporate at heights between 80 and 120 km. Objects of less than 2 mm are called micrometeorites. If the meteor brightness exceeds the brightness of Venus, the phenomenon is called a bolide or fireball. If a meteoroid, or a fragment of it, survives atmospheric ablation and it can be recovered on the ground, that piece is called a meteorite. Most meteoroids 2 meters long fragment suddenly into the atmosphere, it produces a shock wave that can affect humans and their environment like the Chelyabinsk event occurred on February 15, 2013 an two less energetic events in Mexico in 2010 and 2011. To understand the whole phenomenon, we proposed a video camera network for observing meteors. The objectives of this network are to: a) contribute to the study of the fragmentation of meteoroids in the Earth's atmosphere, b) determine values of important physical parameters; c) study seismic waves produced by atmospheric shock waves, d) study the dynamics of meteoroids and f) recover and study meteorites. During this meeting, the progress of the project will be presented.

  2. Atmospheres of the Giant Planets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ingersoll, Andrew P.

    2002-01-01

    The giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, are fluid objects. They have no solid surfaces because the light elements constituting them do not condense at solar-system temperatures. Instead, their deep atmospheres grade downward until the distinction between gas and liquid becomes meaningless. The preceding chapter delved into the hot, dark interiors of the Jovian planets. This one focuses on their atmospheres, especially the observable layers from the base of the clouds to the edge of space. These veneers arc only a few hundred kilometers thick, less than one percent of each planet's radius, but they exhibit an incredible variety of dynamic phenomena. The mixtures of elements in these outer layers resemble a cooled-down piece of the Sun. Clouds precipitate out of this gaseous soup in a variety of colors. The cloud patterns are organized by winds, which are powered by heat derived from sunlight (as on Earth) and by internal heat left over from planetary formation. Thus the atmospheres of the Jovian planets are distinctly different both compositionally and dynamically from those of the terrestrial planets. Such differences make them fascinating objects for study, providing clues about the origin and evolution of the planets and the formation of the solar system.

  3. Chapter 13. Atmospheric Dynamics and Meteorology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Flasar, F. M.; Baines, K. H.; Bird, M. K.; Tokano, T.

    2009-01-01

    Titan, after Venus, is the second example in the solar system of an atmosphere with a global cyclostrophic circulation, but in this case a circulation that has a strong seasonal modulation in the middle atmosphere. Direct measurement of Titan's winds, particularly observations tracking the Huygens probe at 10 deg S, indicate that the zonal winds are mostly in the sense of the satellite's rotation. They generally increase with altitude and become cyclostrophic near 35 km above the surface. An exception to this is a sharp minimum centered near 75 km, where the wind velocity decreases to nearly zero. Zonal winds derived from temperatures retrieved from Cassini orbiter measurements, using the thermal wind equation, indicate a strong winter circumpolar vortex, with maximum winds of 190 m/s at mid northern latitudes near 300 km. Above this level, the vortex decays. Curiously, the stratospheric zonal winds and temperatures in both hemispheres are symmetric about a pole that is offset from the surface pole by about 4 deg. The cause of this is not well understood, but it may reflect the response of a cyclostrophic circulation to the onset between the equator, where the distance to the rotation axis is greatest, and the seasonally varying subsolar latitude. The mean meridional circulation can be inferred from the temperature field and the meridional distribution of organic molecules and condensates and hazes. Both the warm temperatures near 400 km and the enhanced concentration of several organic molecules suggest subsidence in the north polar region during winter and early spring. Stratospheric condensates are localized at high northern latitudes, with a sharp cut-off near 50 deg N. Titan's winter polar vortex appears to share many of the same characteristics of isolating high and low-latitude air masses as do the winter polar vortices on Earth that envelop the ozone holes. Global mapping of temperatures, winds, and composition in the troposphere, by contrast, is incomplete

  4. Dynamic mechanical properties of a Ti-based metallic glass matrix composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jinshan; Cui, Jing; Qiao, Jichao; Bai, Jie; Kou, Hongchao; Wang, Jun

    2015-04-01

    Dynamic mechanical behavior of a Ti50Zr20Nb12Cu5Be13 bulk metallic glass composite was investigated using mechanical spectroscopy in both temperature and frequency domains. Storage modulus G' and loss modulus G″ are determined by temperature, and three distinct regions corresponding to different states in the bulk metallic glass composite are characterized. Physical parameters, such as atomic mobility and correlation factor χ, are introduced to analyze dynamic mechanical behavior of the bulk metallic glass composite in the framework of quasi-point defects (QPD) model. The experimental results are in good agreement with the prediction of QPD model.

  5. Dynamics of Tidally Locked, Ultrafast Rotating Atmospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Xianyu; Showman, Adam P.

    2017-10-01

    Tidally locked gas giants, which exhibit a novel regime of day-night thermal forcing and extreme stellar irradiation, are typically in several-day orbits, implying slow rotation and a modest role for rotation in the atmospheric circulation. Nevertheless, there exist a class of gas-giant, highly irradiated objects - brown dwarfs orbiting white dwarfs in extremely tight orbits - whose orbital and hence rotation periods are as short as 1-2 hours. Spitzer phase curves and other observations have already been obtained for this fascinating class of objects, which raise fundamental questions about the role of rotation in controlling the circulation. So far, most modeling studies have investigated rotation periods exceeding a day, as appropriate for typical hot Jupiters. In this work we investigate the dynamics of tidally locked atmospheres in shorter rotation periods down to about two hours. With increasing rotation rate (decreasing rotation period), we show that the width of the equatorial eastward jet decreases, consistent with the narrowing of wave-mean-flow interacting region due to decrease of the equatorial deformation radius. The eastward-shifted equatorial hot spot offset decreases accordingly, and the westward-shifted hot regions poleward of the equatorial jet associated with Rossby gyres become increasingly distinctive. At high latitudes, winds becomes weaker and more geostrophic. The day-night temperature contrast becomes larger due to the stronger influence of rotation. Our simulated atmospheres exhibit small-scale variability, presumably caused by shear instability. Unlike typical hot Jupiters, phase curves of fast-rotating models show an alignment of peak flux to secondary eclipse. Our results have important implications for phase curve observations of brown dwarfs orbiting white dwarfs in ultra tight orbits.

  6. Laboratory analogues simulating Titan's atmospheric aerosols: Compared chemical compositions of grains and thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carrasco, Nathalie; Jomard, François; Vigneron, Jackie; Etcheberry, Arnaud; Cernogora, Guy

    2016-09-01

    Two sorts of solid organic samples can be produced in laboratory experiments simulating Titan's atmospheric reactivity: grains in the volume and thin films on the reactor walls. We expect that grains are more representative of Titan's atmospheric aerosols, but films are used to provide optical indices for radiative models of Titan's atmosphere. The aim of the present study is to address if these two sorts of analogues are chemically equivalent or not, when produced in the same N2-CH4 plasma discharge. The chemical compositions of both these materials are measured by using elemental analysis, XPS analysis and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. The main parameter probed is the CH4/N2 ratio to explore various possible chemical regimes. We find that films are homogeneous but significantly less rich in nitrogen and hydrogen than grains produced in the same experimental conditions. This surprising difference in their chemical compositions could be explained by the efficient etching occurring on the films, which stay in the discharge during the whole plasma duration, whereas the grains are ejected after a few minutes. The higher nitrogen content in the grains possibly involves a higher optical absorption than the one measured on the films, with a possible impact on Titan's radiative models.

  7. The Venus Emissivity Mapper - Investigating the Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics of Venus' Polar Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Widemann, T.; Marcq, E.; Tsang, C.; Mueller, N. T.; Kappel, D.; Helbert, J.; Dyar, M. D.; Smrekar, S. E.

    2017-12-01

    Venus' climate evolution is driven by the energy balance of its global cloud layers. Venus displays the best-known case of polar vortices evolving in a fast-rotating atmosphere. Polar vortices are pervasive in the Solar System and may also be present in atmosphere-bearing exoplanets. While much progress has been made since the early suggestion that the Venus clouds are H2O-H2SO4 liquid droplets (Young 1973), several cloud parameters are still poorly constrained, particularly in the lower cloud layer and optically thicker polar regions. The average particle size is constant over most of the planet but increases toward the poles. This indicates that cloud formation processes are different at latitudes greater than 60°, possibly as a result of the different dynamical regimes that exist in the polar vortices (Carlson et al. 1993, Wilson et al. 2008, Barstow et al. 2012). Few wind measurements exist in the polar region due to unfavorable viewing geometry of currently available observations. Cloud-tracking data indicate circumpolar circulation close to solid-body rotation. E-W winds decrease to zero velocity close to the pole. N-S circulation is marginal, with extremely variable morphology and complex vorticity patterns (Sanchez-Lavega et al. 2008, Luz et al. 2011, Garate-Lopez et al. 2013). The Venus Emissivity Mapper (VEM; Helbert et al., 2016) proposed for NASA's Venus Origins Explorer (VOX) and the ESA M5/EnVision orbiters has the capability to better constrain the microphysics (vertical, horizontal, time dependence of particle size distribution, or/and composition) of the lower cloud particles in three spectral bands at 1.195, 1.310 and 1.510 μm at a spatial resolution of 10 km. Circular polar orbit geometry would provide an unprecedented study of both polar regions within the same mission. In addition, VEM's pushbroom method will allow short timescale cloud dynamics to be assessed, as well as local wind speeds, using repeated imagery at 90 minute intervals

  8. The Venus Emissivity Mapper - Investigating the Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics of Venus’ Polar Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Widemann, Thomas; Marcq, Emmanuel; Tsang, Constantine; Mueller, Nils; Kappel, David; Helbert, Joern; Dyar, Melinda; Smrekar, Suzanne

    2017-10-01

    Venus displays the best-known case of polar vortices evolving in a fast-rotating atmosphere. Polar vortices are pervasive in the Solar System and may also be present in atmosphere-bearing exoplanets. While much progress has been made since the early suggestion that the Venus clouds are H2O-H2SO4 liquid droplets (Young 1973), several cloud parameters are still poorly constrained, particularly in the lower cloud layer and optically thicker polar regions. The average particle size is constant over most of the planet but increases toward the poles. This indicates that cloud formation processes are different at latitudes greater than 60°, possibly as a result of the different dynamical regimes that exist in the polar vortices (Carlson et al. 1993, Wilson et al. 2008, Barstow et al. 2012).Few wind measurements exist in the polar region due to unfavorable viewing geometry of currently available observations. Cloud-tracking data indicate circumpolar circulation close to solid-body rotation. E-W winds decrease to zero velocity close to the pole. N-S circulation is marginal, with extremely variable morphology and complex vorticity patterns (Sanchez-Lavega et al. 2008, Luz et al. 2011, Garate-Lopez et al. 2013).The Venus Emissivity Mapper (VEM; Helbert et al., 2016) proposed for NASA’s Venus Origins Explorer (VOX) and the ESA M5/EnVision orbiters has the capability to better constrain the microphysics (vertical, horizontal, time dependence of particle size distribution, or/and composition) of the lower cloud particles in three spectral bands at 1.195, 1.310 and 1.510 μm at a spatial resolution of ~10 km. Circular polar orbit geometry would provide an unprecedented simultaneous study of both polar regions within the same mission. In addition, VEM’s pushbroom method will allow short timescale cloud dynamics to be assessed, as well as local wind speeds, using repeated imagery at 90 minute intervals. Tracking lower cloud motions as proxies for wind measurements at high

  9. Cluster Analysis of Atmospheric Dynamics and Pollution Transport in a Coastal Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokolov, Anton; Dmitriev, Egor; Maksimovich, Elena; Delbarre, Hervé; Augustin, Patrick; Gengembre, Cyril; Fourmentin, Marc; Locoge, Nadine

    2016-11-01

    Summertime atmospheric dynamics in the coastal zone of the industrialized Dunkerque agglomeration in northern France was characterized by a cluster analysis of back trajectories in the context of pollution transport. The MESO-NH atmospheric model was used to simulate the local dynamics at multiple scales with horizontal resolution down to 500 m, and for the online calculation of the Lagrangian backward trajectories with 30-min temporal resolution. Airmass transport was performed along six principal pathways obtained by the weighted k-means clustering technique. Four of these centroids corresponded to a range of wind speeds over the English Channel: two for wind directions from the north-east and two from the south-west. Another pathway corresponded to a south-westerly continental transport. The backward trajectories of the largest and most dispersed sixth cluster contained low wind speeds, including sea-breeze circulations. Based on analyses of meteorological data and pollution measurements, the principal atmospheric pathways were related to local air-contamination events. Continuous air quality and meteorological data were collected during the Benzene-Toluene-Ethylbenzene-Xylene 2006 campaign. The sites of the pollution measurements served as the endpoints for the backward trajectories. Pollutant transport pathways corresponding to the highest air contamination were defined.

  10. A Petascale Non-Hydrostatic Atmospheric Dynamical Core in the HOMME Framework

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tufo, Henry

    The High-Order Method Modeling Environment (HOMME) is a framework for building scalable, conserva- tive atmospheric models for climate simulation and general atmospheric-modeling applications. Its spatial discretizations are based on Spectral-Element (SE) and Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods. These are local methods employing high-order accurate spectral basis-functions that have been shown to perform well on massively parallel supercomputers at any resolution and scale particularly well at high resolutions. HOMME provides the framework upon which the CAM-SE community atmosphere model dynamical-core is constructed. In its current incarnation, CAM-SE employs the hydrostatic primitive-equations (PE) of motion, which limits its resolution to simulations coarser thanmore » 0.1 per grid cell. The primary objective of this project is to remove this resolution limitation by providing HOMME with the capabilities needed to build nonhydrostatic models that solve the compressible Euler/Navier-Stokes equations.« less

  11. Effect of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on the protein composition of cereal grain.

    PubMed

    Wroblewitz, Stefanie; Hüther, Liane; Manderscheid, Remy; Weigel, Hans-Joachim; Wätzig, Hermann; Dänicke, Sven

    2014-07-16

    The present study investigates effects of rising atmospheric CO2 concentration on protein composition of maize, wheat, and barley grain, especially on the fractions prolamins and glutelins. Cereals were grown at different atmospheric CO2 concentrations to simulate future climate conditions. Influences of two nitrogen fertilization levels were studied for wheat and barley. Enriched CO2 caused an increase of globulin and B-hordein of barley. In maize, the content of globulin, α-zein, and LMW polymers decreased, whereas total glutelin, zein, δ-zein, and HMW polymers rose. Different N supplies resulted in variations of barley subfractions and wheat globulin. Other environmental influences showed effects on the content of nearly all fractions and subfractions. Variations in starch-protein bodies caused by different CO2 treatments could be visualized by scanning electron microscopy. In conclusion, climate change would have impacts on structural composition of proteins and, consequently, on the nutritional value of cereals.

  12. Microbiome of the upper troposphere: Species composition and prevalence, effects of tropical storms, and atmospheric implications

    PubMed Central

    DeLeon-Rodriguez, Natasha; Lathem, Terry L.; Rodriguez-R, Luis M.; Barazesh, James M.; Anderson, Bruce E.; Beyersdorf, Andreas J.; Ziemba, Luke D.; Bergin, Michael; Nenes, Athanasios; Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T.

    2013-01-01

    The composition and prevalence of microorganisms in the middle-to-upper troposphere (8–15 km altitude) and their role in aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions represent important, unresolved questions for biological and atmospheric science. In particular, airborne microorganisms above the oceans remain essentially uncharacterized, as most work to date is restricted to samples taken near the Earth’s surface. Here we report on the microbiome of low- and high-altitude air masses sampled onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration DC-8 platform during the 2010 Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes campaign in the Caribbean Sea. The samples were collected in cloudy and cloud-free air masses before, during, and after two major tropical hurricanes, Earl and Karl. Quantitative PCR and microscopy revealed that viable bacterial cells represented on average around 20% of the total particles in the 0.25- to 1-μm diameter range and were at least an order of magnitude more abundant than fungal cells, suggesting that bacteria represent an important and underestimated fraction of micrometer-sized atmospheric aerosols. The samples from the two hurricanes were characterized by significantly different bacterial communities, revealing that hurricanes aerosolize a large amount of new cells. Nonetheless, 17 bacterial taxa, including taxa that are known to use C1–C4 carbon compounds present in the atmosphere, were found in all samples, indicating that these organisms possess traits that allow survival in the troposphere. The findings presented here suggest that the microbiome is a dynamic and underappreciated aspect of the upper troposphere with potentially important impacts on the hydrological cycle, clouds, and climate. PMID:23359712

  13. MCore: A High-Order Finite-Volume Dynamical Core for Atmospheric General Circulation Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ullrich, P.; Jablonowski, C.

    2011-12-01

    The desire for increasingly accurate predictions of the atmosphere has driven numerical models to smaller and smaller resolutions, while simultaneously exponentially driving up the cost of existing numerical models. Even with the modern rapid advancement of computational performance, it is estimated that it will take more than twenty years before existing models approach the scales needed to resolve atmospheric convection. However, smarter numerical methods may allow us to glimpse the types of results we would expect from these fine-scale simulations while only requiring a fraction of the computational cost. The next generation of atmospheric models will likely need to rely on both high-order accuracy and adaptive mesh refinement in order to properly capture features of interest. We present our ongoing research on developing a set of ``smart'' numerical methods for simulating the global non-hydrostatic fluid equations which govern atmospheric motions. We have harnessed a high-order finite-volume based approach in developing an atmospheric dynamical core on the cubed-sphere. This type of method is desirable for applications involving adaptive grids, since it has been shown that spuriously reflected wave modes are intrinsically damped out under this approach. The model further makes use of an implicit-explicit Runge-Kutta-Rosenbrock (IMEX-RKR) time integrator for accurate and efficient coupling of the horizontal and vertical model components. We survey the algorithmic development of the model and present results from idealized dynamical core test cases, as well as give a glimpse at future work with our model.

  14. Non-thermal Atmospheric Plasma Treatment for Deactivation of Oral Bacteria and Improvement of Dental Composite Restoration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Qing Song; Li, H.; Ritts, A. C.; Yang, B.; Chen, M.; Hong, L.; Xu, C.; Yao, X.; Wang, Y.

    This paper reviews our recent research results of using non-thermal ­atmospheric plasmas for oral bacterial deactivation and for composite restoration improvement. Oral bacteria of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) with an initial bacterial population density between 1.0 × 108 and 5.0 × 108 cfu/ml were seeded on various media and their survivability with plasma exposure was examined. The plasma exposure time for a 99.9999% cell reduction was less than 15 s for S. mutans and within 5 min for L. acidophilus. To evaluate the dentin/composite interfacial bonding, extracted unerupted human third molars were used by removing the crowns and etching the exposed dentin surfaces with 35% phosphoric acid gel. After dental composite application and light curing, the teeth were then sectioned into micro-bars as the specimens for microtensile test. Student Newman Keuls (SNK) tests showed that the bonding strength of the composite restoration to peripheral dentin was significantly increased (by 64%) after 30 s plasma treatment of the dentin surfaces. These findings indicated that non-thermal atmospheric plasma technology is very promising for dental clinical applications.

  15. The dynamical core of the Aeolus 1.0 statistical-dynamical atmosphere model: validation and parameter optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Totz, Sonja; Eliseev, Alexey V.; Petri, Stefan; Flechsig, Michael; Caesar, Levke; Petoukhov, Vladimir; Coumou, Dim

    2018-02-01

    We present and validate a set of equations for representing the atmosphere's large-scale general circulation in an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (EMIC). These dynamical equations have been implemented in Aeolus 1.0, which is a statistical-dynamical atmosphere model (SDAM) and includes radiative transfer and cloud modules (Coumou et al., 2011; Eliseev et al., 2013). The statistical dynamical approach is computationally efficient and thus enables us to perform climate simulations at multimillennia timescales, which is a prime aim of our model development. Further, this computational efficiency enables us to scan large and high-dimensional parameter space to tune the model parameters, e.g., for sensitivity studies.Here, we present novel equations for the large-scale zonal-mean wind as well as those for planetary waves. Together with synoptic parameterization (as presented by Coumou et al., 2011), these form the mathematical description of the dynamical core of Aeolus 1.0.We optimize the dynamical core parameter values by tuning all relevant dynamical fields to ERA-Interim reanalysis data (1983-2009) forcing the dynamical core with prescribed surface temperature, surface humidity and cumulus cloud fraction. We test the model's performance in reproducing the seasonal cycle and the influence of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We use a simulated annealing optimization algorithm, which approximates the global minimum of a high-dimensional function.With non-tuned parameter values, the model performs reasonably in terms of its representation of zonal-mean circulation, planetary waves and storm tracks. The simulated annealing optimization improves in particular the model's representation of the Northern Hemisphere jet stream and storm tracks as well as the Hadley circulation.The regions of high azonal wind velocities (planetary waves) are accurately captured for all validation experiments. The zonal-mean zonal wind and the integrated lower

  16. DYNAMICO, an atmospheric dynamical core for high-performance climate modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubos, Thomas; Meurdesoif, Yann; Spiga, Aymeric; Millour, Ehouarn; Fita, Lluis; Hourdin, Frédéric; Kageyama, Masa; Traore, Abdoul-Khadre; Guerlet, Sandrine; Polcher, Jan

    2017-04-01

    Institut Pierre Simon Laplace has developed a very scalable atmospheric dynamical core, DYNAMICO, based on energy-conserving finite-difference/finite volume numerics on a quasi-uniform icosahedral-hexagonal mesh. Scalability is achieved by combining hybrid MPI/OpenMP parallelism to asynchronous I/O. This dynamical core has been coupled to radiative transfer physics tailored to the atmosphere of Saturn, allowing unprecedented simulations of the climate of this giant planet. For terrestrial climate studies DYNAMICO is being integrated into the IPSL Earth System Model IPSL-CM. Preliminary aquaplanet and AMIP-style simulations yield reasonable results when compared to outputs from IPSL-CM5. The observed performance suggests that an order of magnitude may be gained with respect to IPSL-CM CMIP5 simulations either on the duration of simulations or on their resolution. Longer simulations would be of interest for the study of paleoclimate, while higher resolution could improve certain aspects of the modeled climate such as extreme events, as will be explored in the HighResMIP project. Following IPSL's strategic vision of building a unified global-regional modelling system, a fully-compressible, non-hydrostatic prototype of DYNAMICO has been developed, enabling future convection-resolving simulations. Work supported by ANR project "HEAT", grant number CE23_2014_HEAT Dubos, T., Dubey, S., Tort, M., Mittal, R., Meurdesoif, Y., and Hourdin, F.: DYNAMICO-1.0, an icosahedral hydrostatic dynamical core designed for consistency and versatility, Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 3131-3150, doi:10.5194/gmd-8-3131-2015, 2015.

  17. Expectations for Particulate Contamination Relevant to in Situ Atmospheric Sampling for Compositional Analysis at Uranus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wong, M. H.

    2017-12-01

    NASA and ESA are considering options for in situ science with atmospheric entry probes to the ice giants Uranus and Neptune. Nominal probe entry mass is in the 300-kg range, although a miniaturized secondary probe option is being studied in the 30-kg range. In all cases, compositional sampling would commence near the 100-mbar level at Uranus, after ejection of the heat shield and deployment of the descent parachute. In this presentation, I review existing literature on the composition, mass loading, and vertical distribution of condensed material that the probe may encounter. Sample inlets for measurement of the gas composition should be heated to avoid potential buildup of condensate, which would block the flow of atmospheric gas into composition sensors. Heating rate and temperature values -- sufficient to keep sample inlets clean under various assumptions -- will be presented. Three main types of condensed material will be considered: Stratospheric hydrocarbon ices: Solar UV photolyzes CH4, leading to the production of volatile hydrocarbons with higher C/H ratios. These species diffuse from their production regions into colder levels where the ices of C2H2, C2H6, and C4H2 condense. Some studies have also considered condensation of C3H8, C4H10, C6H6, and C6H2. Gunk: The hydrocarbon ices are thought to become polymerized due to irradiation from solar UV. The exact composition of the resulting gunk is not known. Solid-state photochemical processing may produce the traces of reddish (blue-absorbing) haze material, present in the troposphere at temperatures warm enough to sublimate the simple hydrocarbon ices. Tropospheric ices: In the region accessible to probes under study (P < 10 bar), much thicker condensation clouds may form from volatile gases CH4, NH3, and H2S. If large amounts of NH3 are sequestered in the deeper H2O liquid cloud, then the S/N ratio could exceed 1 in the probe-accessible region of the atmosphere, leading to NH4SH and H2S ices below the CH4

  18. Global wetland contribution to 2000–2012 atmospheric methane growth rate dynamics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poulter, Benjamin; Bousquet, Philippe; Canadell, Josep G.

    Increasing atmospheric methane (CH 4) concentrations have contributed to approximately 20% of anthropogenic climate change. Despite the importance of CH 4 as a greenhouse gas, its atmospheric growth rate and dynamics over the past two decades, which include a stabilization period (1999–2006), followed by renewed growth starting in 2007, remain poorly understood. We provide an updated estimate of CH 4 emissions from wetlands, the largest natural global CH 4 source, for 2000–2012 using an ensemble of biogeochemical models constrained with remote sensing surface inundation and inventory-based wetland area data. Between 2000–2012, boreal wetland CH 4 emissions increased by 1.2 Tgmore » yr –1 (–0.2–3.5 Tg yr –1), tropical emissions decreased by 0.9 Tg yr –1 (–3.2–1.1 Tg yr –1), yet globally, emissions remained unchanged at 184 ± 22 Tg yr –1. Changing air temperature was responsible for increasing high-latitude emissions whereas declines in low-latitude wetland area decreased tropical emissions; both dynamics are consistent with features of predicted centennial-scale climate change impacts on wetland CH 4 emissions. Despite uncertainties in wetland area mapping, our study shows that global wetland CH 4 emissions have not contributed significantly to the period of renewed atmospheric CH 4 growth, and is consistent with findings from studies that indicate some combination of increasing fossil fuel and agriculture-related CH 4 emissions, and a decrease in the atmospheric oxidative sink.« less

  19. Global wetland contribution to 2000–2012 atmospheric methane growth rate dynamics

    DOE PAGES

    Poulter, Benjamin; Bousquet, Philippe; Canadell, Josep G.; ...

    2017-09-13

    Increasing atmospheric methane (CH 4) concentrations have contributed to approximately 20% of anthropogenic climate change. Despite the importance of CH 4 as a greenhouse gas, its atmospheric growth rate and dynamics over the past two decades, which include a stabilization period (1999–2006), followed by renewed growth starting in 2007, remain poorly understood. We provide an updated estimate of CH 4 emissions from wetlands, the largest natural global CH 4 source, for 2000–2012 using an ensemble of biogeochemical models constrained with remote sensing surface inundation and inventory-based wetland area data. Between 2000–2012, boreal wetland CH 4 emissions increased by 1.2 Tgmore » yr –1 (–0.2–3.5 Tg yr –1), tropical emissions decreased by 0.9 Tg yr –1 (–3.2–1.1 Tg yr –1), yet globally, emissions remained unchanged at 184 ± 22 Tg yr –1. Changing air temperature was responsible for increasing high-latitude emissions whereas declines in low-latitude wetland area decreased tropical emissions; both dynamics are consistent with features of predicted centennial-scale climate change impacts on wetland CH 4 emissions. Despite uncertainties in wetland area mapping, our study shows that global wetland CH 4 emissions have not contributed significantly to the period of renewed atmospheric CH 4 growth, and is consistent with findings from studies that indicate some combination of increasing fossil fuel and agriculture-related CH 4 emissions, and a decrease in the atmospheric oxidative sink.« less

  20. The Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC): history, status and perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Mazière, Martine; Thompson, Anne M.; Kurylo, Michael J.; Wild, Jeannette D.; Bernhard, Germar; Blumenstock, Thomas; Braathen, Geir O.; Hannigan, James W.; Lambert, Jean-Christopher; Leblanc, Thierry; McGee, Thomas J.; Nedoluha, Gerald; Petropavlovskikh, Irina; Seckmeyer, Gunther; Simon, Paul C.; Steinbrecht, Wolfgang; Strahan, Susan E.

    2018-04-01

    The Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) is an international global network of more than 90 stations making high-quality measurements of atmospheric composition that began official operations in 1991 after 5 years of planning. Apart from sonde measurements, all measurements in the network are performed by ground-based remote-sensing techniques. Originally named the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC), the name of the network was changed to NDACC in 2005 to better reflect the expanded scope of its measurements. The primary goal of NDACC is to establish long-term databases for detecting changes and trends in the chemical and physical state of the atmosphere (mesosphere, stratosphere, and troposphere) and to assess the coupling of such changes with climate and air quality. NDACC's origins, station locations, organizational structure, and data archiving are described. NDACC is structured around categories of ground-based observational techniques (sonde, lidar, microwave radiometers, Fourier-transform infrared, UV-visible DOAS (differential optical absorption spectroscopy)-type, and Dobson-Brewer spectrometers, as well as spectral UV radiometers), timely cross-cutting themes (ozone, water vapour, measurement strategies, cross-network data integration), satellite measurement systems, and theory and analyses. Participation in NDACC requires compliance with strict measurement and data protocols to ensure that the network data are of high and consistent quality. To widen its scope, NDACC has established formal collaborative agreements with eight other cooperating networks and Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW). A brief history is provided, major accomplishments of NDACC during its first 25 years of operation are reviewed, and a forward-looking perspective is presented.

  1. The Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC): History, Status and Perspectives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simon, Paul C.; De Maziere, Martine; Bernhard, Germar; Blumenstock, Thomas; McGee, Thomas J.; Petropavlovskikh, Irina; Steinbrecht, Wolfgang; Wild, Jeannette D.; Lambert, Jean-Christopher; Seckmeyer, Gunther; hide

    2018-01-01

    The Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) is an international global network of more than 90 stations making high-quality measurements of atmospheric composition that began official operations in 1991 after 5 years of planning. Apart from sonde measurements, all measurements in the network are performed by ground-based remote-sensing techniques. Originally named the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC), the name of the network was changed to NDACC in 2005 to better reflect the expanded scope of its measurements. The primary goal of NDACC is to establish long-term databases for detecting changes and trends in the chemical and physical state of the atmosphere (mesosphere, stratosphere, and troposphere) and to assess the coupling of such changes with climate and air quality. NDACC's origins, station locations, organizational structure, and data archiving are described. NDACC is structured around categories of ground-based observational techniques (sonde, lidar, microwave radiometers, Fourier-transform infrared, UV-visible DOAS (differential optical absorption spectroscopy)-type, and Dobson-Brewer spectrometers, as well as spectral UV radiometers), timely cross-cutting themes (ozone, water vapour, measurement strategies, cross-network data integration), satellite measurement systems, and theory and analyses. Participation in NDACC requires compliance with strict measurement and data protocols to ensure that the network data are of high and consistent quality. To widen its scope, NDACC has established formal collaborative agreements with eight other cooperating networks and Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW). A brief history is provided, major accomplishments of NDACC during its first 25 years of operation are reviewed, and a forward-looking perspective is presented.

  2. Dynamic mechanical analysis of waste tyre rubber filled brake friction composite materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rathi, Mukesh Kumar; Singh, Tej; Chauhan, Ranchan

    2018-05-01

    In this research work, the dynamic mechanical properties of waste tyre rubber filled friction composites were studied. Four friction composites with varying amount of waste rubber (0, 4, 8, 12 wt.%) and barium sulphate (38, 42, 46, 50 wt.%) were designed and fabricated as per industrial norms. Dynamic mechanical analysis has been carried out to characterize the storage modulus, loss modulus and damping factor of the fabricated friction composite. Experimental results indicated that storage modulus decreases with increasing waste rubber content up to particular loading (4 wt.%), and after that it increases with further loading. The loss modulus of the composites increases steadily with increasing waste rubber content whereas, damping factor remain maximum for 12 wt.% waste rubber filled friction composites.

  3. Student Understanding of Function Composition and the Effect of Dynamic Visualization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ratliff, Bobby Kevin

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine (1) strategies students use when solving composition problems and the difficulties they encounter; (2) conceptions and/or misconceptions students have with respect to composition of functions; and (3) the effect of using dynamic visualization during instruction on students' understanding of composition of…

  4. Dynamic mechanical properties of a Ti-based metallic glass matrix composite

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Jinshan, E-mail: ljsh@nwpu.edu.cn; Cui, Jing; Bai, Jie

    2015-04-21

    Dynamic mechanical behavior of a Ti{sub 50}Zr{sub 20}Nb{sub 12}Cu{sub 5}Be{sub 13} bulk metallic glass composite was investigated using mechanical spectroscopy in both temperature and frequency domains. Storage modulus G′ and loss modulus G″ are determined by temperature, and three distinct regions corresponding to different states in the bulk metallic glass composite are characterized. Physical parameters, such as atomic mobility and correlation factor χ, are introduced to analyze dynamic mechanical behavior of the bulk metallic glass composite in the framework of quasi-point defects (QPD) model. The experimental results are in good agreement with the prediction of QPD model.

  5. Mass Conservation of the Unified Continuous and Discontinuous Element-Based Galerkin Methods on Dynamically Adaptive Grids with Application to Atmospheric Simulations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-01

    Discontinuous Element-Based Galerkin Methods on Dynamically Adaptive Grids with Application to Atmospheric Simulations 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER...Discontinuous Element-Based Galerkin Methods on Dynamically Adaptive Grids with Application to Atmospheric Simulations. Michal A. Koperaa,∗, Francis X...mass conservation, as it is an important feature for many atmospheric applications . We believe this is a good metric because, for smooth solutions

  6. The dynamic surface tension of atmospheric aerosol surfactants reveals new aspects of cloud activation.

    PubMed

    Nozière, Barbara; Baduel, Christine; Jaffrezo, Jean-Luc

    2014-02-25

    The activation of aerosol particles into cloud droplets in the Earth's atmosphere is both a key process for the climate budget and a main source of uncertainty. Its investigation is facing major experimental challenges, as no technique can measure the main driving parameters, the Raoult's term and surface tension, σ, for sub-micron atmospheric particles. In addition, the surfactant fraction of atmospheric aerosols could not be isolated until recently. Here we present the first dynamic investigation of the total surfactant fraction of atmospheric aerosols, evidencing adsorption barriers that limit their gradient (partitioning) in particles and should enhance their cloud-forming efficiency compared with current models. The results also show that the equilibration time of surfactants in sub-micron atmospheric particles should be beyond the detection of most on-line instruments. Such instrumental and theoretical shortcomings would be consistent with atmospheric and laboratory observations and could have limited the understanding of cloud activation until now.

  7. Characterizing Middle Atmospheric Dynamical Variability and its Impact on the Thermosphere/Ionosphere System During Recent Stratospheric Sudden Warmings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCormack, J. P.; Sassi, F.; Hoppel, K.; Ma, J.; Eckermann, S. D.

    2015-12-01

    We investigate the evolution of neutral atmospheric dynamics in the 10-100 km altitude range before, during, and after recent stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) using a prototype high-altitude version of the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM), which combines a 4-dimensional variational (4DVAR) data assimilation system with a 3-time-level semi-Lagrangian semi-implicit global forecast model. In addition to assimilating conventional meteorological observations, NAVGEM also assimilates middle atmospheric temperature and constituent observations from both operational and research satellite platforms to provide global synoptic meteorological analyses of winds, temperatures, ozone, and water vapor from the surface to ~90 km. In this study, NAVGEM analyses are used to diagnose the spatial and temporal evolution of the main dynamical drivers in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) before, during, and after specific SSW events during the 2009-2013 period when large disturbances were observed in the thermosphere/ionosphere (TI) region. Preliminary findings show strong modulation of the semidiurnal tide in the MLT during the onset of an SSW. To assess the impact of the neutral atmosphere dynamical variability on the TI system, NAVGEM analyses are used to constrain simulations of select SSW events using the specified dynamics (SD) configuration of the extended Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM-X).

  8. Phase stability and dynamics of entangled polymer-nanoparticle composites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mangal, Rahul; Srivastava, Samanvaya; Archer, Lynden A.

    Nanoparticle–polymer composites, or polymer–nanoparticle composites (PNCs), exhibit unusual mechanical and dynamical features when the particle size approaches the random coil dimensions of the host polymer. Here, we harness favourable enthalpic interactions between particle-tethered and free, host polymer chains to create model PNCs, in which spherical nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed in high molecular weight entangled polymers. Investigation of the mechanical properties of these model PNCs reveals that the nanoparticles have profound effects on the host polymer motions on all timescales. On short timescales, nanoparticles slow-down local dynamics of the host polymer segments and lower the glass transition temperature. On intermediate timescales,more » where polymer chain motion is typically constrained by entanglements with surrounding molecules, nanoparticles provide additional constraints, which lead to an early onset of entangled polymer dynamics. Finally, on long timescales, nanoparticles produce an apparent speeding up of relaxation of their polymer host.« less

  9. Dynamic Mesoscale Land-Atmosphere Feedbacks in Fragmented Forests in Amazonia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rastogi, D.; Baidya Roy, S.

    2011-12-01

    This paper investigates land-atmosphere feedbacks in disturbed rainforests of Amazonia. Deforestation along the rapidly expanding highways and road network has created the unique fishbone land cover pattern in Rondonia, a state in southwestern Amazonia. Numerical experiments and observations show that sharp gradients in land cover due to the fishbone heterogeneity triggers mesoscale circulations. These circulations significantly change the spatial pattern of local hydrometeorology, especially convection, clouds and precipitation. The primary research question now is can these changes in local hydrometeorology affect vegetation growth in the clearings. If so, that would be a clear indication that land-atmosphere feedbacks can affect vegetation recovery in fragmented forests. A computationally-efficient modeling tool consisting of a mesoscale atmospheric model dynamically coupled with a plant growth model has been specifically developed to identify the atmospheric feedback pathways. Preliminary experiments focus on the seasonal-scale feedbacks during the dry season. Results show that temperature, incoming shortwave and precipitation are the three primary drivers through which the feedbacks operate. Increasing temperature increases respiratory losses generating a positive feedback. Increased cloud cover reduces incoming PAR and photosynthesis, resulting in a positive feedback. Increased precipitation reduces water stress and promotes growth resulting in a negative feedback. The net effect is a combination of these 3 feedback loops. These findings can significantly improve our understanding of ecosystem resiliency in disturbed tropical forests.

  10. Effect of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment on Surface Characteristics and Adhesive Bond Quality of Peel Ply Prepared Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tracey, Ashley C.

    The purpose of this research was to investigate if atmospheric pressure plasma treatment could modify peel ply prepared composite surfaces to create strong adhesive bonds. Two peel ply surface preparation composite systems previously shown to create weak bonds (low fracture energy and adhesion failure) that were potential candidates for plasma treatment were Toray T800/3900-2 carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) prepared with Precision Fabrics Group, Inc. (PFG) 52006 nylon peel ply and Hexcel T300/F155 CFRP prepared with PFG 60001 polyester peel ply. It was hypothesized that atmospheric pressure plasma treatment could functionalize and/or remove peel ply remnants left on the CFRP surfaces upon peel ply removal. Surface characterization measurements and double cantilever beam (DCB) testing were used to determine the effects of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on surface characteristics and bond quality of peel ply prepared CFRP composites. Previous research showed that Toray T800/3900-2 carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites prepared with PFG 52006 peel ply and bonded with Cytec MetlBond 1515-3M structural film adhesive failed in adhesion at low fracture energies when tested in the DCB configuration. Previous research also showed that DCB samples made of Hexcel T300/F155 carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites prepared with PFG 60001 peel ply and bonded with Henkel Hysol EA 9696 structural film adhesive failed in adhesion at low fracture energies. Recent research suggested that plasma treatment could be able to activate these "un-bondable" surfaces and result in good adhesive bonds. Nylon peel ply prepared 177 °C cure and polyester peel ply prepared 127 °C cure CFRP laminates were treated with atmospheric pressure plasma after peel ply removal prior to bonding. Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment was capable of significantly increasing fracture energies and changing failure modes. For Toray T800/3900-2 laminates prepared with PFG 52006 and bonded with

  11. Analysis of dynamic properties for a composite robotic arm at intermediate strain rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Jin-Chein

    The dynamic mechanical properties of any structure are governed by the storage moduli representing the stiffness and loss moduli representing the internal damping capacity. The dynamic mechanical behavior of a graphite epoxy composite laminate in flexural vibration has been investigated. This study presents the results of a theoretical and experimental effort to determine the dynamic properties of multilaminate composites. The effects of fiber orientation and vibration frequency for both unidirectional tape and Kevlar fabric were studied both analytically and experimentally. Measurement of storage and loss moduli were presented for laminated double cantilever beams of fiber reinforced composite with frequency range from 8 to 1230 Hz (up to 5th mode).

  12. Measurement of the time-temperature dependent dynamic mechanical properties of boron/aluminum composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dicarlo, J. A.; Maisel, J. E.

    1978-01-01

    A flexural vibration test and associated equipment were developed to accurately measure the low strain dynamic modulus and damping of composite materials from -200 C to over 500 C. The basic test method involves the forced vibration of composite bars at their resonant free-free flexural modes in a high vacuum cryostat furnace. The accuracy of these expressions and the flexural test was verified by dynamic moduli and damping capacity measurements on 50 fiber volume percent boron/aluminum (B/Al) composites vibrating near 2000 Hz. The phase results were summarized to permit predictions of the B/Al dynamic behavior as a function of frequency, temperature, and fiber volume fraction.

  13. Equatorial ion composition, 140-200 km, based on Atmosphere Explorer E data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, N. J.; Grebowsky, J. M.; Hedin, A. E.; Spencer, N. W.

    1993-01-01

    We have used in situ measurements of ion composition and horizontal winds, taken from equatorial orbiting Atmosphere Explorer E in eccentric orbit during 1975-1976 to investigate the bottomside ionosphere at altitudes 140-200 km. Representative daytime altitude profiles of ionization were stable against wide variations in horizontal wind patterns. Special features that sometimes appeared in the structured nightside ionization were apparent ion composition waves, intermediate layers of enhanced ionization, and ionization depletions similar to equatorial ionization bubbles. Apparent ion composition waves displayed a horizontal wave length of about 650 km. Enhanced layers of ionization appeared to be newly separated from the bottomside midnight F layer; its ions were primarily NO(+) and O2(+) without significant densities of metallic ions, an indication that metallic ions are not required to produce the layers at altitudes above 140 km. Equatorial ionization depletions were observed at lower altitudes than previously reported and displayed molecular ion depletions as well as O(+) depletions.

  14. TOWARDS OPERATIONAL FORECASTING OF LOWER ATMOSPHERE EFFECTS ON THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE AND IONOSPHERE: INTEGRATED DYNAMICS IN EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE (IDEA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akmaev, R. A.; Fuller-Rowell, T. J.; Wu, F.; Wang, H.; Juang, H.; Moorthi, S.; Iredell, M.

    2009-12-01

    The upper atmosphere and ionosphere exhibit variability and phenomena that have been associated with planetary and tidal waves originating in the lower atmosphere. To study and be able to predict the effects of these global-scale dynamical perturbations on the coupled thermosphere-ionosphere-electrodynamics system a new coupled model is being developed under the IDEA project. To efficiently cross the infamous R2O “death valley”, from the outset the IDEA project leverages the natural synergy between NOAA’s National Weather Service’s (NWS) Space Weather Prediction and Environmental Modeling Centers and a NOAA-University of Colorado cooperative institute (CIRES). IDEA interactively couples a Whole Atmosphere Model (WAM) with ionosphere-plasmasphere and electrodynamics models. WAM is a 150-layer general circulation model (GCM) based on NWS’s operational weather prediction Global Forecast System (GFS) extended from its nominal top altitude of 62 km to over 600 km. It incorporates relevant physical processes including those responsible for the generation of tidal and planetary waves in the troposphere and stratosphere. Long-term simulations reveal realistic seasonal variability of tidal waves with a substantial contribution from non-migrating tidal modes, recently implicated in the observed morphology of the ionosphere. Such phenomena as the thermospheric Midnight Temperature Maximum (MTM), previously associated with the tides, are also realistically simulated for the first time.

  15. Direct energy inputs to the middle atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rosenberg, T. J.; Lanzerotti, L. J.

    1979-01-01

    As a working definition of the extent of the middle atmosphere (MA), the height range from 30 to 100 km was adopted. The neutral and ionic composition and the dynamics within this height range are, for the most part, poorly understood. From available information, the importance of various particle and photon energy sources, including their variability, for ionization of the neutral atmosphere in this height range is assessed. The following topics are discussed: (1) penetration of the MA by particle and electromagnetic energy; (2) ionization sources for the MA; (3) galactic cosmic rays; (4) solar H Ly alpha, other EUV, and X-rays; (5) magnetospheric electrons and bremsstrahlung X-rays; and (6) solar cosmic rays.

  16. Ar Atmosphere: Implications for Structure and Composition of Mercury's Crust

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Killen, R. M.; Morgan, T. H.

    2001-01-01

    We examine the possibilities of sustaining an argon atmosphere by diffusion from the upper 10 km of crust, and alternatively by effusion from a molten or previously molten area at great depth . Ar-40 in the atmospheres of the planets is a measure of potassium abundance in the interiors since Ar-40 is a product of radiogenic decay of K-40 by electron capture with the subsequent emission of a 1.46 eV gamma-ray. Although the Ar-40 in the earth's atmosphere is expected to have accumulated since the late bombardment, Ar-40 in surface-bounded exospheres is eroded quickly by photoionization and electron impact ionization. Thus, the argon content in the exospheres of the Moon, Mercury and probably Europa is representative of current effusion rather than accumulation over the lifetime of the body. Argon content will be a function of K content, temperature, grain size distribution, connected pore volume and possible seismic activity. Although Mercury and the Moon differ in many details, we can train the solutions to diffusion equations to predict the average lunar atmosphere. Then these parameters can be varied for Hermean conditions. Assuming a lunar crustal potassium abundance of 300 ppm, the observed argon atmosphere requires equilibrium between the argon production in the upper 9 Km of the moon (1.135 x 10(exp -3) cm(exp -3) s(exp -1)) and its loss. Hodges et al. conclude that this loss rate and the observed time variability requires argon release through seismic activity, tapping a deep argon source. An important observation is that the extreme surface of the Moon is enhanced in argon rather than depleted, as one would expect from outgassing of radiogenic argon. Manka and Michel concluded that ion implantation explains the surface enhancement of Ar-40. About half of the argon ions produced in the lunar atmosphere would return to the surface, where they would become embedded in the rocks. Similarly, at Mercury we expect the surface rocks to be enhanced in Ar-40 wherever

  17. Holographic control of information and dynamical topology change for composite open quantum systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aref'eva, I. Ya.; Volovich, I. V.; Inozemcev, O. V.

    2017-12-01

    We analyze how the compositeness of a system affects the characteristic time of equilibration. We study the dynamics of open composite quantum systems strongly coupled to the environment after a quantum perturbation accompanied by nonequilibrium heating. We use a holographic description of the evolution of entanglement entropy. The nonsmooth character of the evolution with holographic entanglement is a general feature of composite systems, which demonstrate a dynamical change of topology in the bulk space and a jumplike velocity change of entanglement entropy propagation. Moreover, the number of jumps depends on the system configuration and especially on the number of composite parts. The evolution of the mutual information of two composite systems inherits these jumps. We present a detailed study of the mutual information for two subsystems with one of them being bipartite. We find five qualitatively different types of behavior of the mutual information dynamics and indicate the corresponding regions of the system parameters.

  18. Composition of the atmosphere at the surface of Mars - Detection of argon-36 and preliminary analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Owen, T.; Biemann, K.

    1976-01-01

    The composition of the Martian atmosphere was determined by the mass spectrometer in the molecular analysis experiment. The presence of argon and nitrogen was confirmed and a value of 1 to 2750 plus or minus 500 for the ratio of argon-36 to argon-40 was established. A preliminary interpretation of these results suggests that Mars had a slightly more massive atmosphere in the past, but that much less total outgassing has occurred on Mars than on earth.

  19. High temperature dynamic modulus and damping of aluminum and titanium matrix composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dicarlo, J. A.; Maisel, J. E.

    1979-01-01

    Dynamic modulus and damping capacity property data were measured from 20 to over 500 C for unidirectional B/Al (1100), B/Al (6061), B/SiC/Al (6061), Al2O3/Al, SiC/Ti-6Al-4V, and SiC/Ti composites. The measurements were made under vacuum by the forced vibration of composite bars at free-free flexural resonance near 2000 Hz and at amplitudes below 0.000001. Whereas little variation was observed in the dynamic moduli of specimens with approximately the same fiber content (50 percent), the damping of B/Al composites was found at all temperatures to be significantly greater than the damping of the Al2O3/Al and SiC/Ti composites. For those few situations where slight deviations from theory were observed, the dynamic data were examined for information concerning microstructural changes induced by composite fabrication and thermal treatment. The 270 C damping peak observed in B/Al (6061) composites after heat treatment above 460 C appears to be the result of a change in the 6061 aluminum alloy microstructure induced by interaction with the boron fibers. The growth characteristics of the damping peak suggest its possible value for monitoring fiber strength degration caused by excess thermal treatment during B/Al (6061) fabrication and use.

  20. Dynamic-mechanical and thermomechanical properties of cellulose nanofiber/polyester resin composites.

    PubMed

    Lavoratti, Alessandra; Scienza, Lisete Cristine; Zattera, Ademir José

    2016-01-20

    Composites of unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) obtained from dry cellulose waste of softwood (Pinus sp.) and hardwood (Eucalyptus sp.) were developed. The fiber properties and the influence of the CNFs in the dynamic-mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the composites were evaluated. CNFs with a diameter of 70-90 nm were obtained. Eucalyptus sp. has higher α-cellulose content than Pinus sp. fibers. The crystallinity of the cellulose pulps decreased after grinding. However, high values were still obtained. The chemical composition of the fibers was not significantly altered by the grinding process. Eucalyptus sp. CNF composites had water absorption close to the neat resin at 1 wt% filler. The dynamic-mechanical properties of Eucalyptus sp. CNFs were slightly increased and the thermal stability was improved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Unraveling the Dynamics of Aminopolymer/Silica Composites

    DOE PAGES

    Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y.; Sakwa-Novak, Miles A.; Holewinski, Adam; ...

    2016-02-25

    Branched poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) encapsulated within mesoporous silica (SBA-15), has proven to be an eective sorbent for developing carbon capture technologies. However, the structure-property correlations which govern their adsorptive properties is not well understood. By combining coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and neutron scattering experiments we are able to construct, and validate, a detailed model of the dynamics and morphology of the conned polymer within the mesoporous support. By varying the simulation properties we are able to probe, for the rst time, the direct relationship between the structure of the polymer and the non-monotonic dynamics of the polymer as a function ofmore » monomer concentration within an adsorbing cylindrical pore. Overall the simulation results are in good agreement with quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) studies, suggesting an approach that can be a useful guide for understanding how to tune porous polymer composites for enhancing desired dynamical and structural behavior targeting enhanced carbon dioxide adsorption.« less

  2. Atmospheric Dynamics on Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn: An Observational and Analytical Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bridger, Alison; Magalhaes, Julio A.; Young, Richard E.

    2000-01-01

    Determining the static stability of Jupiter's atmosphere below the visible cloud levels is important for understanding the dynamical modes by which energy and momentum are transported through Jupiter's deep troposphere. The Galileo Probe Atmospheric Structure Investigation (ASI) employed pressure and temperature sensors to directly measure these state variables during the parachute-descent phase, which started at a pressure (p) of 0.4 bars and ended at p= 22 bars. The internal temperature of the probe underwent large temperature fluctuations which significantly exceeded design specifications. Corrections for these anomalous interior temperatures have been evaluated based on laboratory data acquired after the mission using the flight spare hardware. The corrections to the pressure sensor readings was particularly large and the uncertainties in the atmospheric pressures derived from the p sensor measurements may still be significant. We have sought to estimate the formal uncertainties in the static stability derived from the p and T sensor measurements directly and to devise means of assessing the static stability of Jupiter's atmosphere which do not rely on the p sensor data.

  3. Jupiter's atmospheric composition from the Cassini thermal infrared spectroscopy experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kunde, V. G.; Flasar, F. M.; Jennings, D. E.; Bezard, B.; Strobel, D. F.; Conrath, B. J.; Nixon, C. A.; Bjoraker, G. L.; Romani, P. N.; Achterberg, R. K.; hide

    2004-01-01

    The Composite Infrared Spectrometer observed Jupiter in the thermal infrared during the swing-by of the Cassini spacecraft. Results include the detection of two new stratospheric species, the methyl radical and diacetylene, gaseous species present in the north and south auroral infrared hot spots; determination of the variations with latitude of acetylene and ethane, the latter a tracer of atmospheric motion; observations of unexpected spatial distributions of carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide, both considered to be products of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts; characterization of the morphology of the auroral infrared hot spot acetylene emission; and a new evaluation of the energetics of the northern auroral infrared hot spot.

  4. Tracing changes in atmospheric sources of lead contamination using lead isotopic compositions in Australian red wine.

    PubMed

    Kristensen, Louise Jane; Taylor, Mark Patrick; Evans, Andrew James

    2016-07-01

    Air quality data detailing changes to atmospheric composition from Australia's leaded petrol consumption is spatially and temporally limited. In order to address this data gap, wine was investigated as a potential proxy for atmospheric lead conditions. Wine spanning sixty years was collected from two wine regions proximal to the South Australian capital city, Adelaide, and analysed for lead concentration and lead and strontium isotopic composition for source apportionment. Maximum wine lead concentrations (328 μg/L) occur prior to the lead-in-air monitoring in South Australia in the later 1970s. Wine lead concentrations mirror available lead-in-air measurements and show a declining trend reflecting parallel reductions in leaded petrol emissions. Lead from petrol dominated the lead in wine ((206)Pb/(207)Pb: 1.086; (208)Pb/(207)Pb: 2.360) until the introduction of unleaded petrol, which resulted in a shift in the wine lead isotopic composition closer to vineyard soil ((206)Pb/(207)Pb: 1.137; (208)Pb/(207)Pb: 2.421). Current mining activities or vinification processes appear to have no impact with recent wine samples containing less than 4 μg/L of lead. This study demonstrates wine can be used to chronicle changes in environmental lead emissions and is an effective proxy for atmospherically sourced depositions of lead in the absence of air quality data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Program (UARP) and Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program (ACMAP): Research Summaries 1997-1999

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kurylo, M. J.; DeCola, P. L.; Kaye, J. A.

    2000-01-01

    Under the mandate contained in the FY 1976 NASA Authorization Act, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed and is implementing a comprehensive program of research, technology development, and monitoring of the Earth's upper atmosphere, with emphasis on the upper troposphere and stratosphere. This program aims at expanding our chemical and physical understanding to permit both the quantitative analysis of current perturbations as well as the assessment of possible future changes in this important region of our environment. It is carried out jointly by the Upper Atmosphere Research Program (UARP) and the Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program (ACMAP), both managed within the Research Division in the Office of Earth Science at NASA. Significant contributions to this effort have also been provided by the Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project (AEAP) of NASA's Office of Aero-Space Technology. The long-term objectives of the present program are to perform research to: understand the physics, chemistry, and transport processes of the upper troposphere and the stratosphere and their control on the distribution of atmospheric chemical species such as ozone; assess possible perturbations to the composition of the atmosphere caused by human activities and natural phenomena (with a specific emphasis on trace gas geographical distributions, sources, and sinks and the role of trace gases in defining the chemical composition of the upper atmosphere); understand the processes affecting the distributions of radiatively active species in the atmosphere, and the importance of chemical-radiative-dynamical feedbacks on the meteorology and climatology of the stratosphere and troposphere; and understand ozone production, loss, and recovery in an atmosphere with increasing abundances of greenhouse gases. The current report is composed of two parts. Part 1 summarizes the objectives, status, and accomplishments of the research tasks supported

  6. Dynamic model constraints on oxygen-17 depletion in atmospheric O2 after a snowball Earth.

    PubMed

    Cao, Xiaobin; Bao, Huiming

    2013-09-03

    A large perturbation in atmospheric CO2 and O2 or bioproductivity will result in a drastic pulse of (17)O change in atmospheric O2, as seen in the Marinoan Oxygen-17 Depletion (MOSD) event in the immediate aftermath of a global deglaciation 635 Mya. The exact nature of the perturbation, however, is debated. Here we constructed a coupled, four-box, and quick-response biosphere-atmosphere model to examine both the steady state and dynamics of the MOSD event. Our model shows that the ultra-high CO2 concentrations proposed by the "snowball' Earth hypothesis produce a typical MOSD duration of less than 10(6) y and a magnitude of (17)O depletion reaching approximately -35‰. Both numbers are in remarkable agreement with geological constraints from South China and Svalbard. Moderate CO2 and low O2 concentration (e.g., 3,200 parts per million by volume and 0.01 bar, respectively) could produce distinct sulfate (17)O depletion only if postglacial marine bioproductivity was impossibly low. Our dynamic model also suggests that a snowball in which the ocean is isolated from the atmosphere by a continuous ice cover may be distinguished from one in which cracks in the ice permit ocean-atmosphere exchange only if partial pressure of atmospheric O2 is larger than 0.02 bar during the snowball period and records of weathering-derived sulfate are available for the very first few tens of thousands of years after the onset of the meltdown. In any case, a snowball Earth is a precondition for the observed MOSD event.

  7. Composition of early planetary atmospheres - II. Coupled Dust and chemical evolution in protoplanetary discs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cridland, A. J.; Pudritz, Ralph E.; Birnstiel, Tilman; Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Bergin, Edwin A.

    2017-08-01

    We present the next step in a series of papers devoted to connecting the composition of the atmospheres of forming planets with the chemistry of their natal evolving protoplanetary discs. The model presented here computes the coupled chemical and dust evolution of the disc and the formation of three planets per disc model. Our three canonical planet traps produce a Jupiter near 1 AU, a Hot Jupiter and a Super-Earth. We study the dependence of the final orbital radius, mass, and atmospheric chemistry of planets forming in disc models with initial disc masses that vary by 0.02 M⊙ above and below our fiducial model (M_{disc,0} = 0.1 M_{⊙}). We compute C/O and C/N for the atmospheres formed in our three models and find that C/Oplanet ˜ C/O_{disc}, which does not vary strongly between different planets formed in our model. The nitrogen content of atmospheres can vary in planets that grow in different disc models. These differences are related to the formation history of the planet, the time and location that the planet accretes its atmosphere, and are encoded in the bulk abundance of NH3. These results suggest that future observations of atmospheric NH3 and an estimation of the planetary C/O and C/N can inform the formation history of particular planetary systems.

  8. Dynamical Core in Atmospheric Model Does Matter in the Simulation of Arctic Climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jun, Sang-Yoon; Choi, Suk-Jin; Kim, Baek-Min

    2018-03-01

    Climate models using different dynamical cores can simulate significantly different winter Arctic climates even if equipped with virtually the same physics schemes. Current climate simulated by the global climate model using cubed-sphere grid with spectral element method (SE core) exhibited significantly warmer Arctic surface air temperature compared to that using latitude-longitude grid with finite volume method core. Compared to the finite volume method core, SE core simulated additional adiabatic warming in the Arctic lower atmosphere, and this was consistent with the eddy-forced secondary circulation. Downward longwave radiation further enhanced Arctic near-surface warming with a higher surface air temperature of about 1.9 K. Furthermore, in the atmospheric response to the reduced sea ice conditions with the same physical settings, only the SE core showed a robust cooling response over North America. We emphasize that special attention is needed in selecting the dynamical core of climate models in the simulation of the Arctic climate and associated teleconnection patterns.

  9. Static and dynamic strain energy release rates in toughened thermosetting composite laminates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cairns, Douglas S.

    1992-01-01

    In this work, the static and dynamic fracture properties of several thermosetting resin based composite laminates are presented. Two classes of materials are explored. These are homogeneous, thermosetting resins and toughened, multi-phase, thermosetting resin systems. Multi-phase resin materials have shown enhancement over homogenous materials with respect to damage resistance. The development of new dynamic tests are presented for composite laminates based on Width Tapered Double Cantilevered Beam (WTDCB) for Mode 1 fracture and the End Notched Flexure (ENF) specimen. The WTDCB sample was loaded via a low inertia, pneumatic cylinder to produce rapid cross-head displacements. A high rate, piezo-electric load cell and an accelerometer were mounted on the specimen. A digital oscilloscope was used for data acquisition. Typical static and dynamic load versus displacement plots are presented. The ENF specimen was impacted in three point bending with an instrumented impact tower. Fracture initiation and propagation energies under static and dynamic conditions were determined analytically and experimentally. The test results for Mode 1 fracture are relatively insensitive to strain rate effects for the laminates tested in this study. The test results from Mode 2 fracture indicate that the toughened systems provide superior fracture initiation and higher resistance to propagation under dynamic conditions. While the static fracture properties of the homogeneous systems may be relatively high, the apparent Mode 2 dynamic critical strain energy release rate drops significantly. The results indicate that static Mode 2 fracture testing is inadequate for determining the fracture performance of composite structures subjected to conditions such as low velocity impact. A good correlation between the basic Mode 2 dynamic fracture properties and the performance is a combined material/structural Compression After Impact (CAI) test is found. These results underscore the importance of

  10. Nitrogen Isotopic Ratio in Jupiter's Atmosphere from Observations by Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) on the Cassini Spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abbas, M. M.; LeClair, A.; Owen, T.; Conrath, B. J.; Flasar, F. M.; Kunde, V. G.; Nixon, C. A..; Achterberg, R. K.; Bjoraker, G.; Jennings, D. J.

    2003-01-01

    The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) on the Cassini spacecraft made infrared observations of Jupiter's atmosphere during the flyby in December 2000 to January 2001. The unique database in the 600-1400/cm region with 0.53 and 2.8/cm spectral resolutions obtained from the observations permits retrieval of global maps of the thermal structure and composition of Jupiter's atmosphere including the distributions of (14)NH3 and (15)NH3. Analysis of Jupiter's ammonia distributions from three isolated (15)NH3 spectral lines in eight latitudes is presented for evaluation of the nitrogen isotopic ratio. The nitrogen isotopic ratio (14)N/(15)N (or (15)N/(14)N) in Jupiter's atmosphere in this analysis is calculated to be: 448 +/- 62 ((2.23 +/- 0.31) x 10(exp -3)). This value of the ratio determined from CIRS data is found to be in very close agreement with the value previously obtained from the measurements by the Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer. Some possible mechanisms to account for the variation of Jupiter's observed isotopic ratio relative to various astrophysical environments are discussed.

  11. Exploration of the link between Emiliania huxleyi bloom dynamics and aerosol fluxes to the lower Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trainic, M.

    2013-12-01

    shells are emitted as aerosols, but also that aerosol type and therefore chemical composition, microphysical and optical properties depend on the stage of the bloom growth. Unraveling the atmospheric signature of algal bloom dynamics in the ocean will provide novel insights into its ecological and climatic roles.

  12. The atmospheric structure and dynamical properties of Neptune derived from ground-based and IUE spectrophotometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baines, Kevin H.; Smith, Wm. Hayden

    1990-01-01

    A wide range of recent full-disk spectral observations is used to constrain the atmospheric structure and dynamical properties of Neptune; analytical determinations are made of the abundances of such spectrally active gas species as the deep-atmosphere CH4 molar fraction and the mean ortho/para hydrogen ratio in the visible atmosphere, as well as stratospheric and tropospheric aerosol properties. Compared to Uranus, the greater abundance and shorter lifetimes of Neptunian particulates in the stratospheric region irradiated by the solar UV flux indicate that such radiation is the darkening agent of stratospheric aerosols on both planets.

  13. Influence of Atmospheric Processes on the Solubility and Composition of Iron in Saharan Dust.

    PubMed

    Longo, Amelia F; Feng, Yan; Lai, Barry; Landing, William M; Shelley, Rachel U; Nenes, Athanasios; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos; Violaki, Kalliopi; Ingall, Ellery D

    2016-07-05

    Aerosol iron was examined in Saharan dust plumes using a combination of iron near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and wet-chemical techniques. Aerosol samples were collected at three sites located in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and Bermuda to characterize iron at different atmospheric transport lengths and time scales. Iron(III) oxides were a component of aerosols at all sampling sites and dominated the aerosol iron in Mediterranean samples. In Atlantic samples, iron(II and III) sulfate, iron(III) phosphate, and iron(II) silicates were also contributors to aerosol composition. With increased atmospheric transport time, iron(II) sulfates are found to become more abundant, aerosol iron oxidation state became more reduced, and aerosol acidity increased. Atmospheric processing including acidic reactions and photoreduction likely influence the form of iron minerals and oxidation state in Saharan dust aerosols and contribute to increases in aerosol-iron solubility.

  14. Atmospheric dynamics in Laboratory Biosphere with wheat and sweet potato crops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dempster, W. F.; Allen, J. P.; Alling, A.; Nelson, M.; Silvertone, S.; van Thillo, M.

    Laboratory Biosphere is a 40 m3 closed life system equipped with 12000 watts of high pressure sodium lamps over planting beds with 5.37 m2 of soil. Atmospheric composition changes due to photosynthetic fixation of carbon dioxide and corresponding production of oxygen or the reverse, respiration, are observed in short timeframes, eg. hourly. To focus on inherent characteristics of the crop as distinct from its area or the volume of the chamber, we report fixation and respiration rates in millimoles per hour per square meter of planted area. An 85 day crop of USU Apogee wheat under a 16 hour lighted / 8 hour dark regime peaked in fixation rate at about 100 mmol h-1 m-2 approximately 24 days after planting. Light intensity was about 840 mol m-2 s-1. Dark respiration peaked at about 31 mmol h-1 m-2 at the same time. Thereafter, both fixation and respiration declined toward zero as harvest time approached. A residual soil respiration rate of about 1.9 mmol h-1 m-2 was observed in the dark closed chamber for 100 days after the harvest. A 126 day crop of Tuskegee TU-82-155 sweet potato behaved quite differently. Under a 680 mol m-2 s-1, 18 hour lighted / 6 hour dark regime, fixation during lighted hours rose to a plateau ranging from about 27 to 48 mmol h-1 m-2 after 42 days and respiration settled into a range of 12 to 23 mmol h-1 m-2. These rates continued unabated until the harvest at 126 days, suggesting that tuber biomass production might have continued at about the same rate for some time beyond the harvest time that was exercised in this experiment. In both experiments CO2 levels were allowed to range widely from a few hundred ppm to about 3000 ppm, which permitted observation of fixation rates both at varying CO2 concentrations and at each number of days after planting. This enables plotting the fixation rate as a function of both variables. Understanding the atmospheric dynamics of individual crops will be essential for design and atmospheric management of more

  15. Composition and oxidation state of sulfur in atmospheric particulate matter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Longo, Amelia F.; Vine, David J.; King, Laura E.; Oakes, Michelle; Weber, Rodney J.; Huey, Lewis Gregory; Russell, Armistead G.; Ingall, Ellery D.

    2016-10-01

    The chemical and physical speciation of atmospheric sulfur was investigated in ambient aerosol samples using a combination of sulfur near-edge x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (S-NEXFS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopy. These techniques were used to determine the composition and oxidation state of sulfur in common primary emission sources and ambient particulate matter collected from the greater Atlanta area. Ambient particulate matter samples contained two oxidation states: S0 and S+VI. Ninety-five percent of the individual aerosol particles (> 1 µm) analyzed contain S0. Linear combination fitting revealed that S+VI in ambient aerosol was dominated by ammonium sulfate as well as metal sulfates. The finding of metal sulfates provides further evidence for acidic reactions that solubilize metals, such as iron, during atmospheric transport. Emission sources, including biomass burning, coal fly ash, gasoline, diesel, volcanic ash, and aerosolized Atlanta soil, and the commercially available bacterium Bacillus subtilis, contained only S+VI. A commercially available Azotobacter vinelandii sample contained approximately equal proportions of S0 and S+VI. S0 in individual aerosol particles most likely originates from primary emission sources, such as aerosolized bacteria or incomplete combustion.

  16. Large Deformation Dynamic Bending of Composite Beams

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Derian, E. J.; Hyer, M. W.

    1986-01-01

    Studies were conducted on the large deformation response of composite beams subjected to a dynamic axial load. The beams were loaded with a moderate eccentricity to promote bending. The study was primarily experimental but some finite element results were obtained. Both the deformation and the failure of the beams were of interest. The static response of the beams was also studied to determine potential differences between the static and dynamic failure. Twelve different laminate types were tested. The beams were loaded dynamically with a gravity driven impactor traveling at 19.6 ft/sec and quasi-static tests were conducted on identical beams in a displacement controlled manner. For laminates of practical interest, the failure modes under static and dynamic loadings were identical. Failure in most of the laminate types occurred in a single event involving 40% to 50% of the plies. However, failure in laminates with 30 deg or 15 deg off-axis plies occured in several events. All laminates exhibited bimodular elastic properties. Using empirically determined flexural properties, a finite element analysis was reasonably accurate in predicting the static and dynamic deformation response.

  17. Where do winds come from? A new theory on how water vapor condensation influences atmospheric pressure and dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Makarieva, A. M.; Gorshkov, V. G.; Sheil, D.; Nobre, A. D.; Li, B.-L.

    2013-01-01

    Phase transitions of atmospheric water play a ubiquitous role in the Earth's climate system, but their direct impact on atmospheric dynamics has escaped wide attention. Here we examine and advance a theory as to how condensation influences atmospheric pressure through the mass removal of water from the gas phase with a simultaneous account of the latent heat release. Building from fundamental physical principles we show that condensation is associated with a decline in air pressure in the lower atmosphere. This decline occurs up to a certain height, which ranges from 3 to 4 km for surface temperatures from 10 to 30 °C. We then estimate the horizontal pressure differences associated with water vapor condensation and find that these are comparable in magnitude with the pressure differences driving observed circulation patterns. The water vapor delivered to the atmosphere via evaporation represents a store of potential energy available to accelerate air and thus drive winds. Our estimates suggest that the global mean power at which this potential energy is released by condensation is around one per cent of the global solar power - this is similar to the known stationary dissipative power of general atmospheric circulation. We conclude that condensation and evaporation merit attention as major, if previously overlooked, factors in driving atmospheric dynamics.

  18. The United States' Next Generation of Atmospheric Composition and Coastal Ecosystem Measurements: NASA's Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fishman, J.; Iraci, Laura T.; Al-Saddi, J.; Chance, K.; Chavez, F.; Chin, M.; Coble, P.; Davis, C.; DiGiacomo, P. M.; Edwards, D.; hide

    2012-01-01

    The Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) mission was recommended by the National Research Council's (NRC's) Earth Science Decadal Survey to measure tropospheric trace gases and aerosols and coastal ocean phytoplankton, water quality, and biogeochemistry from geostationary orbit, providing continuous observations within the field of view. To fulfill the mandate and address the challenge put forth by the NRC, two GEO-CAPE Science Working Groups (SWGs), representing the atmospheric composition and ocean color disciplines, have developed realistic science objectives using input drawn from several community workshops. The GEO-CAPE mission will take advantage of this revolutionary advance in temporal frequency for both of these disciplines. Multiple observations per day are required to explore the physical, chemical, and dynamical processes that determine tropospheric composition and air quality over spatial scales ranging from urban to continental, and over temporal scales ranging from diurnal to seasonal. Likewise, high-frequency satellite observations are critical to studying and quantifying biological, chemical, and physical processes within the coastal ocean. These observations are to be achieved from a vantage point near 95deg-100degW, providing a complete view of North America as well as the adjacent oceans. The SWGs have also endorsed the concept of phased implementation using commercial satellites to reduce mission risk and cost. GEO-CAPE will join the global constellation of geostationary atmospheric chemistry and coastal ocean color sensors planned to be in orbit in the 2020 time frame.

  19. Off-axis impact of unidirectional composites with cracks: Dynamic stress intensification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sih, G. C.; Chen, E. P.

    1979-01-01

    The dynamic response of unidirectional composites under off axis (angle loading) impact is analyzed by assuming that the composite contains an initial flaw in the matrix material. The analytical method utilizes Fourier transform for the space variable and Laplace transform for the time variable. The off axis impact is separated into two parts, one being symmetric and the other skew-symmetric with reference to the crack plane. Transient boundary conditions of normal and shear tractions are applied to a crack embedded in the matrix of the unidirectional composite. The two boundary conditions are solved independently and the results superimposed. Mathematically, these conditions reduce the problem to a system of dual integral equations which are solved in the Laplace transform plane for the transformation of the dynamic stress intensity factor. The time inversion is carried out numerically for various combinations of the material properties of the composite and the results are displayed graphically.

  20. Hadley cell dynamics of a cold and virtually dry Snowball Earth atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Voigt, Aiko; Held, Isaac; Marotzke, Jochem

    2010-05-01

    We use the full-physics atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM5 to investigate a cold and virtually dry Snowball Earth atmosphere that results from specifying sea ice as the surface boundary condition everywhere, corresponding to a frozen aquaplanet, while keeping total solar irradiance at its present-day value of 1365 Wm-2. The aim of this study is the investigation of the zonal-mean circulation of a Snowball Earth atmosphere, which, due to missing moisture, might constitute an ideal though yet unexplored testbed for theories of atmospheric dynamics. To ease comparison with theories, incoming solar insolation follows permanent equinox conditions with disabled diurnal cycle. The meridional circulation consists of a thermally direct cell extending from the equator to 45 N/S with ascent in the equatorial region, and a weak thermally indirect cell with descent between 45 and 65 N/S and ascent in the polar region. The former cell corresponds to the present-day Earth's Hadley cell, while the latter can be viewed as an eddy-driven Ferrell cell; the present-day Earth's direct polar cell is missing. The Hadley cell itself is subdivided into a vigorous cell confined to the troposphere and a weak deep cell reaching well into the stratosphere. The dynamics of the vigorous Snowball Earth Hadley cell differ substantially from the dynamics of the present-day Hadley cell. The zonal momentum balance shows that in the poleward branch of the vigorous Hadley cell, mean flow meridional advection of absolute vorticity is not only balanced by eddy momentum flux convergence but also by vertical diffusion. Inside the poleward branch, eddies are more important in the upper part and vertical diffusion is more important in the lower part. Vertical diffusion also contributes to the meridional momentum balance as it decelerates the vigorous Hadley cell by downgradient momentum mixing between its poleward and equatorward branch. Zonal winds, therefore, are not in thermal wind balance in

  1. C/O Ratios In Exoplanetary Atmospheres - New Results And Major Implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madhusudhan, Nikku

    2012-01-01

    Recent observations are allowing unprecedented constraints on the carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratios of giant exoplanetary atmospheres. Atmospheric C/O ratios provide important constraints on chemical and dynamical processes in the atmospheres, and on the planetary interior compositions and formation scenarios. In addition, for super-Earths, the potential availability of water and oxygen, and hence the notion of `habitability', is contingent on the C/O ratio assumed. Typically, an oxygen-rich composition, motivated by the solar nebula C/O of 0.5, is assumed in models of exoplanetary formation, interiors, and atmospheres. However, recent observations of exoplanetary atmospheres are suggesting the possibility of C/O ratios of 1.0 or higher, motivating the new class of Carbon-rich Planets (CRPs). In this talk, we will present observational constraints on atmospheric C/O ratios for an ensemble of transiting exoplanets and discuss their implications on the various aspects of exoplanetary characterization described above. Motivated by these results, we propose a two-dimensional classification scheme for irradiated giant exoplanets in which the incident irradiation and the atmospheric C/O ratio are the two dimensions. We demonstrate that some of the extreme anomalies reported in the literature for hot Jupiter atmospheres can be explained based on this 2-D scheme. An overview of new theoretical avenues and observational efforts underway for chemical characterization of extrasolar planets, from hot Jupiters to super-Earths, will be presented.

  2. Touring the saturnian system: the atmospheres of titan and saturn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Owen, Tobias; Gautier, Daniel

    2002-07-01

    This report follows the presentation originally given in the ESA Phase A Study for the Cassini Huygens Mission. The combination of the Huygens atmospheric probe into Titan's atmosphere with the Cassini orbiter allows for both in-situ and remote-sensing observations of Titan. This not only provides a rich harvest of data about Saturn's famous satellite but will permit a useful calibration of the remote-sensing instruments which will also be used on Saturn itself. Composition, thermal structure, dynamics, aeronomy, magnetosphere interactions and origins will all be investigated for the two atmospheres, and the spacecraft will also deliver information on the interiors of both Titan and Saturn. As the surface of Titan is intimately linked with the atmosphere, we also discuss some of the surface studies that will be carried out by both probe and orbiter.

  3. Diurnal Dynamics of Standard Deviations of Three Wind Velocity Components in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shamanaeva, L. G.; Krasnenko, N. P.; Kapegesheva, O. F.

    2018-04-01

    Diurnal dynamics of the standard deviation (SD) of three wind velocity components measured with a minisodar in the atmospheric boundary layer is analyzed. Statistical analysis of measurement data demonstrates that the SDs for x- and y-components σx and σy lie in the range from 0.2 to 4 m/s, and σz = 0.1-1.2 m/s. The increase of σx and σy with the altitude is described sufficiently well by a power law with exponent changing from 0.22 to 1.3 depending on time of day, and σz increases by a linear law. Approximation constants are determined and errors of their application are estimated. It is found that the maximal diurnal spread of SD values is 56% for σx and σy and 94% for σz. The established physical laws and the obtained approximation constants allow the diurnal dynamics of the SDs for three wind velocity components in the atmospheric boundary layer to be determined and can be recommended for application in models of the atmospheric boundary layer.

  4. Composition of semi-volatile organic compounds in the urban atmosphere of Singapore: influence of biomass burning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, J.; Zielinska, B.; Balasubramanian, R.

    2010-04-01

    An intensive field study was conducted in the urban atmosphere of Singapore to investigate the composition of organic compounds in both gaseous and particulate phases during the period of August to early November 2006. 17 atmospheric samples were collected. These samples were subjected to accelerated solvent extraction with a mixture of dichloromethane and acetone and separated into functional group fractions for analyses by GC/MS. Over 180 organic compounds belonging to three major fractions (n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polar organic compounds (POCs)) were identified and quantified. The characteristics and abundance of the n-alkanes, PAHs, mono and dicarboxylic acids, methoxylated phenols and other POCs were determined. The composition of these organic compounds fluctuated temporally with most of them being relatively higher in October than those in other months of the sampling period. 3-D backward air mass trajectory analyses together with the carbon preference index (CPI), molecular diagnostic ratios and molecular markers were used to investigate the origin of organic species measured in this study. Based on these diagnostic tools, the increased abundance of atmospheric organic species during October could be attributed to the occurrence of regional smoke haze episodes due to biomass burning in Indonesia. Among the POCs investigated, phthalic acid and cis-pinonic acid showed a strong linear relationship with maximum daily ozone concentration, indicating secondary organic aerosols (SOA) to be an important contributor to ambient atmospheric organics over Singapore.

  5. Comparison of Dynamic Characteristics for an Inflatable Solar Concentrator in Atmospheric and Thermal Vacuum Conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Slade, Kara N.; Tinker, Michael L.; Lassiter, John O.; Engberg, Robert

    2000-01-01

    Dynamic testing of an inflatable solar concentrator structure in a thermal vacuum chamber as well as in ambient laboratory conditions is described in detail. Unique aspects of modal testing for the extremely lightweight inflatable are identified, including the use of a noncontacting laser vibrometer measurement system. For the thermal vacuum environment, mode shapes and frequency response functions are compared for three different test article inflation pressures at room temperature. Modes that persist through all the inflation pressure regimes are identified, as well as modes that are unique for each pressure. In atmospheric pressure and room temperature conditions, dynamic measurements were obtained for the expected operational inflation pressure of 0.5 psig. Experimental mode shapes and frequency response functions for ambient conditions are described and compared to the 0.5 psig results from the thermal vacuum tests. Only a few mode shapes were identified that occurred in both vacuum and atmospheric environments. This somewhat surprising result is discussed in detail, and attributed at least partly to 1.) large differences in modal damping, and 2.) significant differences in the mass of air contained by the structure, in the two environments. Results of this investigation point out the necessity of testing inflatable space structures in vacuum conditions before they can be launched. Ground testing in atmospheric pressure is not sufficient for predicting on-orbit dynamics of non-rigidized inflatable systems.

  6. The Galileo probe mass spectrometer: composition of Jupiter's atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Niemann, H. B.; Atreya, S. K.; Carignan, G. R.; Donahue, T. M.; Haberman, J. A.; Harpold, D. N.; Hartle, R. E.; Hunten, D. M.; Kasprzak, W. T.; Mahaffy, P. R.; hide

    1996-01-01

    The composition of the jovian atmosphere from 0.5 to 21 bars along the descent trajectory was determined by a quadrupole mass spectrometer on the Galileo probe. The mixing ratio of He (helium) to H2 (hydrogen), 0.156, is close to the solar ratio. The abundances of methane, water, argon, neon, and hydrogen sulfide were measured; krypton and xenon were detected. As measured in the jovian atmosphere, the amount of carbon is 2.9 times the solar abundance relative to H2, the amount of sulfur is greater than the solar abundance, and the amount of oxygen is much less than the solar abundance. The neon abundance compared with that of hydrogen is about an order of magnitude less than the solar abundance. Isotopic ratios of carbon and the noble gases are consistent with solar values. The measured ratio of deuterium to hydrogen (D/H) of (5 +/- 2) x 10(-5) indicates that this ratio is greater in solar-system hydrogen than in local interstellar hydrogen, and the 3He/4He ratio of (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(-4) provides a new value for protosolar (solar nebula) helium isotopes. Together, the D/H and 3He/4He ratios are consistent with conversion in the sun of protosolar deuterium to present-day 3He.

  7. The Galileo probe mass spectrometer: composition of Jupiter's atmosphere.

    PubMed

    Niemann, H B; Atreya, S K; Carignan, G R; Donahue, T M; Haberman, J A; Harpold, D N; Hartle, R E; Hunten, D M; Kasprzak, W T; Mahaffy, P R; Owen, T C; Spencer, N W; Way, S H

    1996-05-10

    The composition of the jovian atmosphere from 0.5 to 21 bars along the descent trajectory was determined by a quadrupole mass spectrometer on the Galileo probe. The mixing ratio of He (helium) to H2 (hydrogen), 0.156, is close to the solar ratio. The abundances of methane, water, argon, neon, and hydrogen sulfide were measured; krypton and xenon were detected. As measured in the jovian atmosphere, the amount of carbon is 2.9 times the solar abundance relative to H2, the amount of sulfur is greater than the solar abundance, and the amount of oxygen is much less than the solar abundance. The neon abundance compared with that of hydrogen is about an order of magnitude less than the solar abundance. Isotopic ratios of carbon and the noble gases are consistent with solar values. The measured ratio of deuterium to hydrogen (D/H) of (5 +/- 2) x 10(-5) indicates that this ratio is greater in solar-system hydrogen than in local interstellar hydrogen, and the 3He/4He ratio of (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(-4) provides a new value for protosolar (solar nebula) helium isotopes. Together, the D/H and 3He/4He ratios are consistent with conversion in the sun of protosolar deuterium to present-day 3He.

  8. Study of the chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol particles in Hungary: a review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mészáros, E.

    The methods used in Hungarian laboratories to study the chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol particles over the last 30 years are reviewed. Individual particles were identified by topochemical techniques and morphological identification with an electron microscope. Bulk analyses were also carried out by applying wet chemical methods, and more recently by the PIXE procedure. The results gained are summarized in connection with the general development of atmospheric aerosol science during the last decades. These studies demonstrated that cloud condensation nuclei are water soluble Aitken sized particles which are composed of sulfates. Neutralized and acidic sulfate particles constitute the main class of fine aerosol particles under continental and oceanic background conditions. Coarse particles contain mostly sodium, silicon and aluminium. The formation and origin of particles in different size ranges are also discussed.

  9. Impacts of aerosol direct effects on tropospheric ozone through changes in atmospheric dynamics and photolysis rates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xing, Jia; Wang, Jiandong; Mathur, Rohit; Wang, Shuxiao; Sarwar, Golam; Pleim, Jonathan; Hogrefe, Christian; Zhang, Yuqiang; Jiang, Jingkun; Wong, David C.; Hao, Jiming

    2017-08-01

    Aerosol direct effects (ADEs), i.e., scattering and absorption of incoming solar radiation, reduce radiation reaching the ground and the resultant photolysis attenuation can decrease ozone (O3) formation in polluted areas. One the other hand, evidence also suggests that ADE-associated cooling suppresses atmospheric ventilation, thereby enhancing surface-level O3. Assessment of ADE impacts is thus important for understanding emission reduction strategies that seek co-benefits associated with reductions in both particulate matter and O3 levels. This study quantifies the impacts of ADEs on tropospheric ozone by using a two-way online coupled meteorology and atmospheric chemistry model, WRF-CMAQ, using a process analysis methodology. Two manifestations of ADE impacts on O3 including changes in atmospheric dynamicsDynamics) and changes in photolysis rates (ΔPhotolysis) were assessed separately through multiple scenario simulations for January and July of 2013 over China. Results suggest that ADEs reduced surface daily maxima 1 h O3 (DM1O3) in China by up to 39 µg m-3 through the combination of ΔDynamics and ΔPhotolysis in January but enhanced surface DM1O3 by up to 4 µg m-3 in July. Increased O3 in July is largely attributed to ΔDynamics, which causes a weaker O3 sink of dry deposition and a stronger O3 source of photochemistry due to the stabilization of the atmosphere. Meanwhile, surface OH is also enhanced at noon in July, though its daytime average values are reduced in January. An increased OH chain length and a shift towards more volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited conditions are found due to ADEs in both January and July. This study suggests that reducing ADEs may have the potential risk of increasing O3 in winter, but it will benefit the reduction in maxima O3 in summer.

  10. Composition of Cosmic Ray Particles in the Atmosphere as Measured by the CAPRICE98 Balloon Borne Apparatus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mocchiutti, E.; Ambriola, M.; Bartalucci, S.; Bellotti, R.; Bergström, D.; Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Bravar, U.; Cafagna, F.; Carlson, P.; Casolino, M.; Ciacio, F.; Circella, M.; De Marzo, C. N.; De Pascale, M. P.; Francke, T.; Hansen, P.; Hof, M.; Kremer, J.; Menn, W.; Mitchell, J. W.; Morselli, A.; Ormes, J. F.; Papini, P.; Stephens, S. A.; Stochaj, S. J.; Streitmatter, R. E.; Suffert, M.; Vacchi, A.; Vannuccini, E.; Zampa, N.

    2003-07-01

    We report a measurement of the composition and spectra of both the primary and secondary cosmic ray particles at different depths in the atmosphere. The data were collected by the balloon-b orne experiment CAPRICE98 during the ascent of the payload on 28 May 1998 from Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The identification of various kinds of particles, such as, protons, deuterons, helium nuclei, electrons and positrons was possible in various energy ranges depending on the kind of particle and the particle background at different residual atmosphere. These measurements, together with the atmospheric muon spectra, will allow fine-tuning of models used in air shower simulations.

  11. A stochastic-dynamic model for global atmospheric mass field statistics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ghil, M.; Balgovind, R.; Kalnay-Rivas, E.

    1981-01-01

    A model that yields the spatial correlation structure of atmospheric mass field forecast errors was developed. The model is governed by the potential vorticity equation forced by random noise. Expansion in spherical harmonics and correlation function was computed analytically using the expansion coefficients. The finite difference equivalent was solved using a fast Poisson solver and the correlation function was computed using stratified sampling of the individual realization of F(omega) and hence of phi(omega). A higher order equation for gamma was derived and solved directly in finite differences by two successive applications of the fast Poisson solver. The methods were compared for accuracy and efficiency and the third method was chosen as clearly superior. The results agree well with the latitude dependence of observed atmospheric correlation data. The value of the parameter c sub o which gives the best fit to the data is close to the value expected from dynamical considerations.

  12. Evaluating Changes In the Elemental Composition of Micrometeorites During Entry into the Earth’s Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rudraswami, N. G.; Shyam Prasad, M.; Dey, S.; Plane, J. M. C.; Feng, W.; Taylor, S.

    2015-11-01

    We evaluate the heating of extraterrestrial particles entering the atmosphere using the comprehensive chemical ablation model (CABMOD). This model predicts the ablation rates of individual elements in a particle with a defined size, composition, entry velocity, and entry angle with respect to the zenith (ZA). In the present study, bulk chemical analyses of 1133 Antarctica micrometeorites (collected from the south pole water well) are interpreted using CABMOD. The marked spread in Fe/Si values in unmelted, partially melted, and melted micrometeorites is explained by the loss of relatively volatile Fe during atmospheric entry. The combined theoretical modeling and elemental composition of the micrometeorites (Mg/Si ratios) suggest that ˜85% of particles have a provenance of carbonaceous chondrites, the remaining ˜15% are either ordinary or enstatite chondrites. About 65% of the micrometeorites have undergone <20% ablation, while a further 20% have lost between 20% and 60% of their original mass. This has implications for understanding the micrometeorite flux that reaches the Earth's surface, as well as estimating the pre-atmospheric size of the particles. Our work shows that the unmelted particles that contribute ˜50% to the total micrometeorite collection on Earth's surface have a small entry zone: ZA = 60°-90° if the entry velocity is ˜11 km s-1, and ZA = 80°-90° for >11-21 km s-1.

  13. Dynamics and composition of the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gottschaldt, Klaus-Dirk; Schlager, Hans; Baumann, Robert; Sinh Cai, Duy; Eyring, Veronika; Graf, Phoebe; Grewe, Volker; Jöckel, Patrick; Jurkat-Witschas, Tina; Voigt, Christiane; Zahn, Andreas; Ziereis, Helmut

    2018-04-01

    This study places HALO research aircraft observations in the upper-tropospheric Asian summer monsoon anticyclone (ASMA) into the context of regional, intra-annual variability by hindcasts with the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model. The observations were obtained during the Earth System Model Validation (ESMVal) campaign in September 2012. Observed and simulated tracer-tracer relations reflect photochemical O3 production as well as in-mixing from the lower troposphere and the tropopause layer. The simulations demonstrate that tropospheric trace gas profiles in the monsoon season are distinct from those in the rest of the year, and the measurements reflect the main processes acting throughout the monsoon season. Net photochemical O3 production is significantly enhanced in the ASMA, where uplifted precursors meet increased NOx, mainly produced by lightning. An analysis of multiple monsoon seasons in the simulation shows that stratospherically influenced tropopause layer air is regularly entrained at the eastern ASMA flank and then transported in the southern fringe around the interior region. Radial transport barriers of the circulation are effectively overcome by subseasonal dynamical instabilities of the anticyclone, which occur quite frequently and are of paramount importance for the trace gas composition of the ASMA. Both the isentropic entrainment of O3-rich air and the photochemical conversion of uplifted O3-poor air tend to increase O3 in the ASMA outflow.

  14. Chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols resolved via positive matrix factorization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Äijälä, Mikko; Junninen, Heikki; Heikkinen, Liine; Petäjä, Tuukka; Kulmala, Markku; Worsnop, Douglas; Ehn, Mikael

    2017-04-01

    Atmospheric particulate matter is a complex mixture of various chemical species such as organic compounds, sulfates, nitrates, ammonia, chlorides, black carbon and sea salt. As aerosol chemical composition strongly influences aerosol climate effects (via cloud condensation nucleus activation, hygroscopic properties, aerosol optics, volatility and condensation) as well as health effects (toxicity, carcinogenicity, particle morphology), detailed understanding of atmospheric fine particle composition is widely beneficial for understanding these interactions. Unfortunately the comprehensive, detailed measurement of aerosol chemistry remains difficult due to the wide range of compounds present in the atmosphere as well as for the miniscule mass of the particles themselves compared to their carrier gas. Aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS; Canagaratna et al., 2007) is an instrument often used for characterization of non-refractive aerosol types: the near-universal vaporization and ionisation technique allows for measurement of most atmospheric-relevant compounds (with the notable exception of refractory matter such as sea salt, black carbon, metals and crustal matter). The downside of the hard ionisation applied is extensive fragmentation of sample molecules. However, the apparent loss of information in fragmentation can be partly offset by applying advanced statistical methods to extract information from the fragmentation patterns. In aerosol mass spectrometry statistical analysis methods, such as positive matrix factorization (PMF; Paatero, 1999) are usually applied for aerosol organic component only, to keep the number of factors to be resolved manageable, to retain the inorganic components for solution validation via correlation analysis, and to avoid inorganic species dominating the factor model. However, this practice smears out the interactions between organic and inorganic chemical components, and hinders the understanding of the connections between primary and

  15. Influence of atmospheric processes on the solubility and composition of iron in Saharan dust

    DOE PAGES

    Longo, Amelia F.; Feng, Yan; Lai, Barry; ...

    2016-06-10

    Aerosol iron was examined in Saharan dust plumes using a combination of iron near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and wet-chemical techniques. Aerosol samples were collected at three sites located in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and Bermuda to characterize iron at different atmospheric transport lengths and time scales. Iron(III) oxides were a component of aerosols at all sampling sites and dominated the aerosol iron in Mediterranean samples. In Atlantic samples, iron(II and III) sulfate, iron(III) phosphate, and iron(II) silicates were also contributors to aerosol composition. With increased atmospheric transport time, iron(II) sulfates are found to become more abundant, aerosol iron oxidation statemore » became more reduced, and aerosol acidity increased. As a result, atmospheric processing including acidic reactions and photoreduction likely influence the form of iron minerals and oxidation state in Saharan dust aerosols and contribute to increases in aerosol-iron solubility.« less

  16. Polynya dynamics and associated atmospheric forcing at the Ronne Ice Shelf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebner, Lars; Heinemann, Günther

    2014-05-01

    The Ronne Ice Shelf is known as one of the most active regions of polynya developments around the Antarctic continent. Low temperatures are prevailing throughout the whole year, particularly in winter. It is generally recognized that polynya formations are primarily forced by offshore winds and secondarily by ocean currents. Many authors have addressed this issue previously at the Ross Ice Shelf and Adélie Coast and connected polynya dynamics to strong katabatic surge events. Such investigations of atmospheric dynamics and simultaneous polynya occurrence are still severely underrepresented for the southwestern part of the Weddell Sea and especially for the Ronne Ice Shelf. Due to the very flat terrain gradients of the ice shelf katabatic winds are of minor importance in that area. Other atmospheric processes must therefore play a crucial role for polynya developments at the Ronne Ice Shelf. High-resolution simulations have been carried out for the Weddell Sea region using the non-hydrostatic NWP model COSMO from the German Meteorological Service (DWD). For the austral autumn and winter (March to August) 2008 daily forecast simulations were conducted with the consideration of daily sea-ice coverage deduced from the passive microwave system AMSR-E. These simulations are used to analyze the synoptic and mesoscale atmospheric dynamics of the Weddell Sea region and find linkages to polynya occurrence at the Ronne Ice Shelf. For that reason, the relation between the surface wind speed, the synoptic pressure gradient in the free atmosphere and polynya area is investigated. Seven significant polynya events are identified for the simulation period, three in the autumn and four in the winter season. It can be shown that in almost all cases synoptic cyclones are the primary polynya forcing systems. In most cases the timely interaction of several passing cyclones in the northern and central Weddell Sea leads to maintenance of a strong synoptic pressure gradient above the

  17. Martian atmospheric O3 retrieval development for the NOMAD-UVIS spectrometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hewson, W.; Mason, J. P.; Leese, M.; Hathi, B.; Holmes, J.; Lewis, S. R.; Iriwin, P. G. J.; Patel, M. R.

    2017-09-01

    The composition of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols is a highly variable and poorly constrained component of the martian atmosphere, and by affecting martian climate and UV surface dose, represents a key parameter in the assessment of suitability for martian habitability. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) carries the Open University (OU) designed Ultraviolet and VIsible Spectrometer (UVIS) instrument as part of the Belgian-led Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) spectrometer suite. NOMAD will begin transmitting science observations of martian surface and atmosphere back-scattered UltraViolet (UV) and visible radiation in Spring 2018, which will be processed to derive spatially and temporally averaged atmospheric trace gas and aerosol concentrations, intended to provide a better understanding of martian atmospheric photo-chemistry and dynamics, and will also improve models of martian atmospheric chemistry, climate and habitability. Work presented here illustrates initial development and testing of the OU's new retrieval algorithm for determining O3 and aerosol concentrations from the UVIS instrument.

  18. Experiments of reconstructing discrete atmospheric dynamic models from data (I)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Zhenshan; Zhu, Yanyu; Deng, Ziwang

    1995-03-01

    In this paper, we give some experimental results of our study in reconstructing discrete atmospheric dynamic models from data. After a great deal of numerical experiments, we found that the logistic map, x n + 1 = 1- μx {2/n}, could be used in monthly mean temperature prediction when it was approaching the chaotic region, and its predictive results were in reverse states to the practical data. This means that the nonlinear developing behavior of the monthly mean temperature system is bifurcating back into the critical chaotic states from the chaotic ones.

  19. Multi-scale compositionality: identifying the compositional structures of social dynamics using deep learning.

    PubMed

    Peng, Huan-Kai; Marculescu, Radu

    2015-01-01

    Social media exhibit rich yet distinct temporal dynamics which cover a wide range of different scales. In order to study this complex dynamics, two fundamental questions revolve around (1) the signatures of social dynamics at different time scales, and (2) the way in which these signatures interact and form higher-level meanings. In this paper, we propose the Recursive Convolutional Bayesian Model (RCBM) to address both of these fundamental questions. The key idea behind our approach consists of constructing a deep-learning framework using specialized convolution operators that are designed to exploit the inherent heterogeneity of social dynamics. RCBM's runtime and convergence properties are guaranteed by formal analyses. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches both in terms of solution quality and computational efficiency. Indeed, by applying the proposed method on two social network datasets, Twitter and Yelp, we are able to identify the compositional structures that can accurately characterize the complex social dynamics from these two social media. We further show that identifying these patterns can enable new applications such as anomaly detection and improved social dynamics forecasting. Finally, our analysis offers new insights on understanding and engineering social media dynamics, with direct applications to opinion spreading and online content promotion.

  20. Multi-Scale Compositionality: Identifying the Compositional Structures of Social Dynamics Using Deep Learning

    PubMed Central

    Peng, Huan-Kai; Marculescu, Radu

    2015-01-01

    Objective Social media exhibit rich yet distinct temporal dynamics which cover a wide range of different scales. In order to study this complex dynamics, two fundamental questions revolve around (1) the signatures of social dynamics at different time scales, and (2) the way in which these signatures interact and form higher-level meanings. Method In this paper, we propose the Recursive Convolutional Bayesian Model (RCBM) to address both of these fundamental questions. The key idea behind our approach consists of constructing a deep-learning framework using specialized convolution operators that are designed to exploit the inherent heterogeneity of social dynamics. RCBM’s runtime and convergence properties are guaranteed by formal analyses. Results Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches both in terms of solution quality and computational efficiency. Indeed, by applying the proposed method on two social network datasets, Twitter and Yelp, we are able to identify the compositional structures that can accurately characterize the complex social dynamics from these two social media. We further show that identifying these patterns can enable new applications such as anomaly detection and improved social dynamics forecasting. Finally, our analysis offers new insights on understanding and engineering social media dynamics, with direct applications to opinion spreading and online content promotion. PMID:25830775

  1. Venus atmosphere from Venus Express

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Titov, Dmitri; Taylor, Fredric W.; Svedhem, Håkan; Titov, D.; Svedhem, H.; Taylor, F. W.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Drossart, P.; Haeusler, B.; Korablev, O. I.; Markiewicz, W. J.; Paetzold, M.; Piccioni, G.; Vandaele, A.-C.

    Since April 2006 Venus Express has been performing a global survey of the remarkably dense, cloudy, and dynamic atmosphere of our near neighbour. A consistent picture of the climate on Venus is emerging on the basis of the new data on the global temperature structure, the com-position and its variations, the cloud morphology at various levels, the atmospheric dynamics and general circulation, and near-infrared emissions from trace species such as oxygen in the mesosphere. Vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature in the mesosphere and upper tropo-sphere show strong variability correlated with changes in the cloud top structure and many fine details indicating dynamical processes. Temperature sounding also shows that the main cloud deck at 50-60 km is convectively unstable over large portion of the planet, in agreement with the analysis of UV images. Imaging also reveals strong latitudinal variations and significant temporal changes in the global cloud top morphology, which will inevitably modulate the solar energy deposited in the atmosphere. The cloud top altitude varies from 72 km in the low and middle latitudes to 64 km in the polar region, marking vast polar depressions that form as a re-sult of the Hadley-type meridional circulation. Stellar and solar occultation measurements have revealed an extended upper haze of submicron particles and provided information on its optical properties. Solar occultation observations and deep atmosphere spectroscopy have quantified the distribution of the major trace gases H2O, SO2, CO, COS above and below the clouds, and so provided important input and validation for models of chemical cycles and dynamical trans-port. Cloud motion monitoring has characterised the mean state of the atmospheric circulation as well as its variability. Low and middle latitudes show an almost constant zonal wind speed of 100+/-20 m/s at the cloud tops and vertical wind shear of 2-3 m/s/km. Towards the pole, the wind speed drops quickly and the

  2. Impact processes and the atmospheric composition of giant planets: lessons learned from the Solar System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turrini, Diego; Grassi, Davide; Adriani, Alberto; Piccioni, Giuseppe; Altieri, Francesca; Barbieri, Mauro

    Over the last twenty years, the search for extrasolar planets revealed us the rich diversity of the outcomes of the processes shaping the formation and evolution of planetary systems. More recently, ground-based and space-based observations started to complement this information with the first data on the atmospheric composition of extrasolar planets. The full exploitation of the data that space-based and ground-based facilities will provide in growing number in the near future, however, requires that we improve our understanding of what are the sources and sinks of the chemical species and molecules that will be observed. Luckily, the study of the past history of the Solar System provides several indications on the effects of processes like migration, late accretion and secular impacts, and on the time they occur in the life of planetary systems. Here we will discuss what is already known about the factors influencing the composition of planetary atmospheres, focusing on the case of gaseous giant planets, and what instead still need to be investigated.

  3. An Overview of UAS Used in NASA Atmospheric Science Investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schoenung, S.; Fladeland, M. M.; Cutler, F. W.; Cahill, S. A.

    2017-12-01

    NASA's unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have been utilized in many science missions, going all the way back to 1993. Some of these missions have targeted imagery (fire, vegetation) and surface measurements, but many have been applied to atmospheric research, both physical (dynamics, weather, etc.) and chemical (e.g., composition). NASA's largest UAS, the Global Hawk, has been used to study atmospheric composition at the tropical tropopause in the Airborne Tropical TRopopause EXperiment (ATTREX) mission, where the benefit of the UAS was long range and especially duration of up to 24 hours. Other atmospheric missions included Global Hawk Pacific (GloPac), the first atmospheric chemistry mission, and Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP), the first hurricane mission. Two Global Hawks were used in the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinal (HS3) mission to observe hurricane development. Again, long duration at altitude was the significant feature of the UAS. At the smallest scale, NASA has flown DragonEye UAS to measure volcanic gas emissions in both Costa Rica and Hawaii. The small DragonEye could sample gases in hazardous locations where manned aircraft could not fly. At mid-size, the NASA SIERRA UAS has flown imaging payloads and chemical remote sensing instruments in local and international settings. These experiences provide direction for best use of UAS in atmospheric science, which will be presented. New capabilities for future investigations will also be presented.

  4. Exo-Transmit: An Open-Source Code for Calculating Transmission Spectra for Exoplanet Atmospheres of Varied Composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kempton, Eliza M.-R.; Lupu, Roxana; Owusu-Asare, Albert; Slough, Patrick; Cale, Bryson

    2017-04-01

    We present Exo-Transmit, a software package to calculate exoplanet transmission spectra for planets of varied composition. The code is designed to generate spectra of planets with a wide range of atmospheric composition, temperature, surface gravity, and size, and is therefore applicable to exoplanets ranging in mass and size from hot Jupiters down to rocky super-Earths. Spectra can be generated with or without clouds or hazes with options to (1) include an optically thick cloud deck at a user-specified atmospheric pressure or (2) to augment the nominal Rayleigh scattering by a user-specified factor. The Exo-Transmit code is written in C and is extremely easy to use. Typically the user will only need to edit parameters in a single user input file in order to run the code for a planet of their choosing. Exo-Transmit is available publicly on Github with open-source licensing at https://github.com/elizakempton/Exo_Transmit.

  5. Evaluation of experimental methods for determining dynamic stiffness and damping of composite materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bert, C. W.; Clary, R. R.

    1974-01-01

    Various methods potentially usable for determining dynamic stiffness and damping of composite materials are reviewed. Of these, the following most widely used techniques are singled out for more detailed discussion: free vibration, pulse propagation, and forced vibration response. To illustrate the usefulness and validity of dynamic property data, their application in dynamic analyses and comparison with measured structural response are described for the following composite-material structures: free-free sandwich beam with glass-epoxy facings, clamped-edge sandwich plate with similar facings, free-end sandwich conical shell with similar facings, and boron-epoxy free plate with layers arranged at various orientations.

  6. Exoplanet atmospheres: a brand-new and rapidly expanding research field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    López-Morales, M.

    2011-11-01

    The field of exoplanets is quickly expanding from just the detectionof new planets and the measurement of their most basic parameters,such as mass, radius and orbital configuration, to the firstmeasurements of their atmospheric characteristics, such astemperature, chemical composition, albedo, dynamics andstructure. Here I will overview some the main findings on exoplanetatmospheres until September 2010, first from space and just in thepast two years also from the ground.

  7. Dynamic Stiffness Modeling of Composite Plate and Shell Assemblies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-09

    FA8655-10-1-3084 Report 6 Dynamic Stiffness Modelling of Plate and Shell Assemblies 4 Introduction Aerospace structures are generally made up of thin ...Sound and Vibration, 294(1- 2):131–161, 2006. [23] Y. F. Xing and B. Liu. New exact solutions for free vibrations of thin orthotropic rectangular plates ...Structures, 89(5–6):467–475, 2011. [80] A.Y.T. Leung. Dynamic stiffness analysis of laminated composite plates . Thin - Walled Structures, 25:109–133, 1996

  8. Damage and fracture in fabric-reinforced composites under quasi-static and dynamic bending

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ullah, H.; Harland, A. R.; Silberschmidt, V. V.

    2013-07-01

    Fabric-reinforced polymer composites used in sports products can be exposed to different in-service conditions such as large deformations caused by quasi-static and dynamic loading. Composite materials subjected to such bending loads can demonstrate various damage modes - matrix cracking, delamination and, ultimately, fabric fracture. Damage evolution in composites affects both their in-service properties and performance that can deteriorate with time. Such behaviour needs adequate means of analysis and investigation, the main approaches being experimental characterisation and non-destructive examination of internal damage in composite laminates. This research deals with a deformation behaviour and damage in carbon fabric-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates caused by quasi-static and dynamic bending. Experimental tests were carried out to characterise the behaviour of a CFRP material under large-deflection bending, first in quasi-static and then in dynamic conditions. Izod-type impact bending tests were performed on un-notched specimens of CFRP using a Resil impactor to assess the transient response and energy absorbing capability of the material. X-ray micro computed tomography (micro-CT) was used to analyse various damage modes in the tested specimens. X-ray tomographs revealed that through-thickness matrix cracking, inter-ply and intra-ply delamination such as tow debonding, and fabric fracture were the prominent damage modes both in quasi-static and dynamic test specimens. However, the inter-ply damage was localised at impact location in dynamically tested specimens, whereas in the quasi-static specimens, it spread almost over the entire interface.

  9. Design and implementation of a control structure for quality products in a crude oil atmospheric distillation column.

    PubMed

    Sotelo, David; Favela-Contreras, Antonio; Sotelo, Carlos; Jiménez, Guillermo; Gallegos-Canales, Luis

    2017-11-01

    In recent years, interest for petrochemical processes has been increasing, especially in refinement area. However, the high variability in the dynamic characteristics present in the atmospheric distillation column poses a challenge to obtain quality products. To improve distillates quality in spite of the changes in the input crude oil composition, this paper details a new design of a control strategy in a conventional crude oil distillation plant defined using formal interaction analysis tools. The process dynamic and its control are simulated on Aspen HYSYS ® dynamic environment under real operating conditions. The simulation results are compared against a typical control strategy commonly used in crude oil atmospheric distillation columns. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Exploration of Venus' Deep Atmosphere and Surface Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glaze, L. S.; Amato, M.; Garvin, J. B.; Johnson, N. M.

    2017-01-01

    Venus formed in the same part of our solar system as Earth, apparently from similar materials. Although both planets are about the same size, their differences are profound. Venus and Earth experienced vastly different evolutionary pathways resulting in unexplained differences in atmospheric composition and dynamics, as well as in geophysical processes of the planetary surfaces and interiors. Understanding when and why the evolutionary pathways of Venus and Earth diverged is key to understanding how terrestrial planets form and how their atmospheres and surfaces evolve. Measurements made in situ, within the near-surface or surface environment, are critical to addressing unanswered questions. We have made substantial progress modernizing and maturing pressure vessel technologies to enable science operations in the high temperature and pressure near-surface/surfaceenvironment of Venus.

  11. Predicting response of fuel load to future changes in climate and atmospheric composition in the Southern United States.

    Treesearch

    Chi Zhang; Hanqin Tian; Yuhang Wang; Tao Zeng; Yongqiang Liu

    2010-01-01

    The model projected ecosystem carbon dynamics were incorporated into the default (contemporary) fuel load map developed by FCCS (Fuel Characteristic Classification System) to estimate the dynamics of fuel load in the Southern United States in response to projected changes in climate and atmosphere (CO2 and nitrogen deposition) from 2002 to 2050. The study results...

  12. Non-equilibrium effects in atmospheric characteristic oscillations due to radiation balance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nurgaliyeva, K. E.; Somsikov, V. M.

    2008-12-01

    Nowadays researches on global change of climate are faces the challenge of insufficient development of open system theory. In this connection the problem of energy and entropy exchange process between solar radiation and atmospheric gas influence on atmospheric dynamics in the frames of non-equilibrium thermodynamics was studied in this work. For this purpose the equations of flow [fluid] dynamics for interacting medium - gas and radiation - with taking into account the entropy production in atmosphere and its exchanging between gas and radiation were used in this work. Dispersion relation numerical analysis of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) in non-equilibrium atmosphere was carried out. It has been established that the spectra in the daytime hours shifts on high-frequency region in comparison with nighttime spectra. This difference can reach several percent in certain atmospheric regions. For the spectrum of the equilibrium model of the atmosphere the difference between the daytime and nighttime spectra makes up several fractions of percent. A comparison of the theoretical calculations of AGWs spectrum with observations confirmed the availability of non-equilibrium effects in the AGWs spectral composition. In particular, that concerns of Antarctic data results gave the difference is about 4 percent, Almaty data results ranges between 1.3 - 6 per cent in depends of season. Investigation of wave disturbances on sunset and sunrise periods of time shows that there is a tendency for low frequency region at evening-time spectra and high frequency region at morning- time spectra.

  13. Extracting Compositional Variation from THEMIS Data for Features with Large Topography on Mars Via Atmospheric Equalization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, F. S.; Drake, J. S.; Hamilton, V. E.

    2005-01-01

    We have developed a means of equalizing the atmospheric signature in Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared data over regions with large topography such as the Valles Marineris (VM). This equalization allows for the analysis of compositional variations in regions that previously have been difficult to study because of the large differences in atmospheric path length that result from large changes in surface elevation. Specifically, our motivation for this study is to examine deposits that are small at the scales observable by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) onboard Mars Global Surveyor, but which are more readily resolved with THEMIS.

  14. Atmospheric CO2 effect on stable carbon isotope composition of terrestrial fossil archives.

    PubMed

    Hare, Vincent J; Loftus, Emma; Jeffrey, Amy; Ramsey, Christopher Bronk

    2018-01-17

    The 13 C/ 12 C ratio of C 3 plant matter is thought to be controlled by the isotopic composition of atmospheric CO 2 and stomatal response to environmental conditions, particularly mean annual precipitation (MAP). The effect of CO 2 concentration on 13 C/ 12 C ratios is currently debated, yet crucial to reconstructing ancient environments and quantifying the carbon cycle. Here we compare high-resolution ice core measurements of atmospheric CO 2 with fossil plant and faunal isotope records. We show the effect of pCO 2 during the last deglaciation is stronger for gymnosperms (-1.4 ± 1.2‰) than angiosperms/fauna (-0.5 ± 1.5‰), while the contributions from changing MAP are -0.3 ± 0.6‰ and -0.4 ± 0.4‰, respectively. Previous studies have assumed that plant 13 C/ 12 C ratios are mostly determined by MAP, an assumption which is sometimes incorrect in geological time. Atmospheric effects must be taken into account when interpreting terrestrial stable carbon isotopes, with important implications for past environments and climates, and understanding plant responses to climate change.

  15. Elucidative analysis and sequencing of two respiratory health monitoring methods to study the impact of varying atmospheric composition on human health

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Awasthi, Amit; Hothi, Navjot; Kaur, Prabhjot; Singh, Nirankar; Chakraborty, Monojit; Bansal, Sangeeta

    2017-12-01

    Atmospheric composition of ambient air consists of different gases in definite proportion that affect the earth's climate and its ecological system. Due to varied anthropogenic reasons, this composition is changed, which ultimately have an impact on the health of living beings. For survival, the human respiratory system is one of the sensitive systems, which is easily and closely affected by the change in atmospheric composition of an external environment. Many studies have been conducted to quantify the effects of atmospheric pollution on human health by using different approaches. This article presents different scenario of studies conducted to evaluate the effects on different human groups. Differences between the studies conducted using spirometry and survey methods are presented in this article to extract a better sequence between these two methodologies. Many studies have been conducted to measure the respiratory status by evaluating the respiratory symptoms and hospital admissions. Limited numbers of studies are found with repeated spirometry on the same subjects for long duration to nullify the error arising due to decrease in efforts by the same subjects during manoeuvre of pulmonary function tests. Present study reveals the importance of methodological sequencing in order to obtain more authentic and reliable results. This study suggests that impacts of deteriorating atmospheric composition on human health can be more significantly studied if spirometry is done after survey analysis. The article also proposes that efficiency and authenticity of surveys involving health impacts will increase, if medical data information of patients is saved in hospitals in a proper format.

  16. Climate change and the middle atmosphere. I - The doubled CO2 climate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rind, D.; Prather, M. J.; Suozzo, R.; Balachandran, N. K.

    1990-01-01

    The effect of doubling the atmospheric content of CO2 on the middle-atmosphere climate is investigated using the GISS global climate model. In the standard experiment, the CO2 concentration is doubled both in the stratosphere and troposphere, and the SSTs are increased to match those of the doubled CO2 run of the GISS model. Results show that the doubling of CO2 leads to higher temperatures in the troposphere, and lower temperatures in the stratosphere, with a net result being a decrease of static stability for the atmosphere as a whole. The middle atmosphere dynamical differences found were on the order of 10-20 percent of the model values for the current climate. These differences, along with the calculated temperature differences of up to about 10 C, may have a significant impact on the chemistry of the future atmosphere, including that of stratospheric ozone, the polar ozone 'hole', and basic atmospheric composition.

  17. A Semiparametric Approach for Composite Functional Mapping of Dynamic Quantitative Traits

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Runqing; Gao, Huijiang; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Ji; Zeng, Zhao-Bang; Wu, Rongling

    2007-01-01

    Functional mapping has emerged as a powerful tool for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) that control developmental patterns of complex dynamic traits. Original functional mapping has been constructed within the context of simple interval mapping, without consideration of separate multiple linked QTL for a dynamic trait. In this article, we present a statistical framework for mapping QTL that affect dynamic traits by capitalizing on the strengths of functional mapping and composite interval mapping. Within this so-called composite functional-mapping framework, functional mapping models the time-dependent genetic effects of a QTL tested within a marker interval using a biologically meaningful parametric function, whereas composite interval mapping models the time-dependent genetic effects of the markers outside the test interval to control the genome background using a flexible nonparametric approach based on Legendre polynomials. Such a semiparametric framework was formulated by a maximum-likelihood model and implemented with the EM algorithm, allowing for the estimation and the test of the mathematical parameters that define the QTL effects and the regression coefficients of the Legendre polynomials that describe the marker effects. Simulation studies were performed to investigate the statistical behavior of composite functional mapping and compare its advantage in separating multiple linked QTL as compared to functional mapping. We used the new mapping approach to analyze a genetic mapping example in rice, leading to the identification of multiple QTL, some of which are linked on the same chromosome, that control the developmental trajectory of leaf age. PMID:17947431

  18. Effect of thermally reduced graphene oxide on dynamic mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adak, Nitai Chandra; Chhetri, Suman; Murmu, Naresh Chandra; Samanta, Pranab; Kuila, Tapas

    2018-03-01

    The Carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy composites are being used in the automotive and aerospace industries owing to their high specific mechanical strength to weight ratio compared to the other conventional metal and alloys. However, the low interfacial adhesion between fiber and polymer matrix results the inter-laminar fracture of the composites. Effects of different carbonaceous nanomaterials i.e., carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene nanosheets (GNPs), graphene oxide (GO) etc. on the static mechanical properties of the composites were investigated in detail. Only a few works focused on the improvement of the dynamic mechanical of the CF/epoxy composites. Herein, the effect of thermally reduced grapheme oxide (TRGO) on the dynamic mechanical properties of the CF/epoxy composites was investigated. At first, GO was synthesized using modified Hummers method and then reduced the synthesized GO inside a vacuum oven at 800 °C for 5 min. The prepared TRGO was dispersed in the epoxy resin to modify the epoxy matrix. Then, a number of TRGO/CF/epoxy laminates were manufactured incorporating different wt% of TRGO by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technique. The developed laminates were cured at room temperature for 24 h and then post cured at 120 °C for 2 h. The dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA 8000 Perkin Elmer) was used to examine the dynamic mechanical properties of the TRGO/CF/epoxy composites according to ASTM D7028. The dimension of the specimen was 44×10×2.4 mm3 for the DMA test. This test was carried out under flexural loading mode (duel cantilever) at a frequency of 1 Hz and amplitude of 50 μm. The temperature was ramped from 30 to 200 °C with a heating rate of 5 °C min-1. The dynamic mechanical analysis of the 0.2 wt% TRGO incorporated CF/epoxy composites showed ~ 96% enhancement in storage modulus and ~ 12 °C increments in glass transition temperature (Tg) compared to the base CF/epoxy composites. The fiber-matrix interaction was studied by Cole

  19. Changes in atmospheric composition inferred from ionospheric production rates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Titheridge, J. E.

    1974-01-01

    Changes in the total electron content of the ionosphere near sunrise are used to determine the integrated production rate in the ionosphere (Q) from 1965 to 1971 at latitudes of 34S, 20N, and 34N. The observed regular semiannual variation in Q through a range of 1:3:1 is interpreted as an increase in the ratio O/N2 (relative densities) near the equinoxes. It follows that there is a worldwide semiannual variation in atmospheric composition, with the above ratio maximum just after the equinoxes. There is a large seasonal variation in the Northern hemisphere with a maximum in mid-summer. This effect is absent in the Southern hemisphere. At all times except solar maximum in the Northern hemisphere there is a global asymmetry. The ratio O/N2 is about three times as large in the Northern hemisphere. The overall mechanism appears to be N2 absorption.

  20. Our shared atmosphere

    EPA Science Inventory

    Our atmosphere is a precious and fascinating resource, providing air to breath, shielding us from harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV), and maintaining a comfortable climate. Since the industrial revolution, people have significantly altered the composition of the atmosphere throu...

  1. Large Deformation Dynamic Bending of Composite Beams

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Derian, E. J.; Hyer, M. W.

    1986-01-01

    Studies were conducted on the large deformation response of composite beams subjected to a dynamic axial load. The beams were loaded with a moderate eccentricity to promote bending. The study was primarily experimental but some finite element results were obtained. Both the deformation and the failure of the beams were of interest. The static response of the beams was also studied to determine potential differences between the static and dynamic failure. Twelve different laminate types were tested. The beams tested were 23 in. by 2 in. and generally 30 plies thick. The beams were loaded dynamically with a gravity-driven impactor traveling at 19.6 ft/sec and quasi-static tests were conducted on identical beams in a displacement controlled manner. For laminates of practical interest, the failure modes under static and dynamic loadings were identical. Failure in most of the laminate types occurred in a single event involving 40% to 50% of the plies. However, failure in laminates with 300 or 150 off-axis plies occurred in several events. All laminates exhibited bimodular elastic properties. The compressive flexural moduli in some laminates was measured to be 1/2 the tensile flexural modulus. No simple relationship could be found among the measured ultimate failure strains of the different laminate types. Using empirically determined flexural properties, a finite element analysis was reasonably accurate in predicting the static and dynamic deformation response.

  2. Mechanical properties of kenaf composites using dynamic mechanical analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loveless, Thomas A.

    Natural fibers show potential to replace glass fibers in thermoset and thermoplastic composites. Kenaf is a bast-type fiber with high specific strength and great potential to compete with glass fibers. In this research kenaf/epoxy composites were analyzed using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). A three-point bend apparatus was used in the DMA testing. The samples were tested at 1 hertz, at a displacement of 10 ?m, and at room temperature. The fiber volume content of the kenaf was varied from 20% - 40% in 5% increments. Ten samples of each fiber volume fraction were manufactured and tested. The flexural storage modulus, the flexural loss modulus, and the loss factor were reported. Generally as the fiber volume fraction of kenaf increased, the flexural storage and flexural loss modulus increased. The loss factor remained relatively constant with increasing fiber volume fraction. Woven and chopped fiberglass/epoxy composites were manufactured and tested to be compared with the kenaf/epoxy composites. Both of the fiberglass/epoxy composites reported higher flexural storage and flexural loss modulus values. The kenaf/epoxy composites reported higher loss factor values. The specific flexural storage and specific flexural loss modulus were calculated for both the fiberglass and kenaf fiber composites. Even though the kenaf composites reported a lower density, the fiberglass composites reported higher specific mechanical properties.

  3. PALOMA : An instrument to measure the molecular, elemental and isotopic composition of Mars atmosphere from a landed platform (MSL 09, EXOMARS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chassefière, E.; Paloma Team

    2003-04-01

    An instrument to analyze the molecular, elemental and isotopic composition of Mars atmosphere from a landed platform is being developed under CNES funding. This instrument, called PALOMA (PAyload for Local Observation of Mars Atmosphere), will be proposed in response to the AO for the instrumentation of the NASA Mars Smart Lander mission, planned to be launched in 2009. It might be part as well of the EXOMARS mission presently studied at ESA in the frame of the Aurora program. Noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Xr, Xe) and stable isotopes (C, H, O, N) will be analyzed by using a system of gas purification and separation, coupled with a mass spectrometer. The heaviest, radioactive, noble gas (Rn) and its short-lived daughters will be measured using a small additional device (alpha particle detector). Detailed search for trace constituents of astrobiological interest, like CH_4, H_2CO, N_2O, H_2S (abundances, isotopic ratios, time variability) will be done on a regular temporal basis during one Martian year. Isotopic ratios will be measured with an accuracy of about 1 ppm, or better, in order to provide a clear diagnosis of possible life signatures, to allow a detailed comparison of Earth and Mars atmospheric fractionation patterns and, finally, to accurately disentangle escape, climatic, geochemical and hypothesized biological effects. High sensitivity is required for elemental and isotopic compositions of trace gases of interest (a small fraction of ppbv). Such an accurate monitoring of Mars atmosphere volatile composition is expected to provide the necessary reference for future composition studies of minerals, soils, bio-markers, polar cap material, either by in-situ measurement, or from laboratory analyses of returned samples. The PALOMA instrument consists of : a gas purification and separation line, using techniques of chemical and cryogenic trapping, and possibly membrane permeation, a mass spectrometer working in static mode, a turbo-molecular pump that provides the

  4. Dynamic stress analysis of smooth and notched fiber composite flexural specimens

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Murthy, P. L. N.; Chamis, C. C.

    1984-01-01

    A detailed analysis of the dynamic stress field in smooth and notched fiber composite (Charpy-type) specimens is reported in this paper. The analysis is performed with the aid of the direct transient response analysis solution sequence of MSC/NASTRAN. Three unidirectional composites were chosen for the study. They are S-Glass/Epoxy, Kevlar/Epoxy and T-300/Epoxy composite systems. The specimens are subjected to an impact load which is modeled as a triangular impulse with a maximum of 2000 lb and a duration of 1 ms. The results are compared with those of static analysis of the specimens subjected to a peak load of 2000 lb. For the geometry and type of materials studied, the static analysis results gave close conservative estimates for the dynamic stresses. Another interesting inference from the study is that the impact induced effects are felt by S-Glass/Epoxy specimens sooner than Kevlar/Epoxy or T-300/Epoxy specimens.

  5. Passive landfill gas emission - Influence of atmospheric pressure and implications for the operation of methane-oxidising biofilters.

    PubMed

    Gebert, Julia; Groengroeft, Alexander

    2006-01-01

    A passively vented landfill site in Northern Germany was monitored for gas emission dynamics through high resolution measurements of landfill gas pressure, flow rate and composition as well as atmospheric pressure and temperature. Landfill gas emission could be directly related to atmospheric pressure changes on all scales as induced by the autooscillation of air, diurnal variations and the passage of pressure highs and lows. Gas flux reversed every 20 h on average, with 50% of emission phases lasting only 10h or less. During gas emission phases, methane loads fed to a connected methane oxidising biofiltration unit varied between near zero and 247 g CH4 h(-1)m(-3) filter material. Emission dynamics not only influenced the amount of methane fed to the biofilter but also the establishment of gas composition profiles within the biofilter, thus being of high relevance for biofilter operation. The duration of the gas emission phase emerged as most significant variable for the distribution of landfill gas components within the biofilter.

  6. Characterization and Performance Optimization of a Cementitious Composite for Quasi-Static and Dynamic Loads

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    blast and weapon fragmentation. A particular cementitious composite of interest is an inorganic polymer cement or “ geopolymer ” cement. The term...www.sciencedirect.com ICM11 Characterization and performance optimization of a cementitious composite for quasi-static and dynamic loads W.F. Hearda,b, P.K. Basub...rapid-set, high-strength geopolymer cement under quasi-static and dynamic loads. Four unique tensile experiments were conducted to characterize and

  7. Physically-Derived Dynamical Cores in Atmospheric General Circulation Models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rood, Richard B.; Lin, Shian-Jiann

    1999-01-01

    The algorithm chosen to represent the advection in atmospheric models is often used as the primary attribute to classify the model. Meteorological models are generally classified as spectral or grid point, with the term grid point implying discretization using finite differences. These traditional approaches have a number of shortcomings that render them non-physical. That is, they provide approximate solutions to the conservation equations that do not obey the fundamental laws of physics. The most commonly discussed shortcomings are overshoots and undershoots which manifest themselves most overtly in the constituent continuity equation. For this reason many climate models have special algorithms to model water vapor advection. This talk focuses on the development of an atmospheric general circulation model which uses a consistent physically-based advection algorithm in all aspects of the model formulation. The shallow-water model is generalized to three dimensions and combined with the physics parameterizations of NCAR's Community Climate Model. The scientific motivation for the development is to increase the integrity of the underlying fluid dynamics so that the physics terms can be more effectively isolated, examined, and improved. The expected benefits of the new model are discussed and results from the initial integrations will be presented.

  8. Physically-Derived Dynamical Cores in Atmospheric General Circulation Models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rood, Richard B.; Lin, Shian-Kiann

    1999-01-01

    The algorithm chosen to represent the advection in atmospheric models is often used as the primary attribute to classify the model. Meteorological models are generally classified as spectral or grid point, with the term grid point implying discretization using finite differences. These traditional approaches have a number of shortcomings that render them non-physical. That is, they provide approximate solutions to the conservation equations that do not obey the fundamental laws of physics. The most commonly discussed shortcomings are overshoots and undershoots which manifest themselves most overtly in the constituent continuity equation. For this reason many climate models have special algorithms to model water vapor advection. This talk focuses on the development of an atmospheric general circulation model which uses a consistent physically-based advection algorithm in all aspects of the model formulation. The shallow-water model of Lin and Rood (QJRMS, 1997) is generalized to three dimensions and combined with the physics parameterizations of NCAR's Community Climate Model. The scientific motivation for the development is to increase the integrity of the underlying fluid dynamics so that the physics terms can be more effectively isolated, examined, and improved. The expected benefits of the new model are discussed and results from the initial integrations will be presented.

  9. Optical remote sensing of atmospheric compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vazquez, Gabriel J.

    1996-02-01

    Human activities are altering the earth system at the local, regional, and global scales. It is therefore of the utmost importance to track the workings of mother earth in order to detect any changes at their early stages so that appropriate actions are taken to understand, assess, control or prevent the adverse effects. A number of deleterious effects to the environment can, at least in part, be ascribed to air pollution, namely, the thinning of the ozone layer, the related increase in the occurrence of skin cancer, the warming of the earth system, photochemical smog, acid rain/fog, acidification of soils and waters, forest decline, etc. It is therefore necessary to monitor the most relevant processes of the earth's atmosphere, namely, the energy input, the dynamics and the chemistry. In this contribution I mainly focus on the latter, specifically, on the measurement/monitoring of atmospheric compounds. To understand atmospheric chemistry and air pollution it is necessary to have reliable and accurate values of the mixing ratios of the numerous atmospheric gases and of their diurnal/seasonal variations and long-term trends. In this contribution I present an overview of the most relevant optical remote sensing techniques that are rapidly becoming the methods of choice to probe the chemical composition and physical state of the atmosphere, especially when high selectivity, sensitivity and fast-time response are required.

  10. Martian Surface and Atmosphere Workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuraytz, Benjamin C.

    The NASA-sponsored Martian Surface and Atmosphere Through Time Study Project convened its first major meeting at the University of Colorado in Boulder, September 23-25, 1991. The workshop, co-sponsored by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, brought together an international group of 125 scientists to discuss a variety of issues relevant to the goals of the MSATT Program. The workshop program committee included co-convenors Robert Haberle, MSATT Steering Committee Chairman NASA Ames Research Center) and Bruce Jakosky (University of Colorado), and committee members Amos Banin (NASA Ames Research Center and Hebrew University), Benjamin Schuraytz (LPI), and Kenneth Tanaka (U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz.).The purpose of the workshop was to begin exploring and defining the relationships between different aspects of Mars science—the evolution of the surface, the atmosphere, upper atmosphere, volatiles, and climate. Specific topics addressed in the 88 contributed abstracts included the current nature of the surface with respect to physical properties and photometric observations and interpretations; the history of geological processes, comprising water and ice-related geomorphology, impact cratering, and volcanism; and the geochemistry and mineralogy of the surface with emphasis on compositional and spectroscopic studies and weathering processes. Also addressed were the present atmosphere, focusing on structure and dynamics, volatile and dust distribution, and the upper atmosphere; long-term volatile evolution based on volatiles in SNC meteorites (certain meteorites thought to have come from Mars) and atmospheric evolution processes; climate history and volatile cycles in relation to early climate and the polar caps, ground ice, and regolith; and future mission concepts.

  11. CAM-SE: A scalable spectral element dynamical core for the Community Atmosphere Model.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dennis, John; Edwards, Jim; Evans, Kate J

    2012-01-01

    The Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) version 5 includes a spectral element dynamical core option from NCAR's High-Order Method Modeling Environment. It is a continuous Galerkin spectral finite element method designed for fully unstructured quadrilateral meshes. The current configurations in CAM are based on the cubed-sphere grid. The main motivation for including a spectral element dynamical core is to improve the scalability of CAM by allowing quasi-uniform grids for the sphere that do not require polar filters. In addition, the approach provides other state-of-the-art capabilities such as improved conservation properties. Spectral elements are used for the horizontal discretization, while most othermore » aspects of the dynamical core are a hybrid of well tested techniques from CAM's finite volume and global spectral dynamical core options. Here we first give a overview of the spectral element dynamical core as used in CAM. We then give scalability and performance results from CAM running with three different dynamical core options within the Community Earth System Model, using a pre-industrial time-slice configuration. We focus on high resolution simulations of 1/4 degree, 1/8 degree, and T340 spectral truncation.« less

  12. Aerosol composition and microstructure in the smoky atmosphere of Moscow during the August 2010 extreme wildfires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Popovicheva, O. B.; Kistler, M.; Kireeva, E. D.; Persiantseva, N. M.; Timofeev, M. A.; Shoniya, N. K.; Kopeikin, V. M.

    2017-01-01

    This is a comprehensive study of the physicochemical characterization of multicomponent aerosols in the smoky atmosphere of Moscow during the extreme wildfires of August 2010 and against the background atmosphere of August 2011. Thermal-optical analysis, liquid and ion chromatography, IR spectroscopy, and electron microscopy were used to determine the organic content (OC) and elemental content (EC) of carbon, organic/inorganic and ionic compounds, and biomass burning markers (anhydrosaccharides and the potassium ion) and study the morphology and elemental composition of individual particles. It has been shown that the fires are characterized by an increased OC/EC ratio and high concentrations of ammonium, potassium, and sulfate ions in correlation with an increased content of levoglucosan as a marker of biomass burning. The organic compounds containing carbonyl groups point to the process of photochemical aging and the formation of secondary organic aerosols in the urban atmosphere when aerosols are emitted from forest fires. A cluster analysis of individual particles has indicated that when the smokiest atmosphere is characterized by prevailing soot/tar ball particles, which are smoke-emission micromarkers.

  13. In-process, non-destructive, dynamic testing of high-speed polymer composite rotors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuschmierz, Robert; Filippatos, Angelos; Günther, Philipp; Langkamp, Albert; Hufenbach, Werner; Czarske, Jürgen; Fischer, Andreas

    2015-03-01

    Polymer composite rotors are lightweight and offer great perspectives in high-speed applications such as turbo machinery. Currently, novel rotor structures and materials are investigated for the purpose of increasing machine efficiency and lifetime, as well as allowing for higher dynamic loads. However, due to the complexity of the composite materials an in-process measurement system is required. This allows for monitoring the evolution of damages under dynamic loads, for testing and predicting the structural integrity of composite rotors in process. In rotor design, it can be used for calibrating and improving models, simulating the dynamic behaviour of polymer composite rotors. The measurement system is to work non-invasive, offer micron uncertainty, as well as a high measurement rate of several tens of kHz. Furthermore, it must be applicable at high surface speeds and under technical vacuum. In order to fulfil these demands a novel laser distance measurement system was developed. It provides the angle resolved measurement of the biaxial deformation of a fibre-reinforced polymer composite rotor with micron uncertainty at surface speeds of more than 300 m/s. Furthermore, a simulation procedure combining a finite element model and a damage mechanics model is applied. A comparison of the measured data and the numerically calculated data is performed to validate the simulation towards rotor expansion. This validating procedure can be used for a model calibration in the future. The simulation procedure could be used to investigate different damage-test cases of the rotor, in order to define its structural behaviour without further experiments.

  14. Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test: Trajectory, Atmosphere, and Aerodynamics Reconstruction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kutty, Prasad; Karlgaard, Christopher D.; Blood, Eric M.; O'Farrell, Clara; Ginn, Jason M.; Shoenenberger, Mark; Dutta, Soumyo

    2015-01-01

    The Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test is a full-scale flight test of a Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator, which is part of the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator technology development project. The purpose of the project is to develop and mature aerodynamic decelerator technologies for landing large mass payloads on the surface of Mars. The technologies include a Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator and Supersonic Parachutes. The first Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test occurred on June 28th, 2014 at the Pacific Missile Range Facility. This test was used to validate the test architecture for future missions. The flight was a success and, in addition, was able to acquire data on the aerodynamic performance of the supersonic inflatable decelerator. This paper describes the instrumentation, analysis techniques, and acquired flight test data utilized to reconstruct the vehicle trajectory, atmosphere, and aerodynamics. The results of the reconstruction show significantly higher lofting of the trajectory, which can partially be explained by off-nominal booster motor performance. The reconstructed vehicle force and moment coefficients fall well within pre-flight predictions. A parameter identification analysis indicates that the vehicle displayed greater aerodynamic static stability than seen in pre-flight computational predictions and ballistic range tests.

  15. Dynamic Sampling of Trace Contaminants During the Mission Operations Test of the Deep Space Habitat

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Monje, Oscar; Valling, Simo; Cornish, Jim

    2013-01-01

    The atmospheric composition inside spacecraft during long duration space missions is dynamic due to changes in the living and working environment of crew members, crew metabolism and payload operations. A portable FTIR gas analyzer was used to monitor the atmospheric composition within the Deep Space Habitat (DSH) during the Mission Operations Test (MOT) conducted at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). The FTIR monitored up to 20 gases in near- real time. The procedures developed for operating the FTIR were successful and data was collected with the FTIR at 5 minute intervals. Not all the 20 gases sampled were detected in all the modules and it was possible to measure dynamic changes in trace contaminant concentrations that were related to crew activities involving exercise and meal preparation.

  16. Strength and dynamic characteristics analyses of wound composite axial impeller

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jifeng; Olortegui-Yume, Jorge; Müller, Norbert

    2012-03-01

    A low cost, light weight, high performance composite material turbomachinery impeller with a uniquely designed blade patterns is analyzed. Such impellers can economically enable refrigeration plants to use water as a refrigerant (R718). A strength and dynamic characteristics analyses procedure is developed to assess the maximum stresses and natural frequencies of these wound composite axial impellers under operating loading conditions. Numerical simulation using FEM for two-dimensional and three-dimensional impellers was investigated. A commercially available software ANSYS is used for the finite element calculations. Analysis is done for different blade geometries and then suggestions are made for optimum design parameters. In order to avoid operating at resonance, which can make impellers suffer a significant reduction in the design life, the designer must calculate the natural frequency and modal shape of the impeller to analyze the dynamic characteristics. The results show that using composite Kevlar fiber/epoxy matrix enables the impeller to run at high tip speed and withstand the stresses, no critical speed will be matched during start-up and shut-down, and that mass imbalances of the impeller shall not pose a critical problem.

  17. Structure and Dynamics of Decadal Anomalies in the Wintertime Midlatitude North Pacific Ocean-Atmosphere System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, J.

    2017-12-01

    The structure and dynamics of decadal anomalies in the wintertime midlatitude North Pacific ocean- atmosphere system are examined in this study, using the NCEP/NCAR atmospheric reanalysis, HadISST SST and Simple Ocean Data Assimilation data for 1960-2010. The midlatitude decadal anomalies associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation are identified, being characterized by an equivalent barotropic atmospheric low (high) pressure over a cold (warm) oceanic surface. Such a unique configuration of decadal anomalies can be maintained by an unstable ocean-atmosphere interaction mechanism in the midlatitudes, which is hypothesized as follows. Associated with a warm PDO phase, an initial midlatitude surface westerly anomaly accompanied with intensified Aleutian low tends to force a negative SST anomaly by increasing upward surface heat fluxes and driving southward Ekman current anomaly. The SST cooling tends to increase the meridional SST gradient, thus enhancing the subtropical oceanic front. As an adjustment of the atmospheric boundary layer to the enhanced oceanic front, the low-level atmospheric meridional temperature gradient and thus the low-level atmospheric baroclinicity tend to be strengthened, inducing more active transient eddy activities that increase transient eddy vorticity forcing. The vorticity forcing that dominates the total atmospheric forcing tends to produce an equivalent barotropic atmospheric low pressure north of the initial westerly anomaly, intensifying the initial anomalies of the midlatitude surface westerly and Aleutian low. Therefore, it is suggested that the midlatitude ocean-atmosphere interaction can provide a positive feedback mechanism for the development of initial anomaly, in which the oceanic front and the atmospheric transient eddy are the indispensable ingredients. Such a positive ocean-atmosphere feedback mechanism is fundamentally responsible for the observed decadal anomalies in the midlatitude North Pacific ocean-atmosphere

  18. Modelling exoplanet atmospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rauer, Heike

    While the number of known extrasolar planets is steadily increasing recent years have shown the beginning of a new phase of our understanding of exoplanets due to the spectroscopic determi-nation of their atmospheric composition. Atmospheres of hot extrasolar giant gas planets have already been investigated by UV, optical and IR spectroscopy today. In future, spectroscopy of large, terrestrial planets ("super-Earth"), in particular planets in the habitable zone of their parent star, will be a major goal of investigation. Planning future space satellite observations of super-Earths requires modelling of atmospheres of terrestrial planets in different environments, such as e.g. central star type, orbital distance, as well as different atmospheric compositions. Whether planets able to support life "as we know it" exist outside our solar system is one of the most profound questions today. It can be addressed by characterizing the atmospheres of ter-restrial extrasolar planets searching for spectroscopic absorption bands of biomarker molecules. An overview of expected planetary conditions in terms of their habitability will be presented for several model scenarios of terrestrial extrasolar planets.

  19. Preparation and Dynamic Mechanical Properties at Elevated Temperatures of a Tungsten/Glass Composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Chong; Wang, Yingchun; Ma, Xueya; Liu, Keyi; Wang, Yubing; Li, Shukui; Cheng, Xingwang

    2018-03-01

    Experiments were conducted to prepare a borosilicate glass matrix composite containing 50 vol.% tungsten and examine its dynamic compressive behavior at elevated temperatures in the range of 450-775 °C. The results show that the homogenous microstructure of the tungsten/glass composite with relative density of 97% can be obtained by hot-pressing sintering at 800 °C for 1 h under pressure of 30 MPa. Dynamic compressive testing was carried out by a separate Hopkinson pressure bar system with a synchronous device. The results show that the peak stress decreases and the composite transforms from brittle to ductile in nature with testing temperature increasing from 450 to 750 °C. The brittle-ductile transition temperature is about 500 °C. Over 775 °C, the composite loses load-bearing capacity totally because of the excessive softening of the glass phase. In addition, the deformation and failure mechanism were analyzed.

  20. Yield, chemical composition and nutritional quality responses of carrot, radish and turnip to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.

    PubMed

    Azam, Andaleeb; Khan, Ikhtiar; Mahmood, Abid; Hameed, Abdul

    2013-10-01

    Future concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is very important due to its apparent economic and environmental impact in terms of climate change. However, a compressive assessment of its effect on the nutritional and chemical characteristics of food crops has yet to be established. In the present study the impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 on the yield, chemical composition and nutritional quality of three root vegetables, carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. T-1-111), radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Mino) and turnip (Brassica rapa L. cv. Grabe) has been investigated. The yield of carrot, radish and turnip increased by 69, 139 and 72%, respectively, when grown under elevated CO2 conditions. Among the proximate composition, protein, vitamin C and fat contents decreased significantly for all the vegetables while sugar and fibre contents were increased. Response of the vegetables to elevated CO2 , in terms of elemental composition, was different with a significant decrease in many important minerals. Elevated CO2 decreased the amount of majority of the fatty acids and amino acids in these vegetables. It was observed that elevated CO2 increased the yield of root vegetables but many important nutritional parameters including protein, vitamin C, minerals, essential fatty acids and amino acids were decreased. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  1. Models of Mars' atmosphere (1974)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1974-01-01

    Atmospheric models for support of design and mission planning of space vehicles that are to orbit the planet Mars, enter its atmosphere, or land on the surface are presented. Quantitative data for the Martian atmosphere were obtained from Earth-base observations and from spacecraft that have orbited Mars or passed within several planetary radii. These data were used in conjunction with existing theories of planetary atmospheres to predict other characteristics of the Martian atmosphere. Earth-based observations provided information on the composition, temperature, and optical properties of Mars with rather coarse spatial resolution, whereas spacecraft measurements yielded data on composition, temperature, pressure, density, and atmospheric structure with moderately good spatial resolution. The models provide the temperature, pressure, and density profiles required to perform basic aerodynamic analyses. The profiles are supplemented by computed values of viscosity, specific heat, and speed of sound.

  2. Chemical composition measurements of the atmosphere of Jupiter with the Galileo Probe mass spectrometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Niemann, H. B.; Atreya, S. K.; Carignan, G. R.; Donahue, T. M.; Haberman, J. A.; Harpold, D. N.; Hartle, R. E.; Hunten, D. M.; Kasprzak, W. T.; Mahaffy, P. R.; hide

    1998-01-01

    The Galileo Probe entered the atmosphere of Jupiter on December 7, 1995. Measurements of the chemical and isotopic composition of the Jovian atmosphere were obtained by the mass spectrometer during the descent over the 0.5 to 21 bar pressure region over a time period of approximately 1 hour. The sampling was either of atmospheric gases directly introduced into the ion source of the mass spectrometer through capillary leaks or of gas, which had been chemically processed to enhance the sensitivity of the measurement to trace species or noble gases. The analysis of this data set continues to be refined based on supporting laboratory studies on an engineering unit. The mixing ratios of the major constituents of the atmosphere hydrogen and helium have been determined as well as mixing ratios or upper limits for several less abundant species including: methane, water, ammonia, ethane, ethylene, propane, hydrogen sulfide, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. Analysis also suggests the presence of trace levels of other 3 and 4 carbon hydrocarbons, or carbon and nitrogen containing species, phosphine, hydrogen chloride, and of benzene. The data set also allows upper limits to be set for many species of interest which were not detected. Isotope ratios were measured for 3He/4He, D/H, 13C/12C, 20Ne/22Ne, 38Ar/36Ar and for isotopes of both Kr and Xe.

  3. Chemical composition measurements of the atmosphere of Jupiter with the Galileo Probe mass spectrometer.

    PubMed

    Niemann, H B; Atreya, S K; Carignan, G R; Donahue, T M; Haberman, J A; Harpold, D N; Hartle, R E; Hunten, D M; Kasprzak, W T; Mahaffy, P R; Owen, T C; Spencer, N W

    1998-01-01

    The Galileo Probe entered the atmosphere of Jupiter on December 7, 1995. Measurements of the chemical and isotopic composition of the Jovian atmosphere were obtained by the mass spectrometer during the descent over the 0.5 to 21 bar pressure region over a time period of approximately 1 hour. The sampling was either of atmospheric gases directly introduced into the ion source of the mass spectrometer through capillary leaks or of gas, which had been chemically processed to enhance the sensitivity of the measurement to trace species or noble gases. The analysis of this data set continues to be refined based on supporting laboratory studies on an engineering unit. The mixing ratios of the major constituents of the atmosphere hydrogen and helium have been determined as well as mixing ratios or upper limits for several less abundant species including: methane, water, ammonia, ethane, ethylene, propane, hydrogen sulfide, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. Analysis also suggests the presence of trace levels of other 3 and 4 carbon hydrocarbons, or carbon and nitrogen containing species, phosphine, hydrogen chloride, and of benzene. The data set also allows upper limits to be set for many species of interest which were not detected. Isotope ratios were measured for 3He/4He, D/H, 13C/12C, 20Ne/22Ne, 38Ar/36Ar and for isotopes of both Kr and Xe.

  4. Chemical composition measurements of the atmosphere of jupiter with the galileo probe mass spectrometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niemann, H. B.; Atreya, S. K.; Carignan, G. R.; Donahue, T. M.; Haberman, J. A.; Harpold, D. N.; Hartle, R. E.; Hunten, D. M.; Kasprzak, W. T.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Owen, T. C.; Spencer, N. W.

    The Galileo Probe entered the atmosphere of Jupiter on December 7, 1995. Measurements of the chemical and isotopic composition of the Jovian atmosphere were obtained by the mass spectrometer during the descent over the 0.5 to 21 bar pressure region over a time period of approximately 1 hour. The sampling was either of atmospheric gases directly introduced into the ion source of the mass spectrometer through capillary leaks or of gas, which had been chemically processed to enhance the sensitivity of the measurement to trace species or noble gases. The analysis of this data set continues to be refined based on supporting laboratory studies on an engineering unit. The mixing ratios of the major constituents of the atmosphere hydrogen and helium have been determined as well as mixing ratios or upper limits for several less abundant species including: methane, water, ammonia, ethane, ethylene, propane, hydrogen sulfide, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. Analysis also suggests the presence of trace levels of other 3 and 4 carbon hydrocarbons, or carbon and nitrogen containing species, phosphine, hydrogen chloride, and of benzene. The data set also allows upper limits to be set for many species of interest which were not detected. Isotope ratios were measured for ^3He/^4He, D/H, ^13C/^12C, ^20Ne/^22Ne, ^38Ar/^36Ar and for isotopes of both Kr and Xe.

  5. Impacts of elevated atmospheric CO2 and O3 on forests: phytochemistry, trophic interactions, and ecosystem dynamics.

    PubMed

    Lindroth, Richard L

    2010-01-01

    Prominent among the many factors now affecting the sustainability of forest ecosystems are anthropogenically-generated carbon dioxide (CO2) and ozone (O3). CO2 is the substrate for photosynthesis and thus can accelerate tree growth, whereas O3 is a highly reactive oxygen species and interferes with basic physiological functions. This review summarizes the impacts of CO2 and O3 on tree chemical composition and highlights the consequences thereof for trophic interactions and ecosystem dynamics. CO2 and O3 influence phytochemical composition by altering substrate availability and biochemical/physiological processes such as photosynthesis and defense signaling pathways. Growth of trees under enriched CO2 generally leads to an increase in the C/N ratio, due to a decline in foliar nitrogen and concomitant increases in carbohydrates and phenolics. Terpenoid levels generally are not affected by atmospheric CO2 concentration. O3 triggers up-regulation of antioxidant defense pathways, leading to the production of simple phenolics and flavonoids (more so in angiosperms than gymnosperms). Tannins levels generally are unaffected, while terpenoids exhibit variable responses. In combination, CO2 and O3 exert both additive and interactive effects on tree chemical composition. CO2-and O3-mediated changes in plant chemistry influence host selection, individual performance (development, growth, reproduction), and population densities of herbivores (primarily phytophagous insects) and soil invertebrates. These changes can effect shifts in the amount and temporal pattern of forest canopy damage and organic substrate deposition. Decomposition rates of leaf litter produced under elevated CO2 and O3 may or may not be altered, and can respond to both the independent and interactive effects of the pollutants. Overall, however, CO2 and O3 effects on decomposition will be influenced more by their impacts on the quantity, rather than quality, of litter produced. A prominent theme to emerge

  6. Hydrochemistry dynamics in remote mountain lakes and its relation to catchment and atmospheric features: the case study of Sabocos Tarn, Pyrenees.

    PubMed

    Santolaria, Zoe; Arruebo, Tomas; Urieta, José Santiago; Lanaja, Francisco Javier; Pardo, Alfonso; Matesanz, José; Rodriguez-Casals, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    Increasing the understanding of high mountain lake dynamics is essential to use these remote aquatic ecosystems as proxies of global environmental changes. With this aim, at Sabocos, a Pyrenean cirque glacial lake or tarn, this study shows the main results of a morphological and catchment characterization, along with statistical analyses of its hydrochemical trends and their concomitant driving factors from 2010 to 2013. Dissolved oxygen, water temperature stratification, and its snow and ice cover composition and dynamics have been also investigated. According to morphological analyses, Sabocos can be classified as a medium-large and deep lake, having a circular contour and a long water retention time as compared to Pyrenean glacial lake average values. Sabocos hydrochemistry is mainly determined by very high alkalinity, pH and conductivity levels, and high Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and SO4(2-) content, coming from the easily weatherable limestone-dolomite bedrock. Thus, lake water is well buffered, and therefore, Sabocos tarn is non-sensitive to acidification processes. On the other hand, the main source of K(+), Na(+), and Cl(-) (sea salts) and nutrients (NH4(+), NO3(-), and phosphorous) to lake water appears to be atmospheric deposition. Primary production is phosphorous limited, and due to the N-saturation stage of the poorly developed soils of Sabocos catchment, NO3(-) is the chief component in the total nitrogen pool. External temperature seems to be the major driver regulating lake productivity, since warm temperatures boot primary production. Although precipitation might also play an important role in lake dynamics, especially regarding to those parameters influenced by the weathering of the bedrock, its influence cannot be easily assessed due to the seasonal isolation produced by the ice cover. Also, as occurs in the whole Pyrenean lake district, chemical composition of bulk deposition is highly variable due to the contribution of air masses with different origin.

  7. Lunar atmosphere. How surface composition and meteoroid impacts mediate sodium and potassium in the lunar exosphere.

    PubMed

    Colaprete, A; Sarantos, M; Wooden, D H; Stubbs, T J; Cook, A M; Shirley, M

    2016-01-15

    Despite being trace constituents of the lunar exosphere, sodium and potassium are the most readily observed species due to their bright line emission. Measurements of these species by the Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVS) on the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) have revealed unambiguous temporal and spatial variations indicative of a strong role for meteoroid bombardment and surface composition in determining the composition and local time dependence of the Moon's exosphere. Observations show distinct lunar day (monthly) cycles for both species as well as an annual cycle for sodium. The first continuous measurements for potassium show a more repeatable variation across lunations and an enhancement over KREEP (Potassium Rare Earth Elements and Phosphorus) surface regions, revealing a strong dependence on surface composition. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  8. Mixing ratio and carbon isotopic composition investigation of atmospheric CO2 in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Pang, Jiaping; Wen, Xuefa; Sun, Xiaomin

    2016-01-01

    The stable isotope composition of atmospheric CO2 can be used as a tracer in the study of urban carbon cycles, which are affected by anthropogenic and biogenic CO2 components. Continuous measurements of the mixing ratio and δ(13)C of atmospheric CO2 were conducted in Beijing from Nov. 15, 2012 to Mar. 8, 2014 including two heating seasons and a vegetative season. Both δ(13)C and the isotopic composition of source CO2 (δ(13)CS) were depleted in the heating seasons and enriched in the vegetative season. The diurnal variations in the CO2 mixing ratio and δ(13)C contained two peaks in the heating season, which are due to the effects of morning rush hour traffic. Seasonal and diurnal patterns of the CO2 mixing ratio and δ(13)C were affected by anthropogenic emissions and biogenic activity. Assuming that the primary CO2 sources at night (22:00-04:00) were coal and natural gas combustion during heating seasons I and II, an isotopic mass balance analysis indicated that coal combustion had average contributions of 83.83±14.11% and 86.84±12.27% and that natural gas had average contributions of 16.17±14.11% and 13.16±12.27%, respectively. The δ(13)C of background CO2 in air was the main error source in the isotopic mass balance model. Both the mixing ratio and δ(13)C of atmospheric CO2 had significant linear relationships with the air quality index (AQI) and can be used to indicate local air pollution conditions. Energy structure optimization, for example, reducing coal consumption, will improve the local air conditions in Beijing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Mixing ratio and carbon isotopic composition investigation of atmospheric CO2 in Beijing, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pang, J.; Wen, X.; Sun, X.

    2016-12-01

    The stable isotope composition of atmospheric CO2 can be used as a tracer in the study of urban carbon cycles, which are affected by anthropogenic and biogenic CO2 components. Continuous measurements of the mixing ratio and δ13C of atmospheric CO2 were conducted in Beijing from Nov. 15, 2012 to Mar. 8, 2014 including two heating seasons and a vegetative season. Both δ13C and the isotopic composition of source CO2 (δ13CS) were depleted in the heating seasons and enriched in the vegetative season. The diurnal variations in the CO2 mixing ratio and δ13C contained two peaks in the heating season, which are due to the effects of morning rush hour traffic. Seasonal and diurnal patterns of the CO2 mixing ratio and δ13C were affected by anthropogenic emissions and biogenic activity. Assuming that the primary CO2 sources at night (22:00-04:00) were coal and natural gas combustion during heating seasons I and II, an isotopic mass balance analysis indicated that coal combustion had average contributions of 83.83 ± 14.11% and 86.84 ± 12.27% and that natural gas had average contributions of 16.17 ± 14.11% and 13.16 ± 12.27%, respectively. The δ13C of background CO2 in air was the main error source in the isotopic mass balance model. Both the mixing ratio and δ13C of atmospheric CO2 had significant linear relationships with the air quality index (AQI) and can be used to indicate local air pollution conditions. Energy structure optimization, for example, reducing coal consumption, will improve the local air conditions in Beijing.

  10. New Collections of Aura Atmospheric data Products at the GES DISC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, James; Ahmad, Suraiya; Gerasimov, Irina; Lepthoukh, Gregory

    2008-01-01

    The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) is the primary archive of atmospheric composition data from the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Microwave Limb sounder (MLS), and High-Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) instruments. The most recent versions of Aura OMI, MLS and HIRDLS data are available free to the public (http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/Aura). TES data are at ASDC (http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov).

  11. Influence of Atmospheric Processes on the Solubility and Composition of Iron in Saharan Dust

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ingall, E. D.; Longo, A.; Feng, Y.; Lai, B.; Landing, W. M.; Shelley, R.; Nenes, A.; Mihalopoulos, N.; Violaki, K.

    2016-12-01

    Iron is a key micronutrient that is vital for all organisms. The supply of bioavailable, soluble iron controls primary productivity in approximately 30% of the world's oceans. The significant contribution of atmospheric aerosols to the bioavailable iron budget in vast ocean regions, underscores the need to understand the controls and transformations of aerosol iron solubility during atmospheric transport. The Sahara Desert contains the largest and most active sources of aerosol dust globally and can be a key source of nutrients to the Mediterranean Sea, much of the North Atlantic Ocean, and even as far as the Gulf of Mexico. Aerosol iron was examined in Saharan dust plumes using a combination of iron near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and wet chemical techniques. Aerosol samples were collected at three sites located in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and Bermuda to characterize iron at different atmospheric transport lengths and time scales. Iron(III) oxides were a component of aerosols at all sampling sites and dominated aerosol iron in Mediterranean samples. In Atlantic samples, iron(II & III) sulfate, iron(III) phosphate, and iron(II) silicates were also contributors to aerosol composition. With increased atmospheric transport time, iron(II) sulfates are found to become more abundant, aerosol iron oxidation state became more reduced, and aerosol acidity increased. Atmospheric processing, including acidic reactions and photo-reduction, likely influence the form of iron minerals and the oxidation state in Saharan dust aerosols and contribute to increases in aerosol iron solubility. Overall, these findings suggest that a combination of factors affects aerosol iron solubility during long-distance atmospheric transport and emphasize the need to consider reductive mechanisms as well as proton-induced solubilization of aerosol iron in modeling studies.

  12. Nano-composite materials

    DOEpatents

    Lee, Se-Hee; Tracy, C. Edwin; Pitts, J. Roland

    2010-05-25

    Nano-composite materials are disclosed. An exemplary method of producing a nano-composite material may comprise co-sputtering a transition metal and a refractory metal in a reactive atmosphere. The method may also comprise co-depositing a transition metal and a refractory metal composite structure on a substrate. The method may further comprise thermally annealing the deposited transition metal and refractory metal composite structure in a reactive atmosphere.

  13. Elemental and carbon isotope composition of total particulate matter in the urban atmosphere of Krakow, southern Poland: summer-winter contrast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zimnoch, Miroslaw; Samek, Lucyna; Morawski, Filip; Rozanski, Kazimierz; Bartyzel, Jakub

    2017-04-01

    Deterioration of air quality in urban agglomerations is a growing problem of global significance [1]. This spurs research towards better understanding of parameters controlling air quality in urban environment (sources of particulate matter and gaseous contaminants, spatial and temporal variability of air quality, impact of atmospheric dynamics on the air quality, and several others). Krakow belongs to four largest cities in Poland. With nearly one million inhabitants, rapidly growing car traffic and significant industrial activities, Krakow agglomeration represents a typical urban environment in the eastern Europe. Characteristic features of the local climate are generally weak winds (annual average around 2.7 m s-1) and frequent inversions, extending sometimes over several days, particularly during winter seasons, favor accumulation of pollutants originating from surface emissions in the atmosphere over the city. Krakow ranks among the most polluted cities in Europe. There is an ongoing discussion on the role of different sources of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) in the city's atmosphere, such as traffic, low- and high-level emissions related to burning of coal for heating purposes, resuspension of street dust, and some others. The presented work was aimed at exploring possibilities of using carbon isotope composition of total particulate matter collected in Krakow atmosphere, for better characterization of TSPM sources in the city, with the focus on seasonal changes of the character and intensity of those sources. Archived samples of TSPM deposited on filters (sampling interval between 5 and 20 days) and spanning the period 2005 - 2010 [3] were used for this purpose. For each year one pair of filters representing summer and winter conditions was selected. The work comprised also multi-elemental analysis of available TSPM samples using EDXRF technique. The measurements of 13C and 14C content in the total elemental carbon collected on filters revealed

  14. Dynamical consequences of compositional and thermal density stratification beneath spreading centers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sotin, C.; Parmentier, E. M.

    1989-01-01

    Dynamical consequences of compositional buoyancy and the combined effects of compositional and thermal buoyancy on mantle flow and crustal production are explored. The results show that for a low enough mantle viscosity, buoyant upwelling can significantly enhance the crustal thickness relative to that which would be produced by plate spreading alone, while for a mantle viscosity of 10 to the 22nd Pa s, upwelling due to plate spreading is dominant and crustal thickness is predicted to be a function of spreading rate. The results indicate that thermal and compositional density variations result in opposing buoyancy forces that can cause time-dependent upwelling.

  15. The Stress-strain Behavior of Polymer-Nanotube Composites from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frankland, S. J. V.; Harik, V. M.; Odegard, G. M.; Brenner, D. W.; Gates, T. S.; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Stress-strain curves of polymer-carbon nanotube composites are derived from molecular dynamics simulations of a single-walled carbon nanotube embedded in polyethylene. A comparison is made between the response to mechanical loading of a composite with a long, continuous nanotube (replicated via periodic boundary conditions) and the response of a composite with a short, discontinuous nanotube. Both composites are mechanically loaded in the direction of and transverse to the NT axis. The long-nanotube composite shows an increase in the stiffness relative to the polymer and behaves anisotropically under the different loading conditions. The short-nanotube composite shows no enhancement relative to the polymer, most probably because of its low aspect ratio. The stress-strain curves are compared with rule-of-mixtures predictions.

  16. Atmospheric dynamics in the “Laboratory Biosphere” with wheat and sweet potato crops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dempster, William F.; Allen, J. P.; Alling, A.; Silverstone, S.; Van Thillo, M.

    Laboratory Biosphere is a 40-m 3 closed life system equipped with 12,000 W of high pressure sodium lamps over planting beds with 5.37 m 2 of soil. Atmospheric composition changes due to photosynthetic fixation of carbon dioxide and corresponding production of oxygen or the reverse, respiration, are observed in short timeframes, e.g., hourly. To focus on inherent characteristics of the crop as distinct from its area or the volume of the chamber, we report fixation and respiration rates in mmol h -1 m -2 of planted area. An 85-day crop of USU Apogee wheat under a 16-h lighted/8-h dark regime peaked in fixation rate at about 100 mmol h -1 m -2 approximately 24 days after planting. Light intensity was about 840 μmol m -2 s -1. Dark respiration peaked at about 31 mmol h -1 m -2 at the same time. Thereafter, both fixation and respiration declined toward zero as harvest time approached. A residual soil respiration rate of about 1.9 mmol h -1 m -2 was observed in the dark closed chamber for 100 days after the harvest. A 126-day crop of Tuskegee TU-82-155 sweet potato behaved quite differently. Under a 680 μmol m -2 s -1, 18-h lighted/6-h dark regime, fixation during lighted hours rose to a plateau ranging from about 27 to 48 mmol h -1 m -2 after 42 days and dark respiration settled into a range of 12-23 mmol h -1 m -2. These rates continued unabated until the harvest at 126 days, suggesting that tuber biomass production might have continued at about the same rate for some time beyond the harvest time that was exercised in this experiment. In both experiments CO 2 levels were allowed to range widely from a few hundred to about 3000 ppm, which permitted observation of fixation rates both at varying CO 2 concentrations and at each number of days after planting. This enables plotting the fixation rate as a function of both variables. Understanding the atmospheric dynamics of individual crops will be essential for design and atmospheric management of more complex CELSS which

  17. Aeronomy of the Venus Upper Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gérard, J.-C.; Bougher, S. W.; López-Valverde, M. A.; Pätzold, M.; Drossart, P.; Piccioni, G.

    2017-11-01

    We present aeronomical observations collected using remote sensing instruments on board Venus Express, complemented with ground-based observations and numerical modeling. They are mostly based on VIRTIS and SPICAV measurements of airglow obtained in the nadir mode and at the limb above 90 km. They complement our understanding of the behavior of Venus' upper atmosphere that was largely based on Pioneer Venus observations mostly performed over thirty years earlier. Following a summary of recent spectral data from the EUV to the infrared, we examine how these observations have improved our knowledge of the composition, thermal structure, dynamics and transport of the Venus upper atmosphere. We then synthesize progress in three-dimensional modeling of the upper atmosphere which is largely based on global mapping and observations of time variations of the nitric oxide and O2 nightglow emissions. Processes controlling the escape flux of atoms to space are described. Results based on the VeRA radio propagation experiment are summarized and compared to ionospheric measurements collected during earlier space missions. Finally, we point out some unsolved and open questions generated by these recent datasets and model comparisons.

  18. Dynamic response of phenolic resin and its carbon-nanotube composites to shock wave loading

    DOE PAGES

    Arman, B.; An, Q.; Luo, S. N.; ...

    2011-01-04

    We investigate with nonreactive molecular dynamics simulations the dynamic response of phenolic resin and its carbon-nanotube (CNT) composites to shock wave compression. For phenolic resin, our simulations yield shock states in agreement with experiments on similar polymers except the “phase change” observed in experiments, indicating that such phase change is chemical in nature. The elastic–plastic transition is characterized by shear stress relaxation and atomic-level slip, and phenolic resin shows strong strain hardening. Shock loading of the CNT-resin composites is applied parallel or perpendicular to the CNT axis, and the composites demonstrate anisotropy in wave propagation, yield and CNT deformation. Themore » CNTs induce stress concentrations in the composites and may increase the yield strength. Our simulations indicate that the bulk shock response of the composites depends on the volume fraction, length ratio, impact cross-section, and geometry of the CNT components; the short CNTs in current simulations have insignificant effect on the bulk response of resin polymer.« less

  19. Wide-Band Heterodyne Submillimetre Wave Spectrometer for Planetary Atmospheres

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schlecht, Erich

    2010-01-01

    We present calculations and measurements on a passive submillimetre wave spectroscopic sounder to gather data on the thermal structure, dynamics and composition of the upper atmosphere of a planet, e.g. the stratosphere of Jupiter, or the entire thickness of the atmosphere of Mars. The instrument will be capable of measuring wind speeds, temperature, pressure, and key constituent concentrations in the stratosphere of the target planet. This instrument consists of a Schottky diode based front end and a digital back-end spectrometer. It differs from previous space-based spectrometers in its combination of wide tunability (520-590 GHz), and rapid frequency switching between widely spaced lines within that range. This will enable near simultaneous observation of multiple lines, which is critical to the reconstruction of atmospheric pressure and density versus altitude profiles. At the same time frequency accuracy must be high to enable wind speeds to be determined directly by measurement of the line's Doppler shift.

  20. On Star-Planet Interaction: Magnetospheric Dynamics and Atmospheric Evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tilley, Matthew Tilley

    With the explosion of exoplanetary discoveries, the question of planetary habitability is at the forefront, and generates many interesting and complex questions. One of those questions: Are planetary global magnetic fields necessary for the development of complex surface organics and the development of life? Does a global field protect planetary atmospheres? What detection signatures can be gleaned from a planet or moon with a global field as opposed to one without? We have a wealth of in situ magnetospheric data from Earth, as well as solar system planets and their moons from several vital satellite missions, such as the Voyager missions, the Pioneer missions, Galileo, Cassini, Messenger, MAVEN, and New Horizons. Due to the distances involved, it is not tenable to send satellites to obtain data at exoplanetary bodies, so we rely on simulations and using solar system data as analog environments to help set ground truth validation for the numerical work. In this dissertation, I use a multifluid plasma model for gas giant magnetospheres to predict the potential dynamical consequences and detection signatures for giant exoplanets in a warm orbit (˜0.2 AU). I discuss the dynamics of plasma loss from an exomoon injected torus, and how the total mass flux out of the system is altered by increased stellar wind forcing as a function of orbital semi-major axis. Detection signatures for such a planet, including transit depth modifications due to plasma densities and radio emissions, show promise for further detecting and characterizing future systems. I also improve the multifluid model by implementing a full treatment of pressure anisotropy at Saturn, with a focus on the dynamics and structure of the magnetosphere. The improvements to the physics of the model generate more accurate system when compared to Cassini data; the anisotropic simulations show stronger current confinement of the Enceladus torus, consistent and well-structure flux interchange events, and global

  1. A numerical study of the effect of irrigation on land-atmosphere interactions in a spring wheat cropland in India using a coupled atmosphere-crop growth dynamics model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumari, S.; Sharma, P.; Srivastava, A.; Rastogi, D.; Sehgal, V. K.; Dhakar, R.; Roy, S. B.

    2017-12-01

    Vegetation dynamics and surface meteorology are tightly coupled through the exchange of momentum, moisture and heat between the land surface and the atmosphere. In this study, we use a recently developed coupled atmosphere-crop growth dynamics model to study these exchanges and their effects in a spring wheat cropland in northern India. In particular, we investigate the role of irrigation in controlling crop growth rates, surface meteorology, and sensible and latent heat fluxes. The model is developed by implementing a crop growth module based on the Simple and Universal Crop growth Simulator (SUCROS) model in the Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale atmospheric model. The crop module calculates photosynthesis rates, carbon assimilation, and biomass partitioning as a function of environmental factors and crop development stage. The leaf area index (LAI) and root depth calculated by the crop module is then fed to the Noah-MP land module of WRF to calculate land-atmosphere fluxes. The crop model is calibrated using data from an experimental spring wheat crop site in the Indian Agriculture Research Institute. The coupled model is capable of simulating the observed spring wheat phenology. Irrigation is simulated by changing the soil moisture levels from 50% - 100% of field capacity. Results show that the yield first increases with increasing soil moisture and then starts decreasing as we further increase the soil moisture. Yield attains its maximum value with soil moisture at the level of 60% water of FC. At this level, high LAI values lead to a decrease in the Bowen Ratio because more energy is transferred to the atmosphere as latent heat rather than sensible heat resulting in a cooling effect on near-surface air temperatures. Apart from improving simulation of land-atmosphere interactions, this coupled modeling approach can form the basis for the seamless crop yield and seasonal scale weather outlook prediction system.

  2. What is the main driver of atmospheric CO2 dynamic: ocean or permafrost?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zimov, S. A.; Zimov, N.

    2010-12-01

    Majority have assumed that during the Last Deglaciation (LD) ocean was a strong source of carbon (C) transporting hundreds of gigatons of C into the terrestrial and atmospheric storages. Increase in the δ13C of foraminifera shells during the LD by 0.3-0.4 per mil considered as an evidence of such a source. However terrestrial and oceanic branches of the biological carbon cycle have very similar carbon isotopic signatures and carbon storage capacities. So the same δ13C increase could be caused by an oceanic bio-productivity increase and the increase of C in bottom sediments (Brovkin et al. 2002). Additionally it has been shown experimentally that at 90 ppmv increase in atmospheric CO2, due to changes in the concentration of carbonate ions in sea water, would cause the δ13C of foraminifera shells to increase by at least 0.25-0.5 per mil (Spero et al. 1997). At all stable parameters to equilibrate for 90 ppm CO2 increase in the atmosphere ocean inorganic C reservoir should have increased by 1800 Gt C (Sigman et al. 2000). Therefore it is very hard to find a mechanism which would allow ocean in LD to release carbon instead of absorbing it, and such a mechanism haven’t been found so far. Methane (CH4) produced by steppe-tundra biome (ST) soil thawing has a unique isotopic signal depleted in all isotopes. Inclusion of this source into a model of the atmospheric methane isotope budget allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of methane’s main sources. Results indicated that thawing of ST soils during the deglaciation, were the largest methane source and resulted in 255 Gt C emitted in the form of CH4 to the atmosphere (Zimov, see AGU 2010). When soil turns anaerobic only minor portion of soil C converts into CH4. Bigger portion of ST didn’t turn anaerobic at all and all decomposing C was turned into CO2. Besides that part of the soil CH4 flux was consumed by methanotrophs. Therefore C storage in ST soils were many times higher then CH4 emission into the atmosphere

  3. Influence of dynamic compressive loading on the in vitro degradation behavior of pure PLA and Mg/PLA composite.

    PubMed

    Li, Xuan; Qi, Chenxi; Han, Linyuan; Chu, Chenglin; Bai, Jing; Guo, Chao; Xue, Feng; Shen, Baolong; Chu, Paul K

    2017-12-01

    The effects of dynamic compressive loading on the in vitro degradation behavior of pure poly-lactic acid (PLA) and PLA-based composite unidirectionally reinforced with micro-arc oxidized magnesium alloy wires (Mg/PLA) are investigated. Dynamic compressive loading is shown to accelerate degradation of pure PLA and Mg/PLA. As the applied stress is increased from 0.1MPa to 0.9MPa or frequency from 0.5Hz to 2.5Hz, the overall degradation rate goes up. After immersion for 21days at 0.9MPa and 2.5Hz, the bending strength retention of the composite and pure PLA is 60.1% and 50%, respectively. Dynamic loading enhances diffusion of small acidic molecules resulting in significant pH decrease in the immersion solution. The synergistic reaction between magnesium alloy wires and PLA in the composite is further clarified by electrochemical tests. The degradation behavior of the pure PLA and PLA matrix in the composite under dynamic conditions obey the first order degradation kinetics and a numerical model is postulated to elucidate the relationship of the bending strength, stress, frequency, and immersion time under dynamic conditions. We systematically study the influence of dynamic loading on the degradation behavior of pure PLA and Mg/PLA. Dynamic compressive loading is shown to accelerate degradation of pure PLA and Mg/PLA. The synergistic reaction between magnesium alloy wires and PLA in the composite is firstly clarified by electrochemical tests. The degradation behavior of the pure PLA and PLA matrix in the composite under dynamic conditions obey the first order degradation kinetics. Then, a numerical model is postulated to elucidate the relationship of the bending strength, stress, frequency, and immersion time under dynamic conditions. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Dynamic characteristics of specialty composite structures with embedded damping layers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saravanos, D. A.; Chamis, C. C.

    1993-01-01

    Damping mechanics for simulating the damped dynamic characteristics in specialty composite structures with compliant interlaminar damping layers are presented. Finite-element based mechanics incorporating a discrete layer (or layer-wise) laminate damping theory are utilized to represent general laminate configurations in terms of lay-up and fiber orientation angles, cross-sectional thickness, shape, and boundary conditions. Evaluations of the method with exact solutions and experimental data illustrate the accuracy of the method. Additional applications investigate the potential for significant damping enhancement in angle-ply composite laminates with cocured interlaminar damping layers.

  5. Erosion behavior of composite Al-Cr cathodes in cathodic arc plasmas in inert and reactive atmospheres

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Franz, Robert, E-mail: robert.franz@unileoben.ac.at; Mendez Martin, Francisca; Hawranek, Gerhard

    2016-03-15

    Al{sub x}Cr{sub 1−x} composite cathodes with Al contents of x = 0.75, 0.5, and 0.25 were exposed to cathodic arc plasmas in Ar, N{sub 2}, and O{sub 2} atmospheres and their erosion behavior was studied. Cross-sectional analysis of the elemental distribution of the near-surface zone in the cathodes by scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of a modified layer for all cathodes and atmospheres. Due to intermixing of Al and Cr in the heat-affected zone, intermetallic Al-Cr phases formed as evidenced by x-ray diffraction analysis. Cathode poisoning effects in the reactive N{sub 2} and O{sub 2} atmospheres were nonuniform as a resultmore » of the applied magnetic field configuration. With the exception of oxide islands on Al-rich cathodes, reactive layers were absent in the circular erosion zone, while nitrides and oxides formed in the less eroded center region of the cathodes.« less

  6. Studies of the airglow, the aurora, the ion and neutral composition, and the chemistry of the terrestrial atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zipf, E. C., Jr.

    1974-01-01

    Results obtained by rocket-borne optical spectrometry are presented. Composition measurements and auroral studies are reported. The production of N (D-2) atoms by photo-absorption processes, and by electron impact excitation of N2 are discussed along with vibrationally excited CO2(+) ions in planetary atmospheres.

  7. Dynamic fiber Bragg gratings based health monitoring system of composite aerospace structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panopoulou, A.; Loutas, T.; Roulias, D.; Fransen, S.; Kostopoulos, V.

    2011-09-01

    The main purpose of the current work is to develop a new system for structural health monitoring of composite aerospace structures based on real-time dynamic measurements, in order to identify the structural state condition. Long-gauge Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) optical sensors were used for monitoring the dynamic response of the composite structure. The algorithm that was developed for structural damage detection utilizes the collected dynamic response data, analyzes them in various ways and through an artificial neural network identifies the damage state and its location. Damage was simulated by slightly varying locally the mass of the structure (by adding a known mass) at different zones of the structure. Lumped masses in different locations upon the structure alter the eigen-frequencies in a way similar to actual damage. The structural dynamic behaviour has been numerically simulated and experimentally verified by means of modal testing on two different composite aerospace structures. Advanced digital signal processing techniques, e.g. the wavelet transform (WT), were used for the analysis of the dynamic response for feature extraction. WT's capability of separating the different frequency components in the time domain without loosing frequency information makes it a versatile tool for demanding signal processing applications. The use of WT is also suggested by the no-stationary nature of dynamic response signals and the opportunity of evaluating the temporal evolution of their frequency contents. Feature extraction is the first step of the procedure. The extracted features are effective indices of damage size and location. The classification step comprises of a feed-forward back propagation network, whose output determines the simulated damage location. Finally, dedicated training and validation activities were carried out by means of numerical simulations and experimental procedures. Experimental validation was performed initially on a flat stiffened panel

  8. Continuum Damage Modeling for Dynamic Fracture Toughness of Metal Matrix Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Intaek; Ochi, Yasuo; Bae, Sungin; Song, Jungil

    Short fiber reinforced metal-matrix composites (MMCs) have widely adopted as structural materials and many experimental researches have been performed to study fracture toughness of it. Fracture toughness is often referred as the plane strain(maximum constraint) fracture toughness KIc determined by the well-established standard test method, such as ASTM E399. But the application for dynamic fracture toughness KId has not been popular yet, because of reliance in capturing the crack propagating time. This paper deals with dynamic fracture toughness testing and simulation using finite element method to evaluate fracture behaviors of MMCs manufactured by squeeze casting process when material combination is varied with the type of reinforcement (appearance, size), volume fraction and combination of reinforcements, and the matrix alloy. The instrumented Charphy impact test was used for KId determination and continuum damage model embedded in commercial FE program is used to investigate the dynamic fracture toughness with the influence of elasto-visco-plastic constitutive relation of quasi-brittle fracture that is typical examples of ceramics and some fibre reinforced composites. With Compared results between experimental method and FE simulation, the determination process for KId is presented. FE simulation coupled with continuum damage model is emphasized single shot simulation can predict the dynamic fracture toughness, KId and real time evolution of that directly.

  9. SULFURIZATION OF IRON IN THE DYNAMIC SOLAR NEBULA AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANETARY COMPOSITIONS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ciesla, Fred J., E-mail: fciesla@uchicago.edu

    One explanation for the enhanced ratio of volatiles to hydrogen in Jupiter’s atmosphere compared to a a gas of solar composition is that the planet accreted volatile-bearing clathrates during its formation. Models, however, suggest that S would be over abundant if clathrates were the primary carrier of Jupiter’s volatiles. This led to the suggestion that S was depleted in the outer nebula due to the formation troilite (FeS). Here, this depletion is quantitatively explored by modeling the coupled dynamical and chemical evolution of Fe grains in the solar nebula. It is found that disks that undergo rapid radial expansion frommore » an initially compact state may allow sufficient production of FeS and carry H{sub 2}S-depleted gas outward where ices would form, providing the conditions needed for S-depleted clathrates to form. However, this expansion would also carry FeS grains to this region, which could also be incorporated into planetesimals. Thus for clathrates to be a viable source of volatiles, models must account for the presence of both H{sub 2}S in FeS in the outer solar nebula.« less

  10. SMA Hybrid Composites for Dynamic Response Abatement Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Turner, Travis L.

    2000-01-01

    A recently developed constitutive model and a finite element formulation for predicting the thermomechanical response of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) hybrid composite (SMAHC) structures is briefly described. Attention is focused on constrained recovery behavior in this study, but the constitutive formulation is also capable of modeling restrained or free recovery. Numerical results are shown for glass/epoxy panel specimens with embedded Nitinol actuators subjected to thermal and acoustic loads. Control of thermal buckling, random response, sonic fatigue, and transmission loss are demonstrated and compared to conventional approaches including addition of conventional composite layers and a constrained layer damping treatment. Embedded SMA actuators are shown to be significantly more effective in dynamic response abatement applications than the conventional approaches and are attractive for combination with other passive and/or active approaches.

  11. Species composition, community and population dynamics of two gallery forests from the Brazilian Cerrado domain

    PubMed Central

    Almado, Roosevelt P; Miazaki, Angela S; Diniz, Écio S; Moreira, Luis C B; Meira-Neto, João A.A.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background To understand the impacts of global changes on future community compositions, knowledge of community dynamics is of crucial importance. To improve our knowledge of community composition, biomass stock and maintenance of gallery forests in the Brazilian Cerrado, we provide two datasets from the 0.5 ha Corrego Fazendinha Gallery Forest Dynamics Plot and the Corrego Fundo Gallery Forest Dynamics Plot situated in the Bom Despacho region, Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. New information We report diameter at breast height, basal area and height measurements of 3417 trees and treelets identified during three censuses in both areas. PMID:27660529

  12. Nonlinear dynamics of the atmospheric pollutants in Mexico City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muñoz-Diosdado, Alejandro; Barrera-Ferrer, Amilcar; Angulo-Brown, Fernando

    2014-05-01

    The atmospheric pollution in the Metropolitan Zone of Mexico City (MZMC) is a serious problem with social, economical and political consequences, in virtue that it is the region which concentrates both the greatest country population and a great part of commercial and industrial activities. According to the World Health Organization, maximum permissible concentrations of atmospheric pollutants are exceeded frequently. In the MZMC, the environmental monitoring has been limited to criteria pollutants, named in this way due to when their levels are measured in the atmosphere, they indicate in a precise way the air quality. The Automatic Atmospheric Monitoring Network monitors and registers the values of pollutants concentration in air in the MZMC. Actually, it is integrated by approximately 35 automatic-equipped remote stations, which report an every-hour register. Local and global invariant quantities have been widely used to describe the fractal properties of diverse time series. In the study of certain time series, many times it is assumed that they are monofractal, which means that they can be described only with one fractal dimension. But this hypothesis is unrealistic because a lot of time series are heterogeneous and non stationary, so their scaling properties are not the same throughout time and therefore they may require more fractal dimensions for their description. Complexity of the atmospheric pollutants dynamics suggests us to analyze its time series of hourly concentration registers with the multifractal formalism. So, in this work, air concentration time series of MZMC criteria pollutants were studied with the proposed method. The chosen pollutants to perform this analysis are ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and PM10 (particles less than 10 micrometers). We found that pollutants air concentration time series are multifractal. When we calculate the degree of multifractality for each time series we know that while more

  13. The composition of the atmosphere of Venus below 100 km altitude: An overview

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Bergh, C.; Moroz, V. I.; Taylor, F. W.; Crisp, D.; Bézard, B.; Zasova, L. V.

    2006-11-01

    We review the progress in our understanding of the composition of the Venus atmosphere since the publication of the COSPAR Venus International Reference Atmosphere volume in 1985. Results presented there were derived from data compiled in 1982-1983. More recent progress has resulted in large part from Earth-based studies of the near-infrared radiation from the nightside of the planet. These observations allow us to probe the atmosphere between the cloud tops and the surface. Additional insight has been gained through: (i) the analysis of ultraviolet radiation by satellites and rockets; (ii) data collected by the Vega 1 and 2 landers; (iii) complementary analyses of Venera 15 and 16 data; (iv) ground-based and Magellan radio occultation measurements, and (v) re-analyses of some spacecraft measurements made before 1983, in particular the Pioneer Venus and Venera 11, 13 and 14 data. These new data, and re-interpretations of older data, provide a much better knowledge of the vertical profile of water vapor, and more information on sulfur species above and below the clouds, including firm detections of OCS and SO. In addition, some spatial and/or temporal variations have been observed for CO, H 2O, H 2SO 4, SO 2, and OCS. New values of the D/H ratio have also been obtained.

  14. Factors influencing atmospheric composition over subarctic North America during summer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wofsy, Steven C.; Fan, S. -M.; Blake, D. R.; Bradshaw, J. D.; Sandholm, S. T.; Singh, H. B.; Sachse, G. W.; Harriss, R. C.

    1994-01-01

    Elevated concentrations of hydrocarbons, CO, and nitrogen oxides were observed in extensive haze layers over northeastern Canada in the summer of 1990, during ABLE 3B. Halocarbon concentrations remained near background in most layers, indicating a source from biomass wildfires. Elevated concentrations of C2Cl4 provided a sensitive indicator for pollution from urban/industrial sources. Detailed analysis of regional budgets for CO and hydrocarbons indicates that biomass fires accounted for approximately equal to 70% of the input to the subarctic for most hydrocarbons and for acetone and more than 50% for CO. Regional sources for many species (including CO) exceeded chemical sinks during summer, and the boreal region provided a net source to midlatitudes. Interannual variations and long-term trends in atmospheric composition are sensitive to climatic change; a shift to warmer, drier conditions could increase the areas burned and thus the sources of many trace gases.

  15. Re-assessing the Molybdenum Isotope Composition of Pre-GOE Seawater: Evidence for Dynamic Ocean Redox

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ostrander, C. M.; Kendall, B.; Roy, M.; Romaniello, S. J.; Nunn, S. J.; Gordon, G. W.; Olson, S. L.; Lyons, T. W.; Zheng, W.; Anbar, A. D.

    2016-12-01

    Molybdenum (Mo) isotope compositions of Archean shales can provide important insights into ocean and atmosphere redox dynamics prior to the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). Unfortunately, the relatively limited Mo isotope database and small number of sample sets for Archean shales do not allow for in-depth reconstructions and specifically make it difficult to differentiate global from local effects. To accurately estimate the Mo isotope composition of Archean seawater and better investigate the systematics of local and global redox, more complete sample sets are needed. We carried out a Mo isotope analysis of the euxinic 2.65 Ga Roy Hill Shale sampled in two stratigraphically correlated cores, and revisited the well-studied euxinic 2.5 Ga Mt. McRae Shale in higher resolution. Our data show contrasting Mo isotope values in the 2.65 Ga Roy Hill Shale between near- and offshore depositional environments, with systematically heavier isotope values in the near-shore environment. High-resolution analysis of the Mt. McRae Shale yields oscillating Mo concentrations and isotope values at the cm- to dm-scale during the well-characterized "whiff of O2" interval, with the heaviest isotope values measured during euxinic deposition. Variations in the measured isotope values within each section are primarily associated with redox changes in the local depositional environment and amount of detrital content. Both non-quantitative removal of Mo associated with incorporation into non-euxinic sediments and large detrital Mo contributions shift some measured isotopic compositions toward lighter values. This is readily apparent in the near-shore Roy Hill Shale section and the Mt. McRae Shale, but may not fully explain variations observed in the offshore Roy Hill Shale deposit. Here, euxinic deposition is not accompanied by Mo enrichments or isotopic compositions as heavy as the near-shore equivalent, even after detrital correction. This disparity between the near- and offshore environment

  16. Assessing Precipitation Isotope Variations during Atmospheric River Events to Reveal Dominant Atmospheric/Hydrologic Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCabe-Glynn, S. E.; Johnson, K. R.; Yoshimura, K.; Buenning, N. H.; Welker, J. M.

    2015-12-01

    Extreme precipitation events across the Western US commonly associated with atmospheric rivers (ARs), whereby extensive fluxes of moisture are transported from the subtropics, can result in major damage and are projected by most climate models to increase in frequency and severity. However, they are difficult to project beyond ~ten days and the location of landfall and topographically induced precipitation is even more uncertain. Water isotopes, often used to reconstruct past rainfall variability, are useful natural tracers of atmospheric hydrologic processes. Because of the typical tropical and sub-tropical origins, ARs can carry unique water isotope (δ18O and δ2H, d-excess) signatures that can be utilized to provide source and process information that can lead to improving AR predictions. Recent analysis of the top 10 weekly precipitation total samples from Sequoia National Park, CA, of which 9 contained AR events, shows a high variability in the isotopic values. NOAA Hysplit back trajectory analyses reveals a variety of trajectories and varying latitudinal source regions contributed to moisture delivered to this site, which may explain part of the high variability (δ2H = -150.03 to -49.52 ‰, δ18O = -19.27 to -7.20 ‰, d-excess = 4.1 to 25.8). Here we examine the top precipitation totals occurring during AR events and the associated isotopic composition of precipitation samples from several sites across the Western US. We utilize IsoGSM, an isotope-enabled atmospheric general circulation model, to characterize the hydrologic processes and physical dynamics contributing to the observed isotopic variations. We investigate isotopic influences from moisture source location, AR speed, condensation height, and associated temperature. We explore the dominant controls on spatial and temporal variations of the isotopic composition of AR precipitation which highlights different physical processes for different AR events.

  17. Composition of Atmospheric Dust from Qatar in the Arabian Gulf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yigiterhan, O.; Al-Ansari, I. S.; Abdel-Moati, M.; Al-Ansi, M.; Paul, B.; Nelson, A.; Turner, J.; Murray, J. W.; Alfoldy, B. Z.; Mahfouz, M. M. K.; Giamberini, M.

    2015-12-01

    Samples of atmospheric dust from Qatar have been collected and analyzed for major and trace elemental composition. Twenty-one samples were collected in 2014 and 2015 from Doha, Al Khor, Katara, Sealine, and Al Waab by a variety of techniques. Some samples were collected during the megastorms that occurred in April 2015. Back trajectories were determined for each sample using the NOAA HYSPLIT model over a 50 hour time interval. Our samples were about equally divided between northerly (n=12; northern Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Iraq) and southerly (n=8; SE Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman) sources. One sample originated directly westward, in Saudi Arabia. Samples were microwave-assisted total acid digested (HF+HCl+HNO3) and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). There are only 12 out of 23 elements for which the Qatari dust was enriched relative to upper continental crust (UCC). Calcium was especially enriched at 400% relative to UCC. About 33% of the total sample mass was CaCO3, reflecting the composition of surface rocks in the source areas. Of the elements typically associated with anthropogenic activity, Ag, Ni and Zn were the most enriched relative to UCC, with enrichment factors of 182%, 233% and 209%, respectively. Others like Pb and V were not significantly enriched, with enrichment factors of 25% and 3%, respectively. The major elements Al, Mn and Fe were depleted relative to UCC because of the strong enrichment in CaCO3, with enrichment factors of -58%, -35% and -45% respectively. We separately averaged the samples with northern and southern origins to see if composition could be used to identify source. Only three elements had a statistical difference. Pb and Na were higher in the samples from the Se while Cr was higher in those from the north.

  18. Large-eddy Simulation of Stratocumulus-topped Atmospheric Boundary Layers with Dynamic Subgrid-scale Models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Senocak, Inane

    2003-01-01

    The objective of the present study is to evaluate the dynamic procedure in LES of stratocumulus topped atmospheric boundary layer and assess the relative importance of subgrid-scale modeling, cloud microphysics and radiation modeling on the predictions. The simulations will also be used to gain insight into the processes leading to cloud top entrainment instability and cloud breakup. In this report we document the governing equations, numerical schemes and physical models that are employed in the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble model (GCEM3D). We also present the subgrid-scale dynamic procedures that have been implemented in the GCEM3D code for the purpose of the present study.

  19. NASA LaRC Workshop on Guidance, Navigation, Controls, and Dynamics for Atmospheric Flight, 1993

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buttrill, Carey S. (Editor)

    1993-01-01

    This publication is a collection of materials presented at a NASA workshop on guidance, navigation, controls, and dynamics (GNC&D) for atmospheric flight. The workshop was held at the NASA Langley Research Center on March 18-19, 1993. The workshop presentations describe the status of current research in the GNC&D area at Langley over a broad spectrum of research branches. The workshop was organized in eight sessions: overviews, general, controls, military aircraft, dynamics, guidance, systems, and a panel discussion. A highlight of the workshop was the panel discussion which addressed the following issue: 'Direction of guidance, navigation, and controls research to ensure U.S. competitiveness and leadership in aerospace technologies.'

  20. Historical aspects of radar atmospheric dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kato, Susumu

    1989-01-01

    A review of the history of radar techniques which have been applied to atmospheric observation is given. The author starts with ionosphere observation with the ionosonde, symbolizing as it does the earliest history of radar observation, and proceeds to later developments in radar observation such as the use of partial reflection, meteor, and incoherent scatter radars. Mesosphere stratosphere troposphere (MST) radars are discussed in terms of lower atmosphere observation.

  1. Thermal properties and dynamic mechanical properties of ceramic fillers filled epoxy composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saidina, D. S.; Mariatti, M.; Juliewatty, J.

    2015-07-01

    This present study is aimed to enhance the thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of ceramic fillers such as Calcium Copper Titanate, CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) and Barium Titanate (BaTiO3) filled epoxy thin film composites. As can be seen from the results, 20 vol% BaTiO3/epoxy thin film composite showed the lowest coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value, the highest decomposition temperature (T5 and Tonset) and weight of residue among the composites as the filler has low CTE value, distributed homogeneously throughout the composite and less voids can be seen between epoxy resin and BaTiO3 filler.

  2. Global scale observations of atmospheric molecular hydrogen and its stable isotopic composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Batenburg, A. M.

    2012-09-01

    With average mixing ratios (χ) around 550 ppb (nmole/mole), molecular hydrogen (H2) is the most abundant reduced gas in our atmosphere after methane (CH4), but considerably less studied. H2 is also a promising energy carrier that might replace fossil fuels in vehicles with great sustainability advantages, but there may be environmental side effects. Large-scale leakage of H2 into the atmosphere might affect the atmosphere’s oxidative capacity and stratospheric ozone chemistry. To assess these risks, a better understanding of the atmospheric H2 cycle is needed. Stable isotopic composition measurements can be used to constrain the source and sink terms in the budgets of atmospheric trace gases, as the different processes affect the stable isotopic composition of the gases in different ways. For H2, the effects are particularly large, due to the large relative mass difference between the isotopes (H and D). The largest source, hydrocarbon oxidation, yields D-enriched H2, whereas the smaller combustion-related sources and the minor microbial sources yield D-depleted and extremely D-depleted H2, respectively. Both sink processes, uptake in soils and reaction with hydroxyl radicals (OH), have a D-enriching effect, but the effect is much stronger for OH. Despite its usefulness, few environmental observations of H2 isotopic composition (δD(H2)) are available. We present three new χ(H2) and δD(H2) datasets to fill this gap. First, we present one- to five-year long time series from six globally distributed, predominantly background stations. As expected, average χ(H2) and δD(H2) values were larger in the southern hemisphere (SH) than in the northern hemisphere (NH). The minimum in δD(H2) was found at the NH midlatitude stations, likely a result of fossil fuel combustion. At the three NH coastal and island stations, seasonal δD(H2)-cycles were observed, which were five to six months out-of-phase with the χ(H2)-cycles. No δD(H2)-cycles were observed at the other

  3. Characterization, Modeling, and Failure Analysis of Composite Structure Materials under Static and Dynamic Loading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Werner, Brian Thomas

    Composite structures have long been used in many industries where it is advantageous to reduce weight while maintaining high stiffness and strength. Composites can now be found in an ever broadening range of applications: sporting equipment, automobiles, marine and aerospace structures, and energy production. These structures are typically sandwich panels composed of fiber reinforced polymer composite (FRPC) facesheets which provide the stiffness and the strength and a low density polymeric foam core that adds bending rigidity with little additional weight. The expanding use of composite structures exposes them to high energy, high velocity dynamic loadings which produce multi-axial dynamic states of stress. This circumstance can present quite a challenge to designers, as composite structures are highly anisotropic and display properties that are sensitive to loading rates. Computer codes are continually in development to assist designers in the creation of safe, efficient structures. While the design of an optimal composite structure is more complex, engineers can take advantage of the effect of enhanced energy dissipation displayed by a composite when loaded at high strain rates. In order to build and verify effective computer codes, the underlying assumptions must be verified by laboratory experiments. Many of these codes look to use a micromechanical approach to determine the response of the structure. For this, the material properties of the constituent materials must be verified, three-dimensional constitutive laws must be developed, and failure of these materials must be investigated under static and dynamic loading conditions. In this study, simple models are sought not only to ease their implementation into such codes, but to allow for efficient characterization of new materials that may be developed. Characterization of composite materials and sandwich structures is a costly, time intensive process. A constituent based design approach evaluates potential

  4. Composition of semi-volatile organic compounds in the urban atmosphere of Singapore: influence of biomass burning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, J.; Zielinska, B.; Balasubramanian, R.

    2010-12-01

    An intensive field study was conducted in the urban atmosphere of Singapore to investigate the composition of organic compounds in both gaseous and particulate phases during the period of August to early November 2006. 17 atmospheric samples were collected. These samples were subjected to accelerated solvent extraction with a mixture of dichloromethane and acetone and separated into functional group fractions for analyses by GC/MS. Over 180 organic compounds belonging to three major fractions (n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - PAHs, and polar organic compounds - POCs) were identified and quantified. The characteristics and abundance of the n-alkanes, PAHs, mono and dicarboxylic acids, methoxylated phenols and other POCs were determined. The composition of these organic compounds fluctuated temporally with most of them being relatively higher in October than those in other months of the sampling period. 3-D backward air mass trajectory analyses together with the carbon preference index (CPI), molecular diagnostic ratios and molecular markers were used to investigate the origin of organic species measured in this study. Based on these diagnostic tools, the increased abundance of atmospheric organic species during October could be attributed to the occurrence of regional smoke haze episodes due to biomass burning in Indonesia. Among the POCs investigated, phthalic acid and cis-pinonic acid were abundant during October 2006. These two acids showed strong linear relationships with maximum daily ozone concentrations throughout the entire sampling period. This correlation with ozone suggested that the secondary aerosol constituents such as phthalic and cis-pinonic acids were probably formed through O3-induced photochemical transformation.

  5. Discharge dynamics of pin-to-plate dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Liqun; Huang, Xiaojiang; Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Jing; Shi, J. J.

    2010-11-01

    The discharge dynamics of pin-to-plate dielectric barrier discharge was studied in atmospheric helium at 20 kHz. The discharge was predominately ignited in positive half cycle of applied voltage with sinusoidal waveform. The temporal evolution of the discharge was investigated vertically along the discharge gap and radically on the dielectric surface by time resolved imaging. It is found that a discharge column with a diameter of 2 mm was ignited above the pin electrode and expanded toward a plate electrode. On the dielectric surface with space charge accumulation, plasma disk in terms of plasma ring was formed with radius up to 25 mm. The expansion velocity of plasma ring can reach a hypersonic speed of 3.0 km/s. The ionization wave due to electron diffusion is considered to be the mechanism for plasma ring formation and dynamics.

  6. ANALYTICAL MODELS OF EXOPLANETARY ATMOSPHERES. I. ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS VIA THE SHALLOW WATER SYSTEM

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Heng, Kevin; Workman, Jared, E-mail: kevin.heng@csh.unibe.ch, E-mail: jworkman@coloradomesa.edu

    2014-08-01

    Within the context of exoplanetary atmospheres, we present a comprehensive linear analysis of forced, damped, magnetized shallow water systems, exploring the effects of dimensionality, geometry (Cartesian, pseudo-spherical, and spherical), rotation, magnetic tension, and hydrodynamic and magnetic sources of friction. Across a broad range of conditions, we find that the key governing equation for atmospheres and quantum harmonic oscillators are identical, even when forcing (stellar irradiation), sources of friction (molecular viscosity, Rayleigh drag, and magnetic drag), and magnetic tension are included. The global atmospheric structure is largely controlled by a single key parameter that involves the Rossby and Prandtl numbers. Thismore » near-universality breaks down when either molecular viscosity or magnetic drag acts non-uniformly across latitude or a poloidal magnetic field is present, suggesting that these effects will introduce qualitative changes to the familiar chevron-shaped feature witnessed in simulations of atmospheric circulation. We also find that hydrodynamic and magnetic sources of friction have dissimilar phase signatures and affect the flow in fundamentally different ways, implying that using Rayleigh drag to mimic magnetic drag is inaccurate. We exhaustively lay down the theoretical formalism (dispersion relations, governing equations, and time-dependent wave solutions) for a broad suite of models. In all situations, we derive the steady state of an atmosphere, which is relevant to interpreting infrared phase and eclipse maps of exoplanetary atmospheres. We elucidate a pinching effect that confines the atmospheric structure to be near the equator. Our suite of analytical models may be used to develop decisively physical intuition and as a reference point for three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of atmospheric circulation.« less

  7. Dynamic controlled atmosphere and ultralow oxygen storage on 'Gala' mutants quality maintenance.

    PubMed

    Thewes, Fabio Rodrigo; Both, Vanderlei; Brackmann, Auri; Weber, Anderson; de Oliveira Anese, Rogerio

    2015-12-01

    The aim of the present work was to compare the effect of ultralow oxygen (ULO) with dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) and controlled atmosphere (CA) on the post storage quality of 'Royal Gala' and 'Galaxy' apples after long-term storage. Two experiments were carried out with 'Royal Gala' and 'Galaxy' apples, in the years 2012 and 2013, respectively. A higher internal ethylene concentration was observed in fruits stored under CA; intermediate concentration in fruits under ULO; and the lowest by fruits stored under DCA-CF (DCA based on chlorophyll fluorescence). Flesh firmness was higher in fruits stored under DCA-CF and ULO differing from CA, in the year 2012, but in 2013 fruits stored under ULO showed the highest flesh firmness, differing from CA fruits. DCA-CF is efficient in quality maintenance of 'Royal Gala' and 'Galaxy' apples. Both 'Gala' mutants stored under ULO show a similar quality maintenance to those stored under DCA-CF. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Atmospheric structure and helium abundance on Saturn from Cassini/UVIS and CIRS observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koskinen, T. T.; Guerlet, S.

    2018-06-01

    We combine measurements from stellar occultations observed by the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) and limb scans observed by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) to create empirical atmospheric structure models for Saturn corresponding to the locations probed by the occultations. The results cover multiple locations at low to mid-latitudes between the spring of 2005 and the fall of 2015. We connect the temperature-pressure (T-P) profiles retrieved from the CIRS limb scans in the stratosphere to the T-P profiles in the thermosphere retrieved from the UVIS occultations. We calculate the altitudes corresponding to the pressure levels in each case based on our best fit composition model that includes H2, He, CH4 and upper limits on H. We match the altitude structure to the density profile in the thermosphere that is retrieved from the occultations. Our models depend on the abundance of helium and we derive a volume mixing ratio of 11 ± 2% for helium in the lower atmosphere based on a statistical analysis of the values derived for 32 different occultation locations. We also derive the mean temperature and methane profiles in the upper atmosphere and constrain their variability. Our results are consistent with enhanced heating at the polar auroral region and a dynamically active upper atmosphere.

  9. Analytical techniques for retrieval of atmospheric composition with the quadrupole mass spectrometer of the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on Mars Science Laboratory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    B. Franz, Heather; G. Trainer, Melissa; H. Wong, Michael; L. K. Manning, Heidi; C. Stern, Jennifer; R. Mahaffy, Paul; K. Atreya, Sushil; Benna, Mehdi; G. Conrad, Pamela; N. Harpold, Dan; A. Leshin, Laurie; A. Malespin, Charles; P. McKay, Christopher; Thomas Nolan, J.; Raaen, Eric

    2014-06-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite is the largest scientific payload on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover, which landed in Mars' Gale Crater in August 2012. As a miniature geochemical laboratory, SAM is well-equipped to address multiple aspects of MSL's primary science goal, characterizing the potential past or present habitability of Gale Crater. Atmospheric measurements support this goal through compositional investigations relevant to martian climate evolution. SAM instruments include a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a tunable laser spectrometer, and a gas chromatograph that are used to analyze martian atmospheric gases as well as volatiles released by pyrolysis of solid surface materials (Mahaffy et al., 2012). This report presents analytical methods for retrieving the chemical and isotopic composition of Mars' atmosphere from measurements obtained with SAM's quadrupole mass spectrometer. It provides empirical calibration constants for computing volume mixing ratios of the most abundant atmospheric species and analytical functions to correct for instrument artifacts and to characterize measurement uncertainties. Finally, we discuss differences in volume mixing ratios of the martian atmosphere as determined by SAM (Mahaffy et al., 2013) and Viking (Owen et al., 1977; Oyama and Berdahl, 1977) from an analytical perspective. Although the focus of this paper is atmospheric observations, much of the material concerning corrections for instrumental effects also applies to reduction of data acquired with SAM from analysis of solid samples. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument measures the composition of the martian atmosphere. Rigorous calibration of SAM's mass spectrometer was performed with relevant gas mixtures. Calibration included derivation of a new model to correct for electron multiplier effects. Volume mixing ratios for Ar and N2 obtained with SAM differ from those obtained with Viking. Differences between SAM and Viking

  10. Dynamic curvature sensing employing ionic-polymer-metal composite sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bahramzadeh, Yousef; Shahinpoor, Mohsen

    2011-09-01

    A dynamic curvature sensor is presented based on ionic-polymer-metal composite (IPMC) for curvature monitoring of deployable/inflatable dynamic space structures. Monitoring the curvature variation is of high importance in various engineering structures including shape monitoring of deployable/inflatable space structures in which the structural boundaries undergo a dynamic deployment process. The high sensitivity of IPMCs to the applied deformations as well as its flexibility make IPMCs a promising candidate for sensing of dynamic curvature changes. Herein, we explore the dynamic response of an IPMC sensor strip with respect to controlled curvature deformations subjected to different forms of input functions. Using a specially designed experimental setup, the voltage recovery effect, phase delay, and rate dependency of the output voltage signal of an IPMC curvature sensor are analyzed. Experimental results show that the IPMC sensor maintains the linearity, sensitivity, and repeatability required for curvature sensing. Besides, in order to describe the dynamic phenomena such as the rate dependency of the IPMC sensor, a chemo-electro-mechanical model based on the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equation for the kinetics of ion diffusion is presented. By solving the governing partial differential equations the frequency response of the IPMC sensor is derived. The physical model is able to describe the dynamic properties of the IPMC sensor and the dependency of the signal on rate of excitations.

  11. ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION OF WEAK G BAND STARS: CNO AND Li ABUNDANCES

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Adamczak, Jens; Lambert, David L., E-mail: adamczak@astro.as.utexas.edu

    We determined the chemical composition of a large sample of weak G band stars-a rare class of G and K giants of intermediate mass with unusual abundances of C, N, and Li. We have observed 24 weak G band stars with the 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the McDonald Observatory and derived spectroscopic abundances for C, N, O, and Li, as well as for selected elements from Na-Eu. The results show that the atmospheres of weak G band stars are highly contaminated with CN-cycle products. The C underabundance is about a factor of 20 larger than for normalmore » giants and the {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C ratio approaches the CN-cycle equilibrium value. In addition to the striking CN-cycle signature the strong N overabundance may indicate the presence of partially ON-cycled material in the atmospheres of the weak G band stars. The exact mechanism responsible for the transport of the elements to the surface has yet to be identified but could be induced by rapid rotation of the main sequence progenitors of the stars. The unusually high Li abundances in some of the stars are an indicator for Li production by the Cameron-Fowler mechanism. A quantitative prediction of a weak G band star's Li abundance is complicated by the strong temperature sensitivity of the mechanism and its participants. In addition to the unusual abundances of CN-cycle elements and Li, we find an overabundance of Na that is in accordance with the NeNa chain running in parallel with the CN cycle. Apart from these peculiarities, the element abundances in a weak G band star's atmosphere are consistent with those of normal giants.« less

  12. Atmospheric Composition of Weak G Band Stars: CNO and Li Abundances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adamczak, Jens; Lambert, David L.

    2013-03-01

    We determined the chemical composition of a large sample of weak G band stars—a rare class of G and K giants of intermediate mass with unusual abundances of C, N, and Li. We have observed 24 weak G band stars with the 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the McDonald Observatory and derived spectroscopic abundances for C, N, O, and Li, as well as for selected elements from Na-Eu. The results show that the atmospheres of weak G band stars are highly contaminated with CN-cycle products. The C underabundance is about a factor of 20 larger than for normal giants and the 12C/13C ratio approaches the CN-cycle equilibrium value. In addition to the striking CN-cycle signature the strong N overabundance may indicate the presence of partially ON-cycled material in the atmospheres of the weak G band stars. The exact mechanism responsible for the transport of the elements to the surface has yet to be identified but could be induced by rapid rotation of the main sequence progenitors of the stars. The unusually high Li abundances in some of the stars are an indicator for Li production by the Cameron-Fowler mechanism. A quantitative prediction of a weak G band star's Li abundance is complicated by the strong temperature sensitivity of the mechanism and its participants. In addition to the unusual abundances of CN-cycle elements and Li, we find an overabundance of Na that is in accordance with the NeNa chain running in parallel with the CN cycle. Apart from these peculiarities, the element abundances in a weak G band star's atmosphere are consistent with those of normal giants.

  13. Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric Mercury in China: New Evidence for Sources and Transformation Processes in Air and in Vegetation.

    PubMed

    Yu, Ben; Fu, Xuewu; Yin, Runsheng; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Xun; Lin, Che-Jen; Wu, Chuansheng; Zhang, Yiping; He, Nannan; Fu, Pingqing; Wang, Zifa; Shang, Lihai; Sommar, Jonas; Sonke, Jeroen E; Maurice, Laurence; Guinot, Benjamin; Feng, Xinbin

    2016-09-06

    The isotopic composition of atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM) and particle-bound mercury (PBM) and mercury (Hg) in litterfall samples have been determined at urban/industrialized and rural sites distributed over mainland China for identifying Hg sources and transformation processes. TGM and PBM near anthropogenic emission sources display negative δ(202)Hg and near-zero Δ(199)Hg in contrast to relatively positive δ(202)Hg and negative Δ(199)Hg observed in remote regions, suggesting that different sources and atmospheric processes force the mass-dependent fractionation (MDF) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF) in the air samples. Both MDF and MIF occur during the uptake of atmospheric Hg by plants, resulting in negative δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg observed in litter-bound Hg. The linear regression resulting from the scatter plot relating the δ(202)Hg to Δ(199)Hg data in the TGM samples indicates distinct anthropogenic or natural influences at the three study sites. A similar trend was also observed for Hg accumulated in broadleaved deciduous forest foliage grown in areas influenced by anthropogenic emissions. The relatively negative MIF in litter-bound Hg compared to TGM is likely a result of the photochemical reactions of Hg(2+) in foliage. This study demonstrates the diagnostic stable Hg isotopic composition characteristics for separating atmospheric Hg of different source origins in China and provides the isotopic fractionation clues for the study of Hg bioaccumulation.

  14. Foster care placement change: The role of family dynamics and household composition

    PubMed Central

    Waid, Jeffrey; Kothari, Brianne H.; Bank, Lew; McBeath, Bowen

    2016-01-01

    Sibling co-placement and kinship care have each been shown to protect against the occurrence of placement change for youth in substitute care. However, little is known about the effects of different combinations of sibling placement and relative caregiver status on placement change. Nor does the field fully understand how family dynamics may differ in these households. Utilizing data from the Supporting Siblings in Foster Care study, this paper examines family dynamics across four typologies of living composition, and tests the effects of living composition membership on the odds of experiencing a placement change over an 18-month period of time. Findings suggest that across living composition typologies, children who were placed separately from their siblings in non-relative care were more likely to be older, have more extensive placement histories, and experience more placement changes both prior to and during the study than were children in other living composition groups. Family living composition was found to influence the occurrence of placement change. Specifically, children co-placed in kinship care were least likely to experience movement; however, sibling co-placement in non-relative care was also protective. Results reveal the need to conduct additional research into the experiences of children in different family living arrangements, and tailor case management services and supports to children in substitute care accordingly. Implications and future directions are discussed. PMID:27990039

  15. Effect of intrinsic magnetic field decrease on the low- to middle-latitude upper atmosphere dynamics simulated by GAIA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tao, C.; Jin, H.; Shinagawa, H.; Fujiwara, H.; Miyoshi, Y.

    2017-12-01

    The effects of decreasing the intrinsic magnetic field on the upper atmospheric dynamics at low to middle latitudes are investigated using the Ground-to-topside model of Atmosphere and Ionosphere for Aeronomy (GAIA). GAIA incorporates a meteorological reanalysis data set at low altitudes (<30 km), which enables us to investigate the atmospheric response to various waves under dynamic and chemical interactions with the ionosphere. In this simulation experiment, we reduced the magnetic field strength to as low as 10% of the current value. The averaged neutral velocity, density, and temperature at low to middle latitudes at 300 km altitude show little change with the magnetic field variation, while the dynamo field, current density, and the ionospheric conductivities are modified significantly. The wind velocity and tidal wave amplitude in the thermosphere remain large owing to the small constraint on plasma motion for a small field. On the other hand, the superrotation feature at the dip equator is weakened by 20% for a 10% magnetic field because the increase in ion drag for the small magnetic field prevents the superrotation.

  16. Effect of intrinsic magnetic field decrease on the low- to middle-latitude upper atmosphere dynamics simulated by GAIA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tao, Chihiro; Jin, Hidekatsu; Shinagawa, Hiroyuki; Fujiwara, Hitoshi; Miyoshi, Yasunobu

    2017-09-01

    The effects of decreasing the intrinsic magnetic field on the upper atmospheric dynamics at low to middle latitudes are investigated using the Ground-to-topside model of Atmosphere and Ionosphere for Aeronomy (GAIA). GAIA incorporates a meteorological reanalysis data set at low altitudes (<30 km), which enables us to investigate the atmospheric response to various waves under dynamic and chemical interactions with the ionosphere. In this simulation experiment, we reduced the magnetic field strength to as low as 10% of the current value. The averaged neutral velocity, density, and temperature at low to middle latitudes at 300 km altitude show little change with the magnetic field variation, while the dynamo field, current density, and the ionospheric conductivities are modified significantly. The wind velocity and tidal wave amplitude in the thermosphere remain large owing to the small constraint on plasma motion for a small field. On the other hand, the superrotation feature at the dip equator is weakened by 20% for a 10% magnetic field because the increase in ion drag for the small magnetic field prevents the superrotation.

  17. Prediction of Rare Transitions in Planetary Atmosphere Dynamics Between Attractors with Different Number of Zonal Jets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouchet, F.; Laurie, J.; Zaboronski, O.

    2012-12-01

    We describe transitions between attractors with either one, two or more zonal jets in models of turbulent atmosphere dynamics. Those transitions are extremely rare, and occur over times scales of centuries or millennia. They are extremely hard to observe in direct numerical simulations, because they require on one hand an extremely good resolution in order to simulate accurately the turbulence and on the other hand simulations performed over an extremely long time. Those conditions are usually not met together in any realistic models. However many examples of transitions between turbulent attractors in geophysical flows are known to exist (paths of the Kuroshio, Earth's magnetic field reversal, atmospheric flows, and so on). Their study through numerical computations is inaccessible using conventional means. We present an alternative approach, based on instanton theory and large deviations. Instanton theory provides a way to compute (both numerically and theoretically) extremely rare transitions between turbulent attractors. This tool, developed in field theory, and justified in some cases through the large deviation theory in mathematics, can be applied to models of turbulent atmosphere dynamics. It provides both new theoretical insights and new type of numerical algorithms. Those algorithms can predict transition histories and transition rates using numerical simulations run over only hundreds of typical model dynamical time, which is several order of magnitude lower than the typical transition time. We illustrate the power of those tools in the framework of quasi-geostrophic models. We show regimes where two or more attractors coexist. Those attractors corresponds to turbulent flows dominated by either one or more zonal jets similar to midlatitude atmosphere jets. Among the trajectories connecting two non-equilibrium attractors, we determine the most probable ones. Moreover, we also determine the transition rates, which are several of magnitude larger than a

  18. Understanding of Jupiter's Atmosphere after the Galileo Probe Entry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fonda, Mark (Technical Monitor); Young, Richard E.

    2003-01-01

    Instruments on the Galileo probe measured composition, cloud properties, thermal structure, winds, radiative energy balance, and electrical properties of the Jovian atmosphere. As expected the probe results confirm some expectations about Jupiter's atmosphere, refute others, and raise new questions which still remain unanswered. This talk will concentrate on those aspects of the probe observations which either raised new questions or remain unresolved. The Galileo probe observations of composition and clouds provided some of the biggest surprises of the mission. Helium abundance measured by the probe differed significantly from the remote sensing derivations from Voyager. Discrepancy between the Voyager helium abundance determinations for Jupiter and the Galileo probe value have now led to a considerably increased helium determination for Saturn. Global abundance of N in the form of ammonia was observed to be super-solar by approximately the same factor as carbon, in contrast to expectations that C/N would be significantly larger than solar. This has implications for the formation and evolution of Jupiter. The cloud structure was not what was generally anticipated, even though most previous remote sensing results below the uppermost cloud referred to 5 micron hot spots, local regions with reduced cloud opacity. The Galileo probe descended in one of these hot spots. Only a tenuous, presumed ammomium hydrosulfide, cloud was detected, and no significant water cloud or super-solar water abundance was measured. The mixing ratios as a function of depth for the condensibles ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and water, exhibited no apparent correlation with either condensation levels or with each other, an observation that is still a puzzle, although there are now dynamical models of hot spots which show promise in being able to explain such behavior. Probe tracked zonal winds show that wind magnitude increases with depth to pressures of about 4 bars, with the winds extending to

  19. Understanding of Jupiter's Atmosphere After the Galileo Probe Entry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Young, Richard E.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Instruments on the Galileo probe measured composition, cloud properties, thermal structure. winds, radiative energy balance, and electrical properties of the Jovian atmosphere. As expected the probe results confirm some expectations about Jupiter's atmosphere, refute others, and raise new questions which still remain unanswered. This talk will concentrate on those aspects of the probe observations which either raised new questions or remain unresolved. The Galileo probe observations of composition and clouds provided some of the biggest surprises of the mission. Helium abundance measured by the probe differed significantly from the remote sensing derivations from Voyager. discrepancy between the Voyager helium abundance determinations for Jupiter and the Galileo probe value have now led to a considerably increased helium determination for Saturn. Global abundance of N in the form of ammonia was observed to be supersolar by approximately the same factor as carbon, in contrast to expectations that C/N would be significantly larger than solar. This has implications for the formation and evolution of Jupiter. The cloud structure was not what was generally anticipated, even though most previous remote sensing results below the uppermost cloud referred to 5 micron hot spots, local regions with reduced cloud opacity. The Galileo probe descended in one of these hot spots. Only a tenuous, presumed ammonium hydrosulfide, cloud was detected, and no significant water cloud or super-solar water abundance was measured. The mixing ratios as a function of depth for the condensibles ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and water, exhibited no apparent correlation with either condensation levels or with each other, an observation that is still a puzzle, although there are now dynamical models of hot spots which show promise in being able to explain such behavior. Probe tracked zonal winds show that wind magnitude increases with depth to pressures of about 4 bars, with the winds extending to

  20. Atmospheric Prebiotic Chemistry and Organic Hazes.

    PubMed

    Trainer, Melissa G

    2013-08-01

    Earth's atmospheric composition at the time of the origin of life is not known, but it has often been suggested that chemical transformation of reactive species in the atmosphere was a significant source of prebiotic organic molecules. Experimental and theoretical studies over the past half century have shown that atmospheric synthesis can yield molecules such as amino acids and nucleobases, but these processes are very sensitive to gas composition and energy source. Abiotic synthesis of organic molecules is more productive in reduced atmospheres, yet the primitive Earth may not have been as reducing as earlier workers assumed, and recent research has reflected this shift in thinking. This work provides a survey of the range of chemical products that can be produced given a set of atmospheric conditions, with a particular focus on recent reports. Intertwined with the discussion of atmospheric synthesis is the consideration of an organic haze layer, which has been suggested as a possible ultraviolet shield on the anoxic early Earth. Since such a haze layer - if formed - would serve as a reservoir for organic molecules, the chemical composition of the aerosol should be closely examined. The results highlighted here show that a variety of products can be formed in mildly reducing or even neutral atmospheres, demonstrating that contributions of atmospheric synthesis to the organic inventory on early Earth should not be discounted. This review intends to bridge current knowledge of the range of possible atmospheric conditions in the prebiotic environment and pathways for synthesis under such conditions by examining the possible products of organic chemistry in the early atmosphere.

  1. Atmospheric Prebiotic Chemistry and Organic Hazes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trainer, Melissa G.

    2012-01-01

    Earth's atmospheric composition at the time of the origin of life is not known, but it has often been suggested that chemical transformation of reactive species in the atmosphere was a significant source of pre biotic organic molecules. Experimental and theoretical studies over the past half century have shown that atmospheric synthesis can yield molecules such as amino acids and nucleobases, but these processes are very sensitive to gas composition and energy source. Abiotic synthesis of organic molecules is more productive in reduced atmospheres, yet the primitive Earth may not have been as reducing as earlier workers assumed, and recent research has reflected this shift in thinking. This work provides a survey of the range of chemical products that can be produced given a set of atmospheric conditions, with a particular focus on recent reports. Intertwined with the discussion of atmospheric synthesis is the consideration of an organic haze layer, which has been suggested as a possible ultraviolet shield on the anoxic early Earth. Since such a haze layer - if formed - would serve as a reservoir for organic molecules, the chemical composition of the aerosol should be closely examined. The results highlighted here show that a variety of products can be formed in mildly reducing or even neutral atmospheres, demonstrating that contributions of atmospheric synthesis to the organic inventory on early Earth should not be discounted. This review intends to bridge current knowledge of the range of possible atmospheric conditions in the prebiotic environment and pathways for synthesis under such conditions by examining the possible products of organic chemistry in the early atmosphere.

  2. The carbon isotopic composition of ecosystem breath

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehleringer, J.

    2008-05-01

    At the global scale, there are repeatable annual fluctuations in the concentration and isotopic composition of atmospheric carbon dioxide, sometimes referred to as the "breathing of the planet". Vegetation components within ecosystems fix carbon dioxide through photosynthesis into stable organic compounds; simultaneously both vegetation and heterotrophic components of the ecosystem release previously fixed carbon as respiration. These two-way fluxes influencing carbon dioxide exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere impact both the concentration and isotopic composition of carbon dioxide within the convective boundary layer. Over space, the compounding effects of gas exchange activities from ecosystems become reflected in both regional and global changes in the concentration and isotopic composition of atmospheric carbon dioxide. When these two parameters are plotted against each other, there are significant linear relationships between the carbon isotopic composition and inverse concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. At the ecosystem scale, these "Keeling plots" intercepts of C3-dominated ecosystems describe the carbon isotope ratio of biospheric gas exchange. Using Farquhar's model, these carbon isotope values can be translated into quantitative measures of the drought-dependent control of photosynthesis by stomata as water availability changes through time. This approach is useful in aggregating the influences of drought across regional landscapes as it provides a quantitative measure of stomatal influence on photosynthetic gas exchange at the ecosystem-to-region scales. Multi-year analyses of the drought-dependent trends across terrestrial ecosystems show a repeated pattern with water stress in all but one C3-ecosystem type. Ecosystems that are dominated by ring-porous trees appear not to exhibit a dynamic stomatal response to water stress and therefore, there is little dependence of the carbon isotope ratio of gas exchange on site water balance

  3. Characterization of aircraft dynamic wake vortices and atmospheric turbulence by coherent doppler lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Songhua; Zhai, Xiaochun; Liu, Bingyi; Liu, Jintao

    2018-04-01

    Field observations for the wake vortices by Coherent Doppler Lidar (CDL) have been carried out at the Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) and Tianjin Binhai International Airport (TBIA) to investigate the wake vortices evolution characteristics and the near-ground effect. This paper introduces the dynamic wake vortices and atmospheric turbulence monitoring technique, successfully demonstrating that the CDL can capture the key characteristics of wake vortices in real-time, including wake vortices intensity, spatial-temporal evolution and so forth.

  4. Modeling of Dynamic Behavior of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composite under X-ray Radiation.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Kun; Tang, Wenhui; Fu, Kunkun

    2018-01-16

    Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have been increasingly used in spacecraft applications. Spacecraft may encounter highenergy-density X-ray radiation in outer space that can cause severe damage. To protect spacecraft from such unexpected damage, it is essential to predict the dynamic behavior of CFRP composites under X-ray radiation. In this study, we developed an in-house three-dimensional explicit finite element (FEM) code to investigate the dynamic responses of CFRP composite under X-ray radiation for the first time, by incorporating a modified PUFF equation-of-state. First, the blow-off impulse (BOI) momentum of an aluminum panel was predicted by our FEM code and compared with an existing radiation experiment. Then, the FEM code was utilized to determine the dynamic behavior of a CFRP composite under various radiation conditions. It was found that the numerical result was comparable with the experimental one. Furthermore, the CFRP composite was more effective than the aluminum panel in reducing radiation-induced pressure and BOI momentum. The numerical results also revealed that a 1 keV X-ray led to vaporization of surface materials and a high-magnitude compressive stress wave, whereas a low-magnitude stress wave was generated with no surface vaporization when a 3 keV X-ray was applied.

  5. Modeling of Dynamic Behavior of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composite under X-ray Radiation

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Kun; Tang, Wenhui; Fu, Kunkun

    2018-01-01

    Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have been increasingly used in spacecraft applications. Spacecraft may encounter highenergy-density X-ray radiation in outer space that can cause severe damage. To protect spacecraft from such unexpected damage, it is essential to predict the dynamic behavior of CFRP composites under X-ray radiation. In this study, we developed an in-house three-dimensional explicit finite element (FEM) code to investigate the dynamic responses of CFRP composite under X-ray radiation for the first time, by incorporating a modified PUFF equation-of-state. First, the blow-off impulse (BOI) momentum of an aluminum panel was predicted by our FEM code and compared with an existing radiation experiment. Then, the FEM code was utilized to determine the dynamic behavior of a CFRP composite under various radiation conditions. It was found that the numerical result was comparable with the experimental one. Furthermore, the CFRP composite was more effective than the aluminum panel in reducing radiation-induced pressure and BOI momentum. The numerical results also revealed that a 1 keV X-ray led to vaporization of surface materials and a high-magnitude compressive stress wave, whereas a low-magnitude stress wave was generated with no surface vaporization when a 3 keV X-ray was applied. PMID:29337891

  6. Middle Atmosphere Program. Handbook for MAP, volume 27

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Edwards, Belva (Editor)

    1989-01-01

    The proceedings are presented from the MAP program of July 1988. It is intended to be a quick synopsis of the symposium. General topics include: New International Equatorial Observatory; Dynamics of the Middle Atmosphere in Winter (DYNAMICS); Global Budget of Stratospheric Trace Constituents (GLOBUS); Gravity Waves and Turbulence in the Middle Atmosphere Program (GRATMAP); Middle Atmosphere Electrodynamics (MAE); Winter in Northern Europe (WINE); Atmospheric Tides Middle Atmosphere Program (ATMAP); and many others.

  7. Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test 2: Trajectory, Atmosphere, and Aerodynamics Reconstruction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Karlgaard, Christopher D.; O'Farrell, Clara; Ginn, Jason M.; Van Norman, John W.

    2016-01-01

    The Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test is a full-scale flight test of aerodynamic decelerator technologies developed by the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator technology demonstration project. The purpose of the project is to develop and mature aerodynamic decelerator technologies for landing large-mass payloads on the surface of Mars. The technologies include a Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator and supersonic parachutes. The first Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test occurred on June 28th, 2014 at the Pacific Missile Range Facility. The purpose of this test was to validate the test architecture for future tests. The flight was a success and, in addition, was able to acquire data on the aerodynamic performance of the supersonic inflatable decelerator. The Supersonic Disksail parachute developed a tear during deployment. The second flight test occurred on June 8th, 2015, and incorporated a Supersonic Ringsail parachute which was redesigned based on data from the first flight. Again, the inflatable decelerator functioned as predicted but the parachute was damaged during deployment. This paper describes the instrumentation, analysis techniques, and acquired flight test data utilized to reconstruct the vehicle trajectory, main motor thrust, atmosphere, and aerodynamics.

  8. Paloma: In-situ Measurement of The Elemental and Isotopic Composition of The Mars Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chassefiere, E.; Jambon, A.; Berthelier, J.-J.; Correia, J.-J.; Covinhes, J.; Goulpeau, G.; Leblanc, F.; Malique, Ch.; Sarda, P.; Schaetzel, P.; Sabroux, J.-C.; Ferry, C.; Richon, P.; Pineau, J.-F.; Desjean, M.-C.

    The PALOMA instrument, presently under study in the frame of the NASA/CNES Mars exploration program, is devoted to the accurate measurement of isotopic and el- emental ratios in Mars atmosphere. It consists of a mass spectrometer coupled with a gas preparation line for separation of reactive and noble gas species, and noble gas species (and reactive gases) from each other, by chemical and cryogenic trapping, and possibly permeation techniques. This instrument, ranked among the most important four types of measurement recommended by the US Committee on Planetary and Lu- nar Exploration (COMPLEX), will be proposed as a part of the payload of the 07 NASA smart landers. The general objectives of PALOMA are to provide instanta- neous and time-varying patterns of noble gas isotopic spectra, and stable isotopes. Such measurements will allow to improve our general understanding of volatile cy- cles on Mars, and to better decipher the history of the atmosphere and climate. Past escape processes, exchanges between solid planet and atmosphere, post-accretional addition of volatil-rich matter from comets, are expected to have imprinted specific isotopic signatures. Although these signatures are strongly interlocked, a compara- tive Earth-Mars approach may allow to discriminate between them, and therefore to reconstruct the history of Martian volatiles. The evolution of atmospheric mass and composition may have had a major impact on climate evolution, e.g. through massive escape of carbon dioxide and water. In addition, precise measurements of isotopes in the present Mars atmosphere are the most promising way on the short term to confirm that SNC meteorites are from Martian origin. PALOMA also includes a small separate device for measuring ambient natural radioactivity, which might provide information about the presence of a near subsurface permafrost, possible residual volcanic activity, vertical mixing rate in the boundary layer.

  9. MGS Radio Science Measurements of Atmospheric Dynamics on Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinson, D. P.

    2001-12-01

    The Sun-synchronous, polar orbit of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) provides frequent opportunities for radio occultation sounding of the neutral atmosphere. The basic result of each experiment is a profile of pressure and temperature versus planetocentric radius and geopotential. More than 4000 profiles were obtained during the 687-day mapping phase of the mission, and additional observations are underway. These measurements allow detailed characterization of planetary-scale dynamics, including stationary planetary (or Rossby) waves and transient waves produced by instability. For example, both types of dynamics were observed near 67° S during midwinter of the southern hemisphere (Ls=134° --160° ). Planetary waves are the most prominent dynamical feature in this subset of data. At zonal wave number s=1, both the temperature and geopotential fields tilt westward with increasing height, as expected for vertically-propagating planetary waves forced at the surface. The wave-2 structure is more nearly barotropic. The amplitude in geopotential height at Ls=150° increases from ~200 m near the surface to ~700 m at 10 Pa. The corresponding meridional wind speed increases from ~5 m s-1 near the surface to ~20 m s-1 at 10 Pa. Traveling ``baroclinic'' waves also appear intermittently during this interval. The dominant mode has a period of ~2 sols, s=3, and a peak amplitude of ~7 K at 300 Pa. Stong zonal variations in eddy amplitude signal the presence of a possible ``storm zone'' at 150° --330° E longitude. This talk will include other examples of these phenomena as well as comparisons with computer simulations by a Martian general circulation model (MGCM).

  10. Evaluation of atmospheric aerosol and tropospheric ozone effects on global terrestrial ecosystem carbon dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Min

    The increasing human activities have produced large amounts of air pollutants ejected into the atmosphere, in which atmospheric aerosols and tropospheric ozone are considered to be especially important because of their negative impacts on human health and their impacts on global climate through either their direct radiative effect or indirect effect on land-atmosphere CO2 exchange. This dissertation dedicates to quantifying and evaluating the aerosol and tropospheric ozone effects on global terrestrial ecosystem dynamics using a modeling approach. An ecosystem model, the integrated Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (iTem), is developed to simulate biophysical and biogeochemical processes in terrestrial ecosystems. A two-broad-band atmospheric radiative transfer model together with the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measured atmospheric parameters are used to well estimate global downward solar radiation and the direct and diffuse components in comparison with observations. The atmospheric radiative transfer modeling framework were used to quantify the aerosol direct radiative effect, showing that aerosol loadings cause 18.7 and 12.8 W m -2 decrease of direct-beam Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) and Near Infrared Radiation (NIR) respectively, and 5.2 and 4.4 W m -2 increase of diffuse PAR and NIR, respectively, leading to a total 21.9 W m-2 decrease of total downward solar radiation over the global land surface during the period of 2003-2010. The results also suggested that the aerosol effect may be overwhelmed by clouds because of the stronger extinction and scattering ability of clouds. Applications of the iTem with solar radiation data and with or without considering the aerosol loadings shows that aerosol loading enhances the terrestrial productions [Gross Primary Production (GPP), Net Primary Production (NPP) and Net Ecosystem Production (NEP)] and carbon emissions through plant respiration (RA) in global terrestrial ecosystems over the

  11. Damping mathematical modelling and dynamic responses for FRP laminated composite plates with polymer matrix

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Qimao

    2018-02-01

    This paper proposes an assumption that the fibre is elastic material and polymer matrix is viscoelastic material so that the energy dissipation depends only on the polymer matrix in dynamic response process. The damping force vectors in frequency and time domains, of FRP (Fibre-Reinforced Polymer matrix) laminated composite plates, are derived based on this assumption. The governing equations of FRP laminated composite plates are formulated in both frequency and time domains. The direct inversion method and direct time integration method for nonviscously damped systems are employed to solve the governing equations and achieve the dynamic responses in frequency and time domains, respectively. The computational procedure is given in detail. Finally, dynamic responses (frequency responses with nonzero and zero initial conditions, free vibration, forced vibrations with nonzero and zero initial conditions) of a FRP laminated composite plate are computed using the proposed methodology. The proposed methodology in this paper is easy to be inserted into the commercial finite element analysis software. The proposed assumption, based on the theory of material mechanics, needs to be further proved by experiment technique in the future.

  12. Discharge dynamics of pin-to-plate dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sun Liqun; Huang, Xiaojiang; Member of Magnetic Confinement Fusion Research Center, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai 201620

    2010-11-15

    The discharge dynamics of pin-to-plate dielectric barrier discharge was studied in atmospheric helium at 20 kHz. The discharge was predominately ignited in positive half cycle of applied voltage with sinusoidal waveform. The temporal evolution of the discharge was investigated vertically along the discharge gap and radically on the dielectric surface by time resolved imaging. It is found that a discharge column with a diameter of 2 mm was ignited above the pin electrode and expanded toward a plate electrode. On the dielectric surface with space charge accumulation, plasma disk in terms of plasma ring was formed with radius up tomore » 25 mm. The expansion velocity of plasma ring can reach a hypersonic speed of 3.0 km/s. The ionization wave due to electron diffusion is considered to be the mechanism for plasma ring formation and dynamics.« less

  13. Composition, structure, and dynamics of the Illinois Ozark Hills Forest

    Treesearch

    Lisa M. Helmig; James S. Fralish

    2011-01-01

    In the mature oak-hickory ecosystem of the Illinois Ozark Hills, forest community composition, dynamics, and structure were studied to examine the extent of conversion to mesophytic species and eventually predict the broad threshold time of complete conversion. Tree, sapling, and seedling data were collected from 87 plots distributed throughout the region. Data for the...

  14. Carbon Observations from Geostationary Earth Orbit as Part of an Integrated Observing System for Atmospheric Composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edwards, D. P.

    2015-12-01

    This presentation describes proposed satellite carbon measurements from the CHRONOS mission. The primary goal of this experiment is to measure the atmospheric pollutants carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) from geostationary orbit, with hourly observations of North America at high spatial resolution. CHRONOS observations would provide measurements not currently available or planned as part of a surface, suborbital and satellite integrated observing system for atmospheric composition over North America. Carbon monoxide is produced by combustion processes such as urban activity and wildfires, and serves as a proxy for other combustion pollutants that are not easily measured. Methane has diverse anthropogenic sources ranging from fossil fuel production, animal husbandry, agriculture and waste management. The impact of gas exploration in the Western States of the USA and oil extraction from the Canadian tar sands will be particular foci of the mission, as will the poorly-quantified natural CH4 emissions from wetlands and thawing permafrost. In addition to characterizing pollutant sources, improved understanding of the domestic CH4 budget is a priority for policy decisions related to short-lived climate forcers. A primary motivation for targeting CO is its value as a tracer of atmospheric pollution, and CHRONOS measurements will provide insight into local and long-range transport across the North American continent, as well as the processes governing the entrainment and venting of pollution in and out of the planetary boundary layer. As a result of significantly improved characterization of diurnal changes in atmospheric composition, CHRONOS observations will find direct societal applications for air quality regulation and forecasting. We present a quantification of this expected improvement in the prediction of near-surface concentrations when CHRONOS measurements are used in Observation System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs). If CHRONOS and the planned NASA Earth

  15. Systematic evaluation of atmospheric chemistry-transport model CHIMERE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khvorostyanov, Dmitry; Menut, Laurent; Mailler, Sylvain; Siour, Guillaume; Couvidat, Florian; Bessagnet, Bertrand; Turquety, Solene

    2017-04-01

    Regional-scale atmospheric chemistry-transport models (CTM) are used to develop air quality regulatory measures, to support environmentally sensitive decisions in the industry, and to address variety of scientific questions involving the atmospheric composition. Model performance evaluation with measurement data is critical to understand their limits and the degree of confidence in model results. CHIMERE CTM (http://www.lmd.polytechnique.fr/chimere/) is a French national tool for operational forecast and decision support and is widely used in the international research community in various areas of atmospheric chemistry and physics, climate, and environment (http://www.lmd.polytechnique.fr/chimere/CW-articles.php). This work presents the model evaluation framework applied systematically to the new CHIMERE CTM versions in the course of the continuous model development. The framework uses three of the four CTM evaluation types identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS): operational, diagnostic, and dynamic. It allows to compare the overall model performance in subsequent model versions (operational evaluation), identify specific processes and/or model inputs that could be improved (diagnostic evaluation), and test the model sensitivity to the changes in air quality, such as emission reductions and meteorological events (dynamic evaluation). The observation datasets currently used for the evaluation are: EMEP (surface concentrations), AERONET (optical depths), and WOUDC (ozone sounding profiles). The framework is implemented as an automated processing chain and allows interactive exploration of the results via a web interface.

  16. JADDS - towards a tailored global atmospheric composition data service for CAMS forecasts and reanalysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stein, Olaf; Schultz, Martin G.; Rambadt, Michael; Saini, Rajveer; Hoffmann, Lars; Mallmann, Daniel

    2017-04-01

    Global model data of atmospheric composition produced by the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) is collected since 2010 at FZ Jülich and serves as boundary condition for use by Regional Air Quality (RAQ) modellers world-wide. RAQ models need time-resolved meteorological as well as chemical lateral boundary conditions for their individual model domains. While the meteorological data usually come from well-established global forecast systems, the chemical boundary conditions are not always well defined. In the past, many models used 'climatic' boundary conditions for the tracer concentrations, which can lead to significant concentration biases, particularly for tracers with longer lifetimes which can be transported over long distances (e.g. over the whole northern hemisphere) with the mean wind. The Copernicus approach utilizes extensive near-realtime data assimilation of atmospheric composition data observed from space which gives additional reliability to the global modelling data and is well received by the RAQ communities. An existing Web Coverage Service (WCS) for sharing these individually tailored model results is currently being re-engineered to make use of a modern, scalable database technology in order to improve performance, enhance flexibility, and allow the operation of catalogue services. The new Jülich Atmospheric Data Distributions Server (JADDS) adheres to the Web Coverage Service WCS2.0 standard as defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium OGC. This enables the user groups to flexibly define datasets they need by selecting a subset of chemical species or restricting geographical boundaries or the length of the time series. The data is made available in the form of different catalogues stored locally on our server. In addition, the Jülich OWS Interface (JOIN) provides interoperable web services allowing for easy download and visualization of datasets delivered from WCS servers via the internet. We will present the prototype JADDS

  17. Element- and charge-state-resolved ion energies in the cathodic arc plasma from composite AlCr cathodes in argon, nitrogen and oxygen atmospheres

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Franz, Robert; Polcik, Peter; Anders, André

    The energy distribution functions of ions in the cathodic arc plasma using composite AlCr cathodes were measured as a function of the background gas pressure in the range 0.5 to 3.5 Pa for different cathode compositions and gas atmospheres. The most abundant aluminium ions were Al+ regardless of the background gas species, whereas Cr 2+ ions were dominating in Ar and N 2 and Cr + in O 2 atmospheres. The energy distributions of the aluminium and chromium ions typically consisted of a high-energy fraction due to acceleration in the expanding plasma plume from the cathode spot and thermalised ionsmore » that were subjected to collisions in the plasma cloud. The fraction of the latter increased with increasing background gas pressure. Atomic nitrogen and oxygen ions showed similar energy distributions as the aluminium and chromium ions, whereas the argon and molecular nitrogen and oxygen ions were formed at greater distance from the cathode spot and thus less subject to accelerating gradients. In addition to the positively charged metal and gas ions, negatively charged oxygen and oxygen-containing ions were observed in O 2 atmosphere. The obtained results are intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the ion energies and charge states in the arc plasma of AlCr composite cathodes in different gas atmospheres as such plasmas are frequently used to deposit thin films and coatings.« less

  18. Element- and charge-state-resolved ion energies in the cathodic arc plasma from composite AlCr cathodes in argon, nitrogen and oxygen atmospheres

    DOE PAGES

    Franz, Robert; Polcik, Peter; Anders, André

    2015-06-01

    The energy distribution functions of ions in the cathodic arc plasma using composite AlCr cathodes were measured as a function of the background gas pressure in the range 0.5 to 3.5 Pa for different cathode compositions and gas atmospheres. The most abundant aluminium ions were Al+ regardless of the background gas species, whereas Cr 2+ ions were dominating in Ar and N 2 and Cr + in O 2 atmospheres. The energy distributions of the aluminium and chromium ions typically consisted of a high-energy fraction due to acceleration in the expanding plasma plume from the cathode spot and thermalised ionsmore » that were subjected to collisions in the plasma cloud. The fraction of the latter increased with increasing background gas pressure. Atomic nitrogen and oxygen ions showed similar energy distributions as the aluminium and chromium ions, whereas the argon and molecular nitrogen and oxygen ions were formed at greater distance from the cathode spot and thus less subject to accelerating gradients. In addition to the positively charged metal and gas ions, negatively charged oxygen and oxygen-containing ions were observed in O 2 atmosphere. The obtained results are intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the ion energies and charge states in the arc plasma of AlCr composite cathodes in different gas atmospheres as such plasmas are frequently used to deposit thin films and coatings.« less

  19. CLOUDS IN SUPER-EARTH ATMOSPHERES: CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM CALCULATIONS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mbarek, Rostom; Kempton, Eliza M.-R., E-mail: mbarekro@grinnell.edu, E-mail: kemptone@grinnell.edu

    Recent studies have unequivocally proven the existence of clouds in super-Earth atmospheres. Here we provide a theoretical context for the formation of super-Earth clouds by determining which condensates are likely to form under the assumption of chemical equilibrium. We study super-Earth atmospheres of diverse bulk composition, which are assumed to form by outgassing from a solid core of chondritic material, following Schaefer and Fegley. The super-Earth atmospheres that we study arise from planetary cores made up of individual types of chondritic meteorites. They range from highly reducing to oxidizing and have carbon to oxygen (C:O) ratios that are both sub-solarmore » and super-solar, thereby spanning a range of atmospheric composition that is appropriate for low-mass exoplanets. Given the atomic makeup of these atmospheres, we minimize the global Gibbs free energy of formation for over 550 gases and condensates to obtain the molecular composition of the atmospheres over a temperature range of 350–3000 K. Clouds should form along the temperature–pressure boundaries where the condensed species appear in our calculation. We find that the composition of condensate clouds depends strongly on both the H:O and C:O ratios. For the super-Earth archetype GJ 1214b, KCl and ZnS are the primary cloud-forming condensates at solar composition, in agreement with previous work. However, for oxidizing atmospheres, K{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and ZnO condensates are favored instead, and for carbon-rich atmospheres with super-solar C:O ratios, graphite clouds appear. For even hotter planets, clouds form from a wide variety of rock-forming and metallic species.« less

  20. Clouds in Super-Earth Atmospheres: Chemical Equilibrium Calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mbarek, Rostom; Kempton, Eliza M.-R.

    2016-08-01

    Recent studies have unequivocally proven the existence of clouds in super-Earth atmospheres. Here we provide a theoretical context for the formation of super-Earth clouds by determining which condensates are likely to form under the assumption of chemical equilibrium. We study super-Earth atmospheres of diverse bulk composition, which are assumed to form by outgassing from a solid core of chondritic material, following Schaefer & Fegley. The super-Earth atmospheres that we study arise from planetary cores made up of individual types of chondritic meteorites. They range from highly reducing to oxidizing and have carbon to oxygen (C:O) ratios that are both sub-solar and super-solar, thereby spanning a range of atmospheric composition that is appropriate for low-mass exoplanets. Given the atomic makeup of these atmospheres, we minimize the global Gibbs free energy of formation for over 550 gases and condensates to obtain the molecular composition of the atmospheres over a temperature range of 350-3000 K. Clouds should form along the temperature-pressure boundaries where the condensed species appear in our calculation. We find that the composition of condensate clouds depends strongly on both the H:O and C:O ratios. For the super-Earth archetype GJ 1214b, KCl and ZnS are the primary cloud-forming condensates at solar composition, in agreement with previous work. However, for oxidizing atmospheres, K2SO4 and ZnO condensates are favored instead, and for carbon-rich atmospheres with super-solar C:O ratios, graphite clouds appear. For even hotter planets, clouds form from a wide variety of rock-forming and metallic species.

  1. Quantifying predictability variations in a low-order ocean-atmosphere model - A dynamical systems approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nese, Jon M.; Dutton, John A.

    1993-01-01

    The predictability of the weather and climatic states of a low-order moist general circulation model is quantified using a dynamic systems approach, and the effect of incorporating a simple oceanic circulation on predictability is evaluated. The predictability and the structure of the model attractors are compared using Liapunov exponents, local divergence rates, and the correlation and Liapunov dimensions. It was found that the activation of oceanic circulation increases the average error doubling time of the atmosphere and the coupled ocean-atmosphere system by 10 percent and decreases the variance of the largest local divergence rate by 20 percent. When an oceanic circulation develops, the average predictability of annually averaged states is improved by 25 percent and the variance of the largest local divergence rate decreases by 25 percent.

  2. Atmospheric Prebiotic Chemistry and Organic Hazes

    PubMed Central

    Trainer, Melissa G.

    2013-01-01

    Earth’s atmospheric composition at the time of the origin of life is not known, but it has often been suggested that chemical transformation of reactive species in the atmosphere was a significant source of prebiotic organic molecules. Experimental and theoretical studies over the past half century have shown that atmospheric synthesis can yield molecules such as amino acids and nucleobases, but these processes are very sensitive to gas composition and energy source. Abiotic synthesis of organic molecules is more productive in reduced atmospheres, yet the primitive Earth may not have been as reducing as earlier workers assumed, and recent research has reflected this shift in thinking. This work provides a survey of the range of chemical products that can be produced given a set of atmospheric conditions, with a particular focus on recent reports. Intertwined with the discussion of atmospheric synthesis is the consideration of an organic haze layer, which has been suggested as a possible ultraviolet shield on the anoxic early Earth. Since such a haze layer – if formed – would serve as a reservoir for organic molecules, the chemical composition of the aerosol should be closely examined. The results highlighted here show that a variety of products can be formed in mildly reducing or even neutral atmospheres, demonstrating that contributions of atmospheric synthesis to the organic inventory on early Earth should not be discounted. This review intends to bridge current knowledge of the range of possible atmospheric conditions in the prebiotic environment and pathways for synthesis under such conditions by examining the possible products of organic chemistry in the early atmosphere. PMID:24143126

  3. The atmospheric emission method of calculating the neutral atmosphere and charged particle densities in the upper atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McElroy, Kenneth L., Jr.

    1992-12-01

    A method is presented for the determination of neutral gas densities in the ionosphere from rocket-borne measurements of UV atmospheric emissions. Computer models were used to calculate an initial guess for the neutral atmosphere. Using this neutral atmosphere, intensity profiles for the N2 (0,5) Vegard-Kaplan band, the N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield band system, and the OI2972 A line were calculated and compared with the March 1990 NPS MUSTANG data. The neutral atmospheric model was modified and the intensity profiles recalculated until a fit with the data was obtained. The neutral atmosphere corresponding to the intensity profile that fit the data was assumed to be the atmospheric composition prevailing at the time of the observation. The ion densities were then calculated from the neutral atmosphere using a photochemical model. The electron density profile calculated by this model was compared with the electron density profile measured by the U.S. Air Force Geophysics Laboratory at a nearby site.

  4. Evolution of the atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kasting, J. F.

    1985-01-01

    Theories on the origin of the Earth atmosphere and chemical composition are presented. The role of oxygenic photosynthesis on the determination of the Earth's origin is discussed. The research suggests that further analysis of the geologic record is needed to more accurately estimate the history of atmospheric oxygen.

  5. INFLUENCE OF STELLAR FLARES ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF EXOPLANETS AND SPECTRA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Venot, Olivia; Decin, Leen; Rocchetto, Marco

    More than three thousand exoplanets have been detected so far, and more and more spectroscopic observations of exoplanets are performed. Future instruments ( James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST ), E-ELT, PLATO, Ariel, etc.,) are eagerly awaited, as they will be able to provide spectroscopic data with greater accuracy and sensitivity than what is currently available. This will allow more accurate conclusions to be drawn regarding the chemistry and dynamics of exoplanetary atmospheres, provided that the observational data are carefully processed. One important aspect to consider is temporal stellar atmospheric disturbances that can influence the planetary composition, and hence spectra,more » and potentially can lead to incorrect assumptions about the steady-state atmospheric composition of the planet. In this paper, we focus on perturbations coming from the host star in the form of flare events that significantly increase photon flux impingement on the exoplanets atmosphere. In some cases, particularly for M stars, this sudden increase may last for several hours. We aim to discover to what extent a stellar flare is able to modify the chemical composition of the planetary atmosphere and, therefore, influence the resulting spectra. We use a one-dimensional thermo-photochemical model to study the neutral atmospheric composition of two hypothetical planets located around the star AD Leo. We place the two planets at different distances from the star, which results in effective atmospheric temperatures of 412 and 1303 K. AD Leo is an active star that has already been observed during a flare. Therefore, we use the spectroscopic data from this flare event to simulate the evolution of the chemical composition of the atmospheres of the two hypothetical planets. We compute synthetic spectra to evaluate the implications for observations. The increase in the incoming photon flux affects the chemical abundances of some important species (such as H and NH{sub 3}), down to

  6. Mars Atmospheric Composition, Isotope Ratios and Seasonal Variations: Overview and Updates of the SAM Measurements at Gale Crater

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Niles, Paul

    2014-01-01

    We will summarize the in situ measurements of atmospheric composition and the isotopic ratios of D/H in water, C-13/C-12, O-18/O-16, O-17 / O-16, and C-13 O-18 / C-12 O-16 in carbon dioxide, and Ar-38 / Ar-36, Kr-x / Kr-84, and N-15 / N-14 made in the martian atmosphere at Gale Crater from the Curiosity Rover using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)'s Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS) and Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS). With data over 700 sols since the Curiosity landing, we will discuss evidence and implications for changes on seasonal and other timescales. We will also present results for continued methane and methane enrichment experiments over this time period. Comparison between our measurements in the modern atmosphere and those of martian meteorites like ALH 84001 implies that the martian reservoirs of CO2 and H2O were largely established approximately 4 billion years ago, but that atmospheric loss or surface interaction may be still ongoing.

  7. The Atmosphere of Venus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, J. E. (Editor)

    1975-01-01

    Topics considered at the conference included the dynamics, structure, chemistry, and evolution of the Venus atmosphere, as well as cloud physics and motion. Infrared, ultraviolet, and radio occultation methods of analysis are discussed, and atmospheric models are described.

  8. Remote Sensing of Icy Galilean Moon Surface and Atmospheric Composition Using Low Energy (1 eV-4 keV) Neutral Atom Imaging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Collier, M. R.; Sittler, E.; Chornay, D.; Cooper, J. F.; Coplan, M.; Johnson, R. E.

    2004-01-01

    We describe a low energy neutral atom imager suitable for composition measurements Europa and other icy Galilean moons in the Jovian magnetosphere. This instrument employs conversion surface technology and is sensitive to either neutrals converted to negative ions, neutrals converted to positive ions and the positive ions themselves depending on the power supply. On a mission such as the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO), two back-to-back sensors would be flown with separate power supplies fitted to the neutral atom and iodneutral atom sides. This will allow both remote imaging of 1 eV < E < 4 keV neutrals from icy moon surfaces and atmospheres, and in situ measurements of ions at similar energies in the moon ionospheres and Jovian magnetospheric plasma. The instrument provides composition measurements of the neutrals and ions that enter the spectrometer with a mass resolution dependent on the time-of-flight subsystem and capable of resolving molecules. The lower energy neutrals, up to tens of eV, arise from atoms and molecules sputtered off the moon surfaces and out of the moon atmospheres by impacts of more energetic (keV to MeV) ions from the magnetosphere. Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) models are used to convert measured neutral abundances to compositional distributions of primary and trace species in the sputtered surfaces and atmospheres. The escaping neutrals can also be detected as ions after photo- or plasma-ionization and pickup. Higher energy, keV neutrals come from charge exchange of magnetospheric ions in the moon atmospheres and provide information on atmospheric structure. At the jovicentric orbits of the icy moons the presence of toroidal gas clouds, as detected at Europa's orbit, provide M e r opportunities to analyze both the composition of neutrals and ions originating from the moon surfaces, and the characteristics of magnetospheric ions interacting with neutral cloud material. Charge exchange of low energy ions near the moons, and

  9. The CEOS Atmospheric Composition Constellation (ACC), an Integrated Observing System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hilsenrath, E.; Langen, J.; Zehner, C.

    2008-05-01

    The Atmospheric Composition (AC) Constellation is one of four pilot projects initiated by the Committee for Earth Observations Systems (CEOS) to bring about technical/scientific cooperation among space agencies that meet the goals of GEO and comply with the CEOS member agencies national programs. The Constellation concept has been endorsed in the GEO Work Plan, 2007-2009. The AC Constellation goal is to collect and deliver data to develop and improve monitoring, assessment and predictive capabilities for changes in the ozone layer, air quality and climate forcing associated with changes in the environment. These data will support five of the nine GEO SBAs: Health, Energy, Climate, Hazards, and Ecosystems. At the present time ESA, EC, CSA, CNES, JAXA, DLR, NIVR, NASA, NOAA and Eumetsat are participating in the Constellation study, and have major assets in orbit including 17 instruments on seven platforms. One goal of the Constellation study is to identify missing capabilities that will result when the present orbiting research satellites missions end and those not included in the next generation operational missions. Missing observations include very accurate and high spatial resolution measurements needed to be to track trends in atmospheric composition and understand their relationship to climate change. The following are the top level objectives for the AC Constellation Concept Study: • Develop a virtual constellation of existing and upcoming missions using synergies among the instruments and identify missing capabilities. • Study advanced architecture with new space assets and varying orbits with expectations that new technology could also be brought forward to best meet user requirements • Data system interoperability to insure that data are useful, properly targeted, and easily accessible. To demonstrate that the Constellation concept can provide value added data products, the ACC has initiated the three projects that are being supported by the

  10. Titan's Upper Atmosphere from Cassini/UVIS Solar Occultations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capalbo, Fernando J.; Bénilan, Yves; Yelle, Roger V.; Koskinen, Tommi T.

    2015-12-01

    Titan’s atmosphere is composed mainly of molecular nitrogen, methane being the principal trace gas. From the analysis of 8 solar occultations measured by the Extreme Ultraviolet channel of the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) on board Cassini, we derived vertical profiles of N2 in the range 1100-1600 km and vertical profiles of CH4 in the range 850-1300 km. The correction of instrument effects and observational effects applied to the data are described. We present CH4 mole fractions, and average temperatures for the upper atmosphere obtained from the N2 profiles. The occultations correspond to different times and locations, and an analysis of variability of density and temperature is presented. The temperatures were analyzed as a function of geographical and temporal variables, without finding a clear correlation with any of them, although a trend of decreasing temperature toward the north pole was observed. The globally averaged temperature obtained is (150 ± 1) K. We compared our results from solar occultations with those derived from other UVIS observations, as well as studies performed with other instruments. The observational data we present confirm the atmospheric variability previously observed, add new information to the global picture of Titan’s upper atmosphere composition, variability, and dynamics, and provide new constraints to photochemical models.

  11. A dynamic Monte Carlo model for predicting radiant exposure distribution in dental composites: model development and verifications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yin-Chu; Ferracane, Jack L.; Prahl, Scott A.

    2005-03-01

    Photo-cured dental composites are widely used in dental practices to restore teeth due to the esthetic appearance of the composites and the ability to cure in situ. However, their complex optical characteristics make it difficult to understand the light transport within the composites and to predict the depth of cure. Our previous work showed that the absorption and scattering coefficients of the composite changed after the composite was cured. The static Monte Carlo simulation showed that the penetration of radiant exposures differed significantly for cured and uncured optical properties. This means that a dynamic model is required for accurate prediction of radiant exposure in the composites. The purpose of this study was to develop and verify a dynamic Monte Carlo (DMC) model simulating light propagation in dental composites that have dynamic optical properties while photons are absorbed. The composite was divided into many small cubes, each of which had its own scattering and absorption coefficients. As light passed through the composite, the light was scattered and absorbed. The amount of light absorbed in each cube was calculated using Beer's Law and was used to determine the next optical properties in that cube. Finally, the predicted total reflectance and transmittance as well as the optical property during curing were verified numerically and experimentally. Our results showed that the model predicted values agreed with the theoretical values within 1% difference. The DMC model results are comparable with experimental results within 5% differences.

  12. Atmospheric Research 2014 Technical Highlights

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Platnick, Steven

    2015-01-01

    Atmospheric research in the Earth Sciences Division (610) consists of research and technology development programs dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the atmosphere and its interaction with the climate of Earth. The Division's goals are to improve understanding of the dynamics and physical properties of precipitation, clouds, and aerosols; atmospheric chemistry, including the role of natural and anthropogenic trace species on the ozone balance in the stratosphere and the troposphere; and radiative properties of Earth's atmosphere and the influence of solar variability on the Earth's climate. Major research activities are carried out in the Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Laboratory, the Climate and Radiation Laboratory, the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, and the Wallops Field Support Office. The overall scope of the research covers an end-to-end process, starting with the identification of scientific problems, leading to observation requirements for remote-sensing platforms, technology and retrieval algorithm development; followed by flight projects and satellite missions; and eventually, resulting in data processing, analyses of measurements, and dissemination from flight projects and missions. Instrument scientists conceive, design, develop, and implement ultraviolet, infrared, optical, radar, laser, and lidar technology to remotely sense the atmosphere. Members of the various Laboratories conduct field measurements for satellite sensor calibration and data validation, and carry out numerous modeling activities. These modeling activities include climate model simulations, modeling the chemistry and transport of trace species on regional-to-global scales, cloud resolving models, and developing the next-generation Earth system models. Satellite missions, field campaigns, peer-reviewed publications, and successful proposals are essential at every stage of the research process to meeting our goals and maintaining leadership of the

  13. Impacts of Stratospheric Dynamics on Atmospheric Behavior from the Ground to Space Solar Minimum and Solar Maximum

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-15

    from the ground to space solar minimum and solar maximum 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER BAA-76-11-01 5b. GRANT NUMBER N00173-12-1G010 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...atmospheric behavior from the ground to space under solar minimum and solar maximum conditions (Contract No.: N00173-12-1-G010 NRL) Project Summary...Dynamical response to solar radiative forcing is a crucial and poorly understood mechanisms. We propose to study the impacts of large dynamical events

  14. Use of large-scale atmospheric energetics for understanding the dynamics of contrasting Indian summer monsoon rainfall in different years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dutta, Somenath; Narkhedkar, Sanjay G.; Mukhopadhyay, Parthasarathi; Yadav, Mamta; Sunitha Devi

    2018-06-01

    An attempt has been made to understand the dynamics of contrasting Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) in different years during 1979-2017, from large-scale atmospheric energetics aspects. Daily values of eddy and zonal available potential energy (APE), their generation, eddy and zonal kinetic energy (KE), conversions of zonal KE and eddy APE to eddy KE, and conversions of zonal APE to zonal KE and eddy APE were computed over the region bounded by 65°E-95°E and 5°N-35°N during the period 1 May to 30 September for 39 years (1979-2017), using daily ECMWF reanalyzed atmospheric data at 0.125° × 0.125° resolution (3 components of wind and temperature). ISMR was classified into three categories, viz., deficient and below normal, normal and above normal and excess. The daily anomaly of these energetics parameters in each of these years was computed using jackknife method and then the composite of the daily anomalies of these parameters constructed for the years with the above-mentioned three categories of ISMR. The following salient features emerge from this study: Analysis of composite anomaly shows that in case of excess and above normal (below normal and deficient) ISMR, C(A Z , K Z) was less (more) than normal. In case of excess and above normal (below normal and deficient) ISMR, C(A E , K E) was more (less) than normal. Broadly, C(A Z , A E) was more than normal in the years with deficient and below normal ISMR, whereas it was less than normal for years with excess and above normal ISMR. Broadly, G(A Z) was below normal for the years with above normal and excess ISMR, whereas it was above normal for the years with below normal and deficient ISMR. Total kinetic energy and total conversion to eddy kinetic energy was above normal for the years with above normal and excess ISMR.

  15. THE INFLUENCE OF THE EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION ON THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE OF EXOPLANETS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Guo, J. H.; Ben-Jaffel, Lotfi, E-mail: guojh@ynao.ac.cn, E-mail: bjaffel@iap.fr

    2016-02-20

    By varying the profiles of stellar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral energy distributions (SEDs), we tested the influences of stellar EUV SEDs on the physical and chemical properties of an escaping atmosphere. We apply our model to study four exoplanets: HD 189733b, HD 209458b, GJ 436b, and Kepler-11b. We find that the total mass loss rates of an exoplanet, which are determined mainly by the integrated fluxes, are moderately affected by the profiles of the EUV SED, but the composition and species distributions in the atmosphere can be dramatically modified by the different profiles of the EUV SED. For exoplanets withmore » a high hydrodynamic escape parameter (λ), the amount of atomic hydrogen produced by photoionization at different altitudes can vary by one to two orders of magnitude with the variation of stellar EUV SEDs. The effect of photoionization of H is prominent when the EUV SED is dominated by the low-energy spectral region (400–900 Å), which pushes the transition of H/H{sup +} to low altitudes. In contrast, the transition of H/H{sup +} moves to higher altitudes when most photons are concentrated in the high-energy spectral region (50–400 Å). For exoplanets with a low λ, the lower temperatures of the atmosphere make many chemical reactions so important that photoionization alone can no longer determine the composition of the escaping atmosphere. For HD 189733b, it is possible to explain the time variability of Lyα between 2010 and 2011 by a change in the EUV SED of the host K-type star, yet invoking only thermal H i in the atmosphere.« less

  16. Investigation of the atmospheric boundary layer dynamics during the ESCOMPTE campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saïd, F.; Brut, A.; Campistron, B.; Cousin, F.

    2007-03-01

    This paper presents some results about the behavior of the atmospheric boundary layer observed during the ESCOMPTE experiment. This campaign, which took place in south-eastern France during summer 2001, was aimed at improving our understanding of pollution episodes in relation to the dynamics of the lower troposphere. Using a large data set, as well as a simulation from the mesoscale non-hydrostatic model Meso-NH, we describe and analyze the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) development during two specific meteorological conditions of the second Intensive Observation Period (IOP). The first situation (IOP2a, from 22 June to 23 June) corresponds to moderate, dry and cold northerly winds (end of Mistral event), coupled with a sea-breeze in the lower layer, whereas sea-breeze events with weak southerly winds occurred during the second part of the period (IOP2b, from 24 June to 26 June). In this study, we first focus on the validation of the model outputs with a thorough comparison of the Meso-NH simulations with fields measurements on three days of the IOP: 22 June, 23 June and 25 June. We also investigate the structure of the boundary layer on IOP2a when the Mistral is superimposed on a sea breeze. Then, we describe the spatial and diurnal variability of the ABL depths over the ESCOMPTE domain during the whole IOP. This step is essential if one wants to know the depth of the layer where the pollutants can be diluted or accumulated. Eventually, this study intends to describe the ABL variability in relation to local or mesoscale dynamics and/or induced topographic effects, in order to explain pollution transport processes in the low troposphere.

  17. Determination of the isotopic composition of atmospheric methane and its application in the Antarctic

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lowe, David C.; Brenninkmeijer, Carl A. M.; Tyler, Stanley C.; Dlugkencky, Edward J.

    1991-01-01

    A procedure for establishing the C-13/C-12 ratio and the C-14 abundance in the atmospheric methane is discussed. The method involves air sample collection, measurement of the methane mixing ratio by gas chromotography followed by quantitative conversion of the methane in the air samples to CO2 and H2O, and analysis of the resulting CO2 for the C-13/C-12 ratio by stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry and measurement of C-14 content by accelerator mass spectrometry. The carbon isotropic composition of methane in air collected at Baring Head, New Zealand, and in air collected on aircraft flights between New Zealand and Antarctica is determined by the method, and no gradient in the composition between Baring Head and the South Pole station is found. As the technique is refined, and more data is gathered, small seasonal and long-term variations in C-13 are expected to be resolved.

  18. Inerting and atmospheres

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carhart, Homer W.

    1987-01-01

    It is argued that fires are dependent primarily on the concentration of oxygen, whereas life is dependent on the partial pressure of oxygen. It follows that in an inhabited capsule it should be possible to exercise a certain amount of willful control over fire and still maintain habitability by proper selection of the composition of the atmosphere. This leads to two concepts in the control of fires in confined spaces by controlling atmospheric composition: the first, to lower the overall potential hazard by maintaining the percent of oxygen in the capsule below that of air, and second, to provide for the emergency extinguishment of a fire by sudden flooding with nitrogen. Several relevant charts and graphs are presented.

  19. Synergistic effect of scaffold composition and dynamic culturing environment in multilayered systems for bone tissue engineering.

    PubMed

    Rodrigues, Márcia T; Martins, Albino; Dias, Isabel R; Viegas, Carlos A; Neves, Nuno M; Gomes, Manuela E; Reis, Rui L

    2012-11-01

    Bone extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of mineralized collagen fibrils which support biological apatite nucleation that participates in bone outstanding properties. Understanding and mimicking bone morphological and physiological parameters at a biological scale is a major challenge in tissue engineering scaffolding. Using emergent (nano)technologies scaffold designing may be critically improved, enabling highly functional tissue substitutes for bone applications. This study aims to develop novel biodegradable composite scaffolds of tricalcium phosphate (TCPs) and electrospun nanofibers of poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL), combining TCPs osteoconductivity with PCL biocompatibility and elasticity, mimicking bone structure and composition. We hypothesized that scaffolds with such structure/composition would stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) towards the osteogenic phenotype. Composite scaffolds, developed by electrospining using consecutive stacked layers of PCL and TCPs, were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction and scanning electronic microscopy. Cellular behavior was assessed in goat BMSCs seeded onto composite scaffolds and cultured in static or dynamic conditions, using basal or osteogenic media during 7, 14 or 21 days. Cellular proliferation was quantified and osteogenic differentiation confirmed by alkaline phosphatase activity, alizarin red staining and immunocytochemistry for osteocalcin and collagen I. Results suggest that PCL-TCP scaffolds provide a 3D support for gBMSCs proliferation and osteogenic differentiation with production of ECM. TCPs positively stimulate the osteogenic process, especially under dynamic conditions, where PCL-TCP scaffolds are sufficient to promote osteogenic differentiation even in basal medium conditions. The enhancement of the osteogenic potential in dynamic conditions evidences the synergistic effect of scaffold composition and dynamic stimulation in g

  20. Measurement of Atmospheric Composition from Geostationary Platforms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bhartia, P. K.; Kawa, S. R.; Janz, S.; Herman, J. R.; Gleason, J. F.

    2008-01-01

    Satellite instruments flown since 1970 have had great success in elucidating the processes that control stratospheric ozone. In contrast, space-based data for tropospheric constituents that affect air quality and climate have only recently become available. While these datasets highlight the rapidly advancing capabilities of spacebased tropospheric sensors, they are also pointing to the limitations of sun-synchronous, low-earth orbiting (SSO/LEO) satellite platforms for making such measurements. In our talk we will highlight the science requirements for new missions and the technological and algorithmic approaches that we are developing to meet these requirements. From these studies a clear need for advanced atmospheric composition sensors has emerged that can be put on geostationary (GEO) platforms to provide 5 km horizontal resolution with 15-60 minutes repeat cycle. Such measurements have been high priority in the recently released Decadal Survey report by the US National Research Council. The need for GEO is driven not only by the science requirements to track rapidly changing pollution events but also by the need to provide altitude-resolved information about tropospheric constituents. Currently, with the exception of aerosols, it is not possible to derive profile information about lower tropospheric constituents from satellite measurements. New algorithmic approaches are being developed to obtain this information by combining UV and IR data, by monitoring the spatial and temporal structures of the constituents, and by using low-level clouds to separate boundary layer constituents from free troposphere. All these approaches require better spatial and temporal resolution than that provided by LEO sensors.

  1. A SEARCH FOR MAGNESIUM IN EUROPA'S ATMOSPHERE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hoerst, S. M.; Brown, M. E., E-mail: sarah.horst@colorado.edu

    Europa's tenuous atmosphere results from sputtering of the surface. The trace element composition of its atmosphere is therefore related to the composition of Europa's surface. Magnesium salts are often invoked to explain Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer spectra of Europa's surface, thus magnesium may be present in Europa's atmosphere. We have searched for magnesium emission in the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph archival spectra of Europa's atmosphere. Magnesium was not detected and we calculate an upper limit on the magnesium column abundance. This upper limit indicates that either Europa's surface is depleted in magnesium relative to sodium and potassium,more » or magnesium is not sputtered as efficiently resulting in a relative depletion in its atmosphere.« less

  2. Dynamics Explorer 1: Energetic Ion Composition Spectrometer (EICS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shelley, E. G.; Peterson, W. K.; Collin, H. L.

    1994-01-01

    The Energetic Ion Composition Spectrometer (EICS) experiment was selected as part of the Dynamics Explorer (DE) Program. One of the primary goals of the DE program was to investigate in detail the plasma physics processes responsible for energizing thermal (approximately 1 eV) ionospheric ions and transporting them to the earth's plasma sheet and distant polar cap. The results of the EICS data analysis (including support of other investigators) and of the archiving efforts supported by this contract are summarized in this document. Also reported are some aspects of our operational support activities.

  3. Influence of wildfires on atmospheric composition and carbon uptake of forest ecosystems in Central Siberia: the establishing of a long-term post-fire monitoring system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panov, Alexey; Chi, Xuguang; Winderlich, Jan; Prokushkin, Anatoly; Bryukhanov, Alexander; Korets, Mikhail; Ponomarev, Evgenii; Timokhina, Anastasya; Andreae, Meinrat O.; Heimann, Martin

    2014-05-01

    Calculations of direct emissions of greenhouse gases from boreal wildfires remain uncertain due to problems with emission factors, available carbon, and imprecise estimates of burned areas. Even more varied and sparse are accurate in situ calculations of temporal changes in boreal forest carbon dynamics following fire. Linking simultaneous instrumental atmospheric observations, GIS-based estimates of burned areas, and ecosystem carbon uptake calculations is vital to fill this knowledge gap. Since 2006 the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO; www.zottoproject.org) a research platform for large-scale climatic observations is operational in Central Siberia (60°48'N, 89°21'E). The data of ongoing greenhouse gases measurements at the tower are used in atmospheric inversions studies to infer the distribution of carbon sinks and sources over central Northern Eurasia. We present our contribution to reducing uncertainties in estimates of fire influence on atmospheric composition and post-fire ecosystem carbon uptake deduced from the large-scale fires that happened in 2012 in the tall tower footprint area. The burned areas were estimated from Landsat ETM 5,8 satellite images, while fires were detected from Terra/Aqua MODIS satellite data. The magnitude of ecological change caused by fires ("burn severity") was measured and mapped with a Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) index and further calibrated by a complementary field based Composite Burn Index (CBI). Measures of fire radiative power (FRP) index provided information on fire heat release intensity and on the amount and completeness of biomass combustion. Based on the analyzed GIS data, the system of study plots was established in the 5 dominating ecosystem types for a long-term post-fire monitoring. On the plots the comprehensive estimation of ecosystem parameters and carbon pools and their mapping was organized with a laser-based field instrumentation system. The work was supported financially by ISTC Project # 2757p

  4. Analysis of dynamic properties for a composite laminated beam at intermediate strain rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, J. C.; Pendleton, R. L.; Dolan, D. F.

    The dynamic mechanical behavior of a graphite epoxy composite laminate in flexural vibration has been investigated. The effects of fiber orientation and vibration frequency for both unidirectional tape and Kevlar fabric were studied both analytically and experimentally. Measurement of storage and loss moduli were presented for laminated double cantilever beams of fiber reinforced composite with frequency range from 8 to 1230 Hz (up to 5th mode).

  5. Dynamics of the Venus atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ingersoll, A. P.

    1992-01-01

    The superrotation of the Venus atmosphere is a major unanswered problem in planetary science. At cloud-top levels (65-70 km altitude) the atmosphere rotates with a five-day period, corresponding to an equatorial wind speed of 90 m/s. Angular velocity is roughly constant on spherical shells, and decreases linearly with altitude to zero at the surface. The direction of rotation is the same as that of the solid planet, which is retrograde--opposite to the direction of orbital motion, but the 5-day period is short compared to the 243-day spin period of the solid planet or to the mean solar day, which is 117 Earth-days at the surface. The problem with the superrotation is that shearing stresses tend to transfer angular momentum downward, and would slow the atmosphere until it is spinning with the solid planet. Some organized circulation pattern is counteracting the tendency, but the pattern has not been identified. A simple Hadley-type circulation cannot do it because such a circulation is zonally symmetric and Hide's Theorem states that in an axisymmetric circulation an extremum in angular momentum per unit mass M can exist only at the surface. Venus violates the last condition, having a maximum of retrograde M on the equator at 70-80 km altitude. This leaves waves and eddies to maintain the superrotation but the length scales and forcing mechanisms for these motions need to be specified. Possible forcing mechanisms associated with waves, eddies and tides are discussed.

  6. Formation and Evolution of the Atmosphere on Early Titan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marounina, N.; Tobie, G.; Carpy, S.; Monteux, J.; Charnay, B.; Grasset, O.

    2014-12-01

    The mass and composition of Titan's massive atmosphere, which is dominated by N2 and CH4 at present, have probably varied all along its history owing to a combination of exogenous and endogenous processes. In a recent study, we investigated its fate during the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB) by modeling the competitive loss and supply of volatiles by cometary impacts and their consequences on the atmospheric balance. We examine the emergence of an atmosphere as well as the evolution of a primitive atmosphere of various sizes and compositions. By considering an impactor population characteristic of the LHB, we showed that an atmosphere with a mass equivalent to the present-day one cannot be formed during the LHB era. Our calculations indicated that the high-velocity impacts during the LHB led to a strong atmospheric erosion, so that the pre-LHB atmosphere should be 5 to 7 times more massive than at present (depending mostly on the albedo), in order to sustain an atmosphere equivalent to the present-day one. This implies that either a massive atmosphere was formed on Titan during its accretion or that the nitrogen-rich atmosphere was generated after the LHB.To investigate the primitive atmosphere of the satellite, we consider chemical exchanges of volatils between a global water ocean at Titan's surface, generated by impact heating during the accretion and an atmosphere. We are currently developing a liquid-vapor equilibrium model for various initial oceanic composition to investigate how a massive atmosphere may be generated during the satellite growth and how it may evolve toward a composition dominated by N2. More generally, our model address how atmosphere may be generated in water-rich objects, which may be common around other stars.

  7. The Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boville, B. A.; Garcia, R. R.; Sassi, F.; Kinnison, D.; Roble, R. G.

    The Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) is an upward exten- sion of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model. WACCM simulates the atmosphere from the surface to the lower thermosphere (140 km) and includes both dynamical and chemical components. The salient points of the model formulation will be summarized and several aspects of its performance will be discussed. Comparison with observations indicates that WACCM produces re- alistic temperature and zonal wind distributions. Both the mean state and interannual variability will be summarized. Temperature inversions in the midlatitude mesosphere have been reported by several authors and are also found in WACCM. These inver- sions are formed primarily by planetary wave forcing, but the background state on which they form also requires gravity wave forcing. The response to sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies will be examined by com- paring simulations with observed SSTs for 1950-1998 to a simulation with clima- tological annual cycle of SSTs. The response to ENSO events is found to extend though the winter stratosphere and mesosphere and a signal is also found at the sum- mer mesopause. The experimental framework allows the ENSO signal to be isolated, because no other forcings are included (e.g. solar variability and volcanic eruptions) which complicate the observational record. The temperature and wind variations asso- ciated with ENSO are large enough to generate significant perturbations in the chem- ical composition of the middle atmosphere, which will also be discussed.

  8. Middle atmosphere dynamical sources of the semiannual oscillation in the thermosphere and ionosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, M.; Emmert, J. T.; Drob, D. P.; Siskind, D. E.

    2017-01-01

    The strong global semiannual oscillation (SAO) in thermospheric density has been observed for five decades, but definitive knowledge of its source has been elusive. We use the National Center of Atmospheric Research thermosphere-ionosphere-mesosphere electrodynamics general circulation model (TIME-GCM) to study how middle atmospheric dynamics generate the SAO in the thermosphere-ionosphere (T-I). The "standard" TIME-GCM simulates, from first principles, SAOs in thermospheric mass density and ionospheric total electron content that agree well with observed climatological variations. Diagnosis of the globally averaged continuity equation for atomic oxygen ([O]) shows that the T-I SAO originates in the upper mesosphere, where an SAO in [O] is forced by nonlinear, resolved-scale variations in the advective, net tidal, and diffusive transport of O. Contrary to earlier hypotheses, TIME-GCM simulations demonstrate that intra-annually varying eddy diffusion by breaking gravity waves may not be the primary driver of the T-I SAO: A pronounced SAO is produced without parameterized gravity waves.

  9. The composition of the primitive atmosphere and the synthesis of organic compounds on the early Earth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bada, J. L.; Miller, S. L.

    1985-01-01

    The generally accepted theory for the origin of life on the Earth requires that a large variety of organic compounds be present to form the first living organisms and to provide the energy sources for primitive life either directly or through various fermentation reactions. This can provide a strong constraint on discussions of the formation of the Earth and on the composition of the primitive atmosphere. In order for substantial amounts of organic compounds to have been present on the prebiological Earth, certain conditions must have existed. There is a large body of literature on the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds in various postulated atmospheres. In this mixture of abiotically synthesized organic compounds, the amino acids are of special interest since they are utilized by modern organisms to synthesize structural materials and a large array of catalytic peptides.

  10. Dynamic Sampling of Cabin VOCs during the Mission Operations Test of the Deep Space Habitat

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Monje, Oscar; Rojdev, Kristina

    2013-01-01

    The atmospheric composition inside spacecraft is dynamic due to changes in crew metabolism and payload operations. A portable FTIR gas analyzer was used to monitor the atmospheric composition of four modules (Core lab, Veggie Plant Atrium, Hygiene module, and Xhab loft) within the Deep Space Habitat '(DSH) during the Mission Operations Test (MOT) conducted at the Johnson Space Center. The FTIR was either physically relocated to a new location or the plumbing was changed so that a different location was monitored. An application composed of 20 gases was used and the FTIR was zeroed using N2 gas every time it was relocated. The procedures developed for operating the FTIR were successful as all data was collected and the FTIR worked during the entire MOT mission. Not all the 20 gases in the application sampled were detected and it was possible to measure dynamic VOC concentrations in each DSH location.

  11. Ozone, Climate, and Global Atmospheric Change.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levine, Joel S.

    1992-01-01

    Presents an overview of global atmospheric problems relating to ozone depletion and global warming. Provides background information on the composition of the earth's atmosphere and origin of atmospheric ozone. Describes causes, effects, and evidence of ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect. A vignette provides a summary of a 1991 assessment of…

  12. Modelling atmospheric transport of α-hexachlorocyclohexane in the Northern Hemispherewith a 3-D dynamical model: DEHM-POP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hansen, K. M.; Christensen, J. H.; Brandt, J.; Frohn, L. M.; Geels, C.

    2004-07-01

    The Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model (DEHM) is a 3-D dynamical atmospheric transport model originally developed to describe the atmospheric transport of sulphur into the Arctic. A new version of the model, DEHM-POP, developed to study the atmospheric transport and environmental fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is presented. During environmental cycling, POPs can be deposited and re-emitted several times before reaching a final destination. A description of the exchange processes between the land/ocean surfaces and the atmosphere is included in the model to account for this multi-hop transport. The α-isomer of the pesticide hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH) is used as tracer in the model development. The structure of the model and processes included are described in detail. The results from a model simulation showing the atmospheric transport for the years 1991 to 1998 are presented and evaluated against measurements. The annual averaged atmospheric concentration of α-HCH for the 1990s is well described by the model; however, the shorter-term average concentration for most of the stations is not well captured. This indicates that the present simple surface description needs to be refined to get a better description of the air-surface exchange processes of POPs.

  13. The Atmospheres of Pluto and Charon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gladstone, R.; Summers, M. E.; Stern, A.; Ennico Smith, K.; Olkin, C.; Weaver, H. A., Jr.; Young, L. A.; Strobel, D. F.; Hinson, D. P.; Kammer, J.; Parker, A. H.; Steffl, A.; Linscott, I.; Parker, J. W.; Cheng, A. F.; Versteeg, M. H.; Greathouse, T.; Retherford, K. D.; Throop, H.; Woods, W. W.; Singer, K. N.; Tsang, C.; Schindhelm, E.; Wong, M. L.; Yung, Y. L.; Zhu, X.; Curdt, W.; Lavvas, P.; Young, E. F.; Tyler, G. L.

    2015-12-01

    Major goals of the New Horizons (NH) mission are to explore and characterize the structure and composition of Pluto's atmosphere, and to determine whether Charon has a measurable atmosphere of its own. Several instruments onboard NH contribute to these goals, primarily: 1) the REX instrument, through uplink X-band radio occultations, 2) the Alice instrument, through extreme- and far-ultraviolet solar occultations, and 3) the LORRI panchromatic imager, through high-phase-angle imaging. The associated datasets were obtained following closest approach of NH to Pluto. Pressure and temperature profiles of the lower atmosphere are derived from the REX data, the composition and structure of the extended atmosphere are derived from the Alice data (supported by approach observations of reflected ultraviolet sunlight), and the distribution and properties of Pluto's hazes are derived from the LORRI data. In this talk an overview of the early atmosphere science results will be presented.

  14. The upper atmospheres of extrasolar planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lellouch, E.

    2003-04-01

    Over 100 extrasolar planets have been already detected, the vast majority of which by radial velocity measurements. While numerous models have been developed to describe their thermal structure, composition, spectrum, dynamics and evolution, the physical characterization of these objects remains remarkably poor, since in most cases only an estimate of the object's mass is available. Most observational efforts have so far been focused on close, short-period exoplanets ("hot Jupiters"), in particular on HD 209458B which appears to transit across its parent star and was confirmed to be as a genuine hydrogen-rich exoplanet . A highlight of these observations was the detection of sodium in its atmosphere (Charbonneau et al. 2002). Observational results and prospects will be briefly reviewed.

  15. Effect of natural weathering conditions on the dynamic behavior of woven aramid composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaya, A. I.; Kısa, M.; Özen, M.

    2018-02-01

    In this study, aging of woven aramid/epoxy composites under different natural conditions were studied. Composite beams were manufactured by Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Method (VARIM). Composites were cut into specimen according to ASTM D3039 and vibration tests. Elastic moduli of reference composites were found according to ASTM D3039 standard. Validation of methodology was performed numerically in Ansys software before aging process. An algorithm, which is predicated on FFT (Fast Fourier Transforms), was composed in Matlab to process output of vibration analysis data so as to identify natural frequencies of beams. Composites were aged for 12 months and various natural weathering aging conditions effects on woven aramid composite beams were surveyed through vibration analysis with 3 months interval. Five specimens of woven aramid beams were considered for dynamic tests and effect of aging on first three natural frequencies were determined.

  16. Effect of dynamic controlled atmosphere monitored by respiratory quotient and 1-methylcyclopropene on the metabolism and quality of 'Galaxy' apple harvested at three maturity stages.

    PubMed

    Thewes, Fabio Rodrigo; Brackmann, Auri; Anese, Rogerio de Oliveira; Ludwig, Vagner; Schultz, Erani Eliseu; Dos Santos, Luana Ferreira; Wendt, Lucas Mallmann

    2017-05-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction between controlled atmosphere (CA), CA+1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and dynamic controlled atmosphere monitored by respiratory quotient (DCA-RQ) with three fruit maturity stages at harvest (early harvest date, optimal harvest date and late harvest date) on 'Galaxy' apple metabolism and quality after harvest and 9months storage plus 7days of shelf life at 20°C. Fruit stored under dynamic controlled atmosphere monitored by respiratory quotient 1.3 (DCA-RQ 1.3) showed lower ethylene production, respiration rate, mealiness and higher flesh firmness in comparison to CA stored fruit, but did not differ from those treated with 1-MCP. The dynamic controlled atmosphere monitored by respiratory quotient 1.5 (DCA-RQ 1.5) increased the acetaldehyde, ethanol and ethyl acetate concentration, regardless of the fruit maturity at harvest. The storage of 'Galaxy' apple under DCA-RQ 1.3 is efficient in keeping quality regardless of the maturity stage at harvest. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Chemistry Simulations using the MERRA-2 Reanalysis with the GMI CTM and Replay in Support of the Atmospheric Composition Community

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oman, Luke D.; Strahan, Susan E.

    2017-01-01

    Simulations using reanalysis meteorological fields have long been used to understand the causes of atmospheric composition change in the recent past. Using the new MERRA-2 reanalysis, we are conducting chemistry simulations to create products covering 1980-2016 for the atmospheric composition community. These simulations use the Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) chemical mechanism in two different models: the GMI Chemical Transport Model (CTM) and the GEOS-5 model in Replay mode. Replay mode means an integration of the GEOS-5 general circulation model that is incrementally adjusted each time step toward the MERRA-2 reanalysis. The GMI CTM is a 1 deg x 1.25 deg simulation and the MERRA-2 GMI Replay simulation uses the native MERRA-2 grid of approximately 1/2 deg horizontal resolution on the cubed sphere. A specialized set of transport diagnostics is included in both runs to better understand trace gas transport and its variability in the recent past.

  18. A parametric study of the dynamic failure of energetic composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tanasoiu, Bogdan; Koslowski, Marisol

    2017-09-01

    Heating by frictional sliding of cracks is often considered to be one of the most important causes of localized melting and ignition in solid explosives. Furthermore, recent high speed X-ray phase contrast experiments on energetic composites under dynamic compression [Parab et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 109(13) (2016)] show that most fracture events appear inside the particles. Initial cracks develop in regions where particles are close, and widespread fragmentation is observed in the interior of the particles as the stress waves propagate through the sample. However, most simulations have focused on interface debonding of energetic composites and, in general, do not include fracture of the particles explicitly. A phase field damage approach is used to model the dynamic response of a system of cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine particles embedded in a Sylgard matrix. The simulations show several damage mechanisms observed in the experiments. The effects of the energy release rate and the initial crack distribution on the energy dissipation due to fracture are studied. The numerical results confirm that initial cracks play an important role in the evolution of damage, energy dissipation and consequently, the formation of hot-spots.

  19. Global Atmosphere Watch Workshop on Measurement-Model Fusion for Global Total Atmospheric Deposition (MMF-GTAD)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme coordinates high-quality observations of atmospheric composition from global to local scales with the aim to drive high-quality and high-impact science while co-producing a new generation of pro...

  20. Dynamic mechanical analysis of storage modulus development in light-activated polymer matrix composites.

    PubMed

    Sakaguchi, Ronald L; Shah, Nilam C; Lim, Bum Soon; Ferracane, Jack L; Borgersen, Svenn E

    2002-05-01

    The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential for using dynamic mechanical analysis of tubular geometry in a three-point flexure fixture for monitoring the storage modulus development of a light-activated polymer matrix composite. Composite samples were inserted into PTFE tubes and tested in a three-point bend fixture in a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) at 200 Hz with 20 microm amplitude. Samples were light activated for 60s (385 mW/cm(2) at the composite surface) and storage modulus (E') was measured continuously for the seven light-activated composites studied (one microfill, four hybrids and two unfilled resins). Cores of composite were removed from the PTFE sheath after 13.5 min and evaluated with the same parameters in the DMA. A finite element model of the test configuration was created and used to estimate operating parameters for the DMA. Degree of conversion (DC) was measured using micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for the microfilled composite samples and one hybrid 13.5 and 60 min after light activation. The E' for a generic hybrid and microfilled composite was 13,400+/-1100 and 5900+/-200 MPa, respectively, when cured within the tube and then removed and tested in the DMA. DC was 54.6% for the hybrid and 60.6% for the microfill. A linear regression of E' for the sheath and core vs core alone (r(2)=0.986) indicated a linear scaling of the sheath and core values for E' enabling a correction for estimated E' values of the composite core. This method estimates the storage modulus growth during light-activated polymerization of highly filled dimethacrylates. Although the approach is phenomenological in that quantitative measurements of E' are not made directly from the DMA, estimates of early polymerization kinetics appear to be validated by three different approaches.

  1. High-sensitivity and large-dynamic-range refractive index sensors employing weak composite Fabry-Perot cavities.

    PubMed

    Chen, Pengcheng; Shu, Xuewen; Cao, Haoran; Sugden, Kate

    2017-08-15

    Most sensors face a common trade-off between high sensitivity and a large dynamic range. We demonstrate here an all-fiber refractometer based on a dual-cavity Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) that possesses the advantage of both high sensitivity and a large dynamic range. Since the two composite cavities have a large cavity length difference, one can observe both fine and coarse fringes, which correspond to the long cavity and the short cavity, respectively. The short-cavity FPI and the use of an intensity demodulation method mean that the individual fine fringe dips correspond to a series of quasi-continuous highly sensitive zones for refractive index measurement. By calculating the parameters of the composite FPI, we find that the range of the ultra-sensitive zones can be considerably adjusted to suit the end requirements. The experimental trends are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The co-existence of high sensitivity and a large dynamic range in a composite FPI is of great significance to practical RI measurements.

  2. Response of the global climate to changes in atmospheric chemical composition due to fossil fuel burning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hameed, S.; Cess, R. D.; Hogan, J. S.

    1980-01-01

    Recent modeling of atmospheric chemical processes (Logan et al, 1978; Hameed et al, 1979) suggests that tropospheric ozone and methane might significantly increase in the future as the result of increasing anthropogenic emissions of CO, NO(x), and CH4 due to fossil fuel burning. Since O3 and CH4 are both greenhouse gases, increases in their concentrations could augment global warming due to larger future amounts of atmospheric CO2. To test the possible climatic impact of changes in tropospheric chemical composition, a zonal energy-balance climate model has been combined with a vertically averaged tropospheric chemical model. The latter model includes all relevant chemical reactions which affect species derived from H2O, O2, CH4, and NO(x). The climate model correspondingly incorporates changes in the infrared heating of the surface-troposphere system resulting from chemically induced changes in tropospheric ozone and methane. This coupled climate-chemical model indicates that global climate is sensitive to changes in emissions of CO, NO(x) and CH4, and that future increases in these emissions could augment global warming due to increasing atmospheric CO2.

  3. Structural dynamics of shroudless, hollow fan blades with composite in-lays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aiello, R. A.; Hirschbein, M. S.; Chamis, C. C.

    1982-01-01

    Structural and dynamic analyses are presented for a shroudless, hollow titanium fan blade proposed for future use in aircraft turbine engines. The blade was modeled and analyzed using the composite blade structural analysis computer program (COBSTRAN); an integrated program consisting of mesh generators, composite mechanics codes, NASTRAN, and pre- and post-processors. Vibration and impact analyses are presented. The vibration analysis was conducted with COBSTRAN. Results show the effect of the centrifugal force field on frequencies, twist, and blade camber. Bird impact analysis was performed with the multi-mode blade impact computer program. This program uses the geometric model and modal analysis from the COBSTRAN vibration analysis to determine the gross impact response of the fan blades to bird strikes. The structural performance of this blade is also compared to a blade of similar design but with composite in-lays on the outer surface. Results show that the composite in-lays can be selected (designed) to substantially modify the mechanical performance of the shroudless, hollow fan blade.

  4. Time-varying nonlinear dynamics of a deploying piezoelectric laminated composite plate under aerodynamic force

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, S. F.; Zhang, W.; Song, X. J.

    2017-09-01

    Using Reddy's high-order shear theory for laminated plates and Hamilton's principle, a nonlinear partial differential equation for the dynamics of a deploying cantilevered piezoelectric laminated composite plate, under the combined action of aerodynamic load and piezoelectric excitation, is introduced. Two-degree of freedom (DOF) nonlinear dynamic models for the time-varying coefficients describing the transverse vibration of the deploying laminate under the combined actions of a first-order aerodynamic force and piezoelectric excitation were obtained by selecting a suitable time-dependent modal function satisfying the displacement boundary conditions and applying second-order discretization using the Galerkin method. Using a numerical method, the time history curves of the deploying laminate were obtained, and its nonlinear dynamic characteristics, including extension speed and different piezoelectric excitations, were studied. The results suggest that the piezoelectric excitation has a clear effect on the change of the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of such piezoelectric laminated composite plates. The nonlinear vibration of the deploying cantilevered laminate can be effectively suppressed by choosing a suitable voltage and polarity.

  5. Particle sizes and composition of Mars atmospheric dust based upon Viking and Mariner 9 observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clancy, R. T.; Lee, S. W.; Gladstone, G. R.

    1993-01-01

    Mars atmospheric dust can play an important role in the thermal structure of the Mars atmosphere during periods of high dust loading. However, the radiative properties of Mars atmospheric dust remain uncertain due to uncertain definitions of the dust composition and size distribution. The analysis by Toon et al., of Mariner 9 IRIS spectra during the 1971-1972 global dust storm indicated a reasonable match between the modeled 9-micron absorption of montmorillinite and the observed 9-micron absorption. Toon et al. also determined that an effective (cross-section weighted) mean radius of 2.5 microns (R(sub mode) = 0.4 microns) provided a consistent fit of montmorillinite to the IRIS dust spectra at 9 microns. Pollack et al. analyzed Viking lander observations of atmospheric extinction and scattering at visible-near IR wavelengths (0.5-1.0 microns), and obtained consistency with the Toon et al. dust size distribution when the effects of nonspherical particle shapes were included. An additional, minor (1 percent) component of visible-ultraviolet absorbing material was required to model the derived visible (0.86) and ultraviolet (0.4-0.6) single-scattering albedos of the dust, since montmorillinite does not absorb sufficiently in this wavelength region. A combined analysis of the Viking IRTM and Mariner 9 observations was conducted to reassess the model of Mars atmospheric ultraviolet-to-infrared measurements of dust absorption and scattering. The optical constants for palagonite are incorporated in a doubling-adding radiative transfer model of the Mars atmosphere to simulate Mariner 9 IRIS spectra as well as the Viking IRTM IR band observations. Visible and ultraviolet single-scattering albedos based on the Hansen and Travis Mie scattering code were also derived. A tentative conclusion is that smaller dust particles (R(sub mode) = 0.15 microns, cross-section weighted mean R = 1.2 microns) composed of palagonite provide a much improved fit to the Mariner 9 IRIS spectra

  6. Objectives for Atmospheres and Ring Science for the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ingersoll, A.; Simon-Miller, A.

    2003-12-01

    offers continuous planet viewing during the 3 months between satellite encounters. The 10-30 kW of power offers advantages for radio occultations and other active sensors. In addition, JIMO can carry a probe, which can determine the water abundance, deep winds, and thermal structure to 100 bars. At the Forum on Concepts and Approaches for JIMO in Houston, Texas on June 14-15, 2003, the Atmospheres and Rings Subgroup came up with the following prioritized list of objectives: 1. Composition, structure, chemistry, and dynamics of Jupiter's atmosphere. 2. Composition, structure, and dynamics of icy moon atmospheres. 3. Composition, structure, dynamics, and time variability of the atmosphere of Io. 4. Nature of the interaction between magnetosphere, satellites, and Jupiter. 5. Structure, composition, energy budget, and variability of satellite tori. 6. Structure and particle properties of the Jovian ring system Each objective has several prioritized investigations, and each investigation has a prioritized list of measurements. These will be presented at the meeting. Some of the measurements require a probe; others can be done from the JIMO orbiter. With or without a probe, the JIMO mission can answer fundamental questions about atmospheres, rings, and satellite tori in the Jupiter system.

  7. Role of upper-most crustal composition in the evolution of the Precambrian ocean-atmosphere system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Large, R. R.; Mukherjee, I.; Zhukova, I.; Corkrey, R.; Stepanov, A.; Danyushevsky, L. V.

    2018-04-01

    Recent research has emphasized the potential relationships between supercontinent cycles, mountain building, nutrient flux, ocean-atmosphere chemistry and the origin of life. The composition of the Upper-Most Continental Crust (UMCC) also figures prominently in these relationships, and yet little detailed data on each component of this complex relationship has been available for assessment. Here we provide a new set of data on the trace element concentrations, including the Rare Earth Elements (REE), in the matrix of 52 marine black shale formations spread globally through the Archean and Proterozoic. The data support previous studies on the temporal geochemistry of shales, but with some important differences. Results indicate a change in provenance of the black shales (upper-most crustal composition), from more mafic in the Archean prior to 2700 Ma, to more felsic from 2700 to 2200 Ma, followed by a return to mafic compositions from 2200 to 1850 Ma. Around 1850 to 1800 Ma there is a rapid change to uniform felsic compositions, which remained for a billion years to 800 Ma. The shale matrix geochemistry supports the assertion that the average upper-most continental source rocks for the shales changed from a mix of felsic, mafic and ultramafic prior to 2700 Ma to more felsic after 1850 Ma, with an extended transition period between. The return to more mafic UMCC from 2200 to 1850 Ma is supported by the frequency of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) and banded iron formations, which suggest a peak in major mantle-connected plume events and associated Fe-rich hydrothermal activity over this period. Support for the change to felsic UMCC around 1850 Ma is provided by previous geological data which shows that felsic magmas, including, A-type granites and K-Th-U-rich granites intruded vast areas of the continental crust, peaking around 1850 Ma and declining to 1000 Ma. The implications of this change in UMCC are far reaching and may go some way to explain the distinct

  8. Dynamical variability in Saturn Equatorial Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Pérez-Hoyos, S.; Hueso, R.; Rojas, J. F.; French, R. G.; Grupo Ciencias Planetarias Team

    2003-05-01

    Historical ground-based and recent HST observations show that Saturn's Equatorial Atmosphere is the region where the most intense large-scale dynamical variability took place at cloud level in the planet. Large-scale convective storms (nicknamed the ``Great White Spots") occurred in 1876, 1933 and 1990. The best studied case (the 1990 storm), produced a dramatic change in the cloud aspect in the years following the outburst of September 1990. Subsequently, a new large storm formed in 1994 and from 1996 to 2002 our HST observations showed periods of unusual cloud activity in the southern part of the Equator. This contrast with the aspect observed during the Voyager 1 and 2 encounters in 1980 and 1981 when the Equator was calm, except for some mid-scale plume-like features seen in 1981. Cloud-tracking of the features have revealed a dramatic slow down in the equatorial winds from maximum velocities of ˜ 475 m/s in 1980-1981 to ˜ 275 m/s during 1996-2002, as we have recently reported in Nature, Vol. 423, 623 (2003). We discuss the possibility that seasonal and ring-shadowing effects are involved in generating this activity and variability. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Spanish MCYT PNAYA 2000-0932. SPH acknowledges a PhD fellowship from the Spanish MECD and RH a post-doc fellowship from Gobierno Vasco. RGF was supported in part by NASA's Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program NAG5-10197 and STSCI Grant GO-08660.01A.

  9. Integrating Biodiversity into Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions Using Individual-Based Models (IBM)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, B.; Shugart, H. H., Jr.; Lerdau, M.

    2017-12-01

    A key component regulating complex, nonlinear, and dynamic biosphere-atmosphere interactions is the inherent diversity of biological systems. The model frameworks currently widely used, i.e., Plant Functional Type models) do not even begin to capture the metabolic and taxonomic diversity found in many terrestrial systems. We propose that a transition from PFT-based to individual-based modeling approaches (hereafter referred to as IBM) is essential for integrating biodiversity into research on biosphere-atmosphere interactions. The proposal emerges from our studying the interactions of forests with atmospheric processes in the context of climate change using an individual-based forest volatile organic compounds model, UVAFME-VOC. This individual-based model can explicitly simulate VOC emissions based on an explicit modelling of forest dynamics by computing the growth, death, and regeneration of each individual tree of different species and their competition for light, moisture, and nutrient, from which system-level VOC emissions are simulated by explicitly computing and summing up each individual's emissions. We found that elevated O3 significantly altered the forest dynamics by favoring species that are O3-resistant, which, meanwhile, are producers of isoprene. Such compositional changes, on the one hand, resulted in unsuppressed forest productivity and carbon stock because of the compensation by O3-resistant species. On the other hand, with more isoprene produced arising from increased producers, a possible positive feedback loop between tropospheric O3 and forest thereby emerged. We also found that climate warming will not always stimulate isoprene emissions because warming simultaneously reduces isoprene emissions by causing a decline in the abundance of isoprene-emitting species. These results suggest that species diversity is of great significance and that individual-based modelling strategies should be applied in studying biosphere-atmosphere interactions.

  10. Atmospheric composition and micro-climate in the Alhambra monument, Granada (Spain), in the context of preventive conservation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horemans, B.; Schalm, O.; De Wael, K.; Cardell, C.; Van Grieken, R.

    2012-07-01

    The world famous Alhambra monument in Granada, Southern Spain, listed as UNESCO world cultural heritage since 1984, represents probably the most beautiful example of Islamic art and architecture from the Middle Ages in Europe. It is visited by ca. 2 million people annually. Granada is situated in a natural basin, surrounded by mountains with altitudes up to 3500 m. Due to this topography and the prevailing low wind speeds, pollution-derived and especially traffic-derived particulate matter often accumulates in the urban air. In order to evaluate the potential conservation risks from the surrounding air, the atmospheric composition in the Alhambra monument was evaluated. Indoor temperature and relative humidity fluctuations were evaluated for their potential degenerative effects. Furthermore, the atmospheric composition in the Alhambra was analyzed in terms of inorganic gases (NO2, SO2, O3, and NH3) and black carbon. It was found that the open architecture protected the indoor environments from developing a potentially harmful microclimate, such as the build-up of humidity resulting from the huge number of daily tourists. On the downside, the strong ventilation made the indoor air hardly different from outdoor air, as characterized by strong diurnal temperature and relative humidity gradients and high traffic-derived pollutant levels.

  11. Mathematical Modelling of Plankton-Oxygen Dynamics Under the Climate Change.

    PubMed

    Sekerci, Yadigar; Petrovskii, Sergei

    2015-12-01

    Ocean dynamics is known to have a strong effect on the global climate change and on the composition of the atmosphere. In particular, it is estimated that about 70% of the atmospheric oxygen is produced in the oceans due to the photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton. However, the rate of oxygen production depends on water temperature and hence can be affected by the global warming. In this paper, we address this issue theoretically by considering a model of a coupled plankton-oxygen dynamics where the rate of oxygen production slowly changes with time to account for the ocean warming. We show that a sustainable oxygen production is only possible in an intermediate range of the production rate. If, in the course of time, the oxygen production rate becomes too low or too high, the system's dynamics changes abruptly, resulting in the oxygen depletion and plankton extinction. Our results indicate that the depletion of atmospheric oxygen on global scale (which, if happens, obviously can kill most of life on Earth) is another possible catastrophic consequence of the global warming, a global ecological disaster that has been overlooked.

  12. Formaldehyde Concentration Dynamics of the International Space Station Cabin Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perry, J. L.

    2005-01-01

    Formaldehyde presents a significant challenge to maintaining cabin air quality on board crewed spacecraft. Generation sources include offgassing from a variety of non-metallic materials as well as human metabolism. Because generation sources are pervasive and human health can be affected by continual exposure to low concentrations, toxicology and air quality control engineering experts jointly identified formaldehyde as a key compound to be monitored as part the International Space Station's (ISS) environmental health monitoring and maintenance program. Data acquired from in-flight air quality monitoring methods are the basis for assessing the cabin environment's suitability for long-term habitation and monitoring the performance of passive and active controls that are in place to minimize crew exposure. Formaldehyde concentration trends and dynamics served in the ISS cabin atmosphere are reviewed implications to present and future flight operations discussed.

  13. Middle Atmosphere Program. Handbook for MAP, volume 8

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sechrist, C. F., Jr. (Editor)

    1983-01-01

    Various investigations relative to middle atmosphere research are discussed. Atmospheric warming periods in 1982-83, atmospheric composition, the comparison of irradiance measurement calibration, and molecular absorption processes related to the penetration of ultraviolet solar radiation into the middle atmosphere, are among the topics discussed.

  14. Characterization of Airborne Microbial Communities at a High-Elevation Site and Their Potential To Act as Atmospheric Ice Nuclei▿

    PubMed Central

    Bowers, Robert M.; Lauber, Christian L.; Wiedinmyer, Christine; Hamady, Micah; Hallar, Anna G.; Fall, Ray; Knight, Rob; Fierer, Noah

    2009-01-01

    Bacteria and fungi are ubiquitous in the atmosphere. The diversity and abundance of airborne microbes may be strongly influenced by atmospheric conditions or even influence atmospheric conditions themselves by acting as ice nucleators. However, few comprehensive studies have described the diversity and dynamics of airborne bacteria and fungi based on culture-independent techniques. We document atmospheric microbial abundance, community composition, and ice nucleation at a high-elevation site in northwestern Colorado. We used a standard small-subunit rRNA gene Sanger sequencing approach for total microbial community analysis and a bacteria-specific 16S rRNA bar-coded pyrosequencing approach (4,864 sequences total). During the 2-week collection period, total microbial abundances were relatively constant, ranging from 9.6 × 105 to 6.6 × 106 cells m−3 of air, and the diversity and composition of the airborne microbial communities were also relatively static. Bacteria and fungi were nearly equivalent, and members of the proteobacterial groups Burkholderiales and Moraxellaceae (particularly the genus Psychrobacter) were dominant. These taxa were not always the most abundant in freshly fallen snow samples collected at this site. Although there was minimal variability in microbial abundances and composition within the atmosphere, the number of biological ice nuclei increased significantly during periods of high relative humidity. However, these changes in ice nuclei numbers were not associated with changes in the relative abundances of the most commonly studied ice-nucleating bacteria. PMID:19502432

  15. Composition and sources of atmospheric dusts in snow at 3200 meters in the St. Elias Range, southeastern Alaska, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hinkley, T.K.

    1994-01-01

    Dusts in snow from the accumulation zone in the St. Elias Range appear from their chemical compositions to have come from terranes of rocks of ferromagnesian composition. These dusts, with respect to their composition and to the moderate degree of variation that occurs through a depositional year, are similar those deposited in Greenland. The high portion of the St. Elias Range is isolated from dominance by any local dust source terranes, because of altitude and the extent of the surrounding glacierized and snow-covered region. In Greenland the altitude is typically lower, but local sources are even less likely to dominate the character of the dusts deposited into the ice record there. The similar compositions and moderate compositional variations of dusts from these two places bear on the question of whether the dusts that are transported over long distances by the atmosphere under modern and glacial-period conditions are uniform and representative of a broad regional or even hemispheric background dust. The dusts in the snow were measured by means of a suite of major, minor, and trace rock-forming metals chosen to give information about rock types, their constituent minerals, degree of degradation (weathering), and energies of atmospheric uptake from source. The variations in amounts of rock dust through the year in the St. Elias Range snowpack have no time-stratigraphic correspondence to the also large variations in concentrations of other species that are not constituents of rock-derived dusts, such the anions chloride, sulfate, and nitrate; the highs and lows of the two types of materials are apparently completely independent. The structure revealed by the moderately fine-scale sampling of the present study (??? 10 increments/y) serves as a background for the interpretation of analysis of ice core samples, in which annual layers may be too compressed to permit analysis of sub-annual samples. ?? 1994.

  16. Local Dynamics of Baroclinic Waves in the Martian Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kavulich, M. J.; Szunyogh, I.; Gyarmati, G.; Wilson, R.

    2010-12-01

    In this presentation, the spatio-temporal evolution of baroclinic waves in the GFDL Mars GCM is investigated. The study employs diagnostic techniques that were developed to analyze the life cycles of baroclinic waves in the terrestrial atmosphere. These techniques include a Hilbert-transform-based method to extract the packets of Rossby wave envelopes at the jet level, the eddy kinetic energy equation for the full atmospheric column, and ensemble-based diagnostics. The results show that, similar to the terrestrial atmosphere, coherent westward-propagating wave packets can be detected in the Martian atmosphere. These wave packets are composed of waves of wavenumber 2 through 5, in contrast to the wavenumber 4 through 9 waves that contribute the upper-tropospheric wave packets of the terrestrial atmosphere. Additionally, as in the terrestrial atmosphere, the dominant part of the eddy kinetic energy is generated in regions of baroclinic energy conversion, which are strongly localized in both space and time. Implications of the results for predictability of the state of the Martian atmosphere are also discussed.

  17. Linking Silica Support Morphology to the Dynamics of Aminopolymers in Composites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y.; Potter, Matthew E.; Sakwa-Novak, Miles A.

    A combined computational and experimental approach is used to elucidate the effect of silica support morphology on polymer dynamics and CO 2 adsorption capacities in aminopolymer/silica composites. Furthermore, simulations are based on coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of aminopolymer composites where a branched aminopolymer, representing poly(ethylenimine) (PEI), is impregnated into different silica mesoporous supports. The morphology of the mesoporous supports varies from hexagonally packed cylindrical pores representing SBA-15, double gyroids representing KIT-6 and MCM-48, and cagelike structures representing SBA-16. In parallel, composites of PEI and the silica supports SBA-15, KIT-6, MCM-48, and SBA-16 are synthesized and characterized, including measuring their COmore » 2 uptake. Simulations predict that a 3D pore morphology, such as those of KIT-6, MCM-48, and SBA-16, will have faster segmental mobility and have lower probability of primary amine and surface silanol associations, which should translate to higher CO 2 uptake in comparison to a 2D pore morphology such as that of SBA-15. We found that KIT-6 has higher CO 2 uptake than SBA-15 at equivalent PEI loading, even though both supports have similar surface area and pore volume. But, this is not the case for the MCM-48 support, which has smaller pores, and SBA-16, whose pore structure rapidly degrades after PEI impregnation.« less

  18. Satellite-tracking and earth-dynamics research programs. [geodetic and geophysical investigations and atmospheric research using satellite drag data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    Satellite tracking and earth dynamics research programs are discussed. Geodetic and geophysical investigations are reported along with atmospheric research using satellite drag data. Satellite tracking network functions and support groups which are discussed include: network operations, communications, data-services division, moonwatch, and programming group.

  19. Controlled atmosphere for fabrication of cermet electrodes

    DOEpatents

    Ray, Siba P.; Woods, Robert W.

    1998-01-01

    A process for making an inert electrode composite wherein a metal oxide and a metal are reacted in a gaseous atmosphere at an elevated temperature of at least about 750.degree. C. The metal oxide is at least one of the nickel, iron, tin, zinc and zirconium oxides and the metal is copper, silver, a mixture of copper and silver or a copper-silver alloy. The gaseous atmosphere has an oxygen content that is controlled at about 5-3000 ppm in order to obtain a desired composition in the resulting composite.

  20. Controlled atmosphere for fabrication of cermet electrodes

    DOEpatents

    Ray, S.P.; Woods, R.W.

    1998-08-11

    A process is disclosed for making an inert electrode composite wherein a metal oxide and a metal are reacted in a gaseous atmosphere at an elevated temperature of at least about 750 C. The metal oxide is at least one of the nickel, iron, tin, zinc and zirconium oxides and the metal is copper, silver, a mixture of copper and silver or a copper-silver alloy. The gaseous atmosphere has an oxygen content that is controlled at about 5--3000 ppm in order to obtain a desired composition in the resulting composite. 2 figs.

  1. Stable hydrogen isotopic composition of n-alkanes in atmospheric aerosols as a tracer for the source region of terrestrial plant waxes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, S.; Kawamura, K.

    2009-12-01

    Studies on molecular composition and compound-specific carbon isotopic ratio (δ13C) of leaf wax n-alkanes in atmospheric aerosols have revealed a long-range atmospheric transport of terrestrial higher plant materials over the south Atlantic and western Pacific oceans. However, molecular and δ13C compositions of terrestrial plant waxes in the eastern part of the Asian continent are relatively constant reflecting C3-dominated vegetation, which makes it difficult to specify the source regions of plant materials in the atmospheric aerosols over the East Asia and northwest Pacific regions. Recent observation displays a large (>100‰) spatial variation in hydrogen isotopic composition (δD) of rainwater in East Asia. Because δD values of terrestrial higher plants sensitively reflect those of precipitation waters, δD of leaf waxes are expected to provide information on their source region. In this study, we measured the δD of n-alkanes in atmospheric aerosols from Tokyo to better understand the origin of leaf wax n-alkanes in atmospheric aerosols. The δD values of fossil fuel n-alkanes (C21 to C24) in Tokyo aerosols range from -65 to -94‰, which are in a range of those reported in marine crude oils. In contrast, the δD of higher molecular weight (C29 and C31) n-alkanes (δDHMW) show much larger values by ~70‰ than those of fossil fuel n-alkanes. Their values were found to exhibit concomitant variations with carbon preference index (CPI), suggesting that the δDHMW reflect the δD of leaf wax n-alkanes with a variable contribution from fossil fuel n-alkanes. Nevertheless, good positive correlation (r = 0.89, p < 0.01) between the δDHMW and CPI values enable us to remove the contribution of fossil fuels using a mass balance approach by assuming that CPI of fossil fuel is 1 and CPI of plant waxes is 5-15. Calculated n-alkane δD values averaged from -170 to -185‰ for C29 and from -155 to -168‰ for C31. These values are consistent with those reported from

  2. Experimental Nonlinear Dynamics and Snap-Through of Post-Buckled Thin Laminated Composite Plates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Han-Gyu

    Modern aerospace systems are increasingly being designed with composite panels and plates to achieve light weight and high specific strength and stiffness. For constrained panels, thermally-induced axial loading may cause buckling of the structure, which can lead to nonlinear and potentially chaotic behavior. When post-buckled composite plates experience snap-through, they are subjected to large-amplitude deformations and in-plane compressive loading. These phenomena pose a potential threat to the structural integrity of composite structures. In this work, the nonlinear dynamic behavior of post-buckled composite plates was investigated experimentally and computationally. For the experimental work, an electrodynamic shaker was used to apply harmonic loads and the dynamic response of plate specimens was measured using a single-point displacement-sensing laser, a double-point laser vibrometer (velocity-sensing), and a set of digital image correlation cameras. Both chaotic and periodic steady-state snap-through behaviors were investigated. The experimental data were used to characterize snap-through behaviors of the post-buckled specimens and their boundaries in the harmonic forcing parameter space. The nonlinear behavior of post-buckled plates was modeled using the classical laminated plate theory (CLPT) and the von Karman strain-displacement relations. The static equilibrium paths of the post-buckled plates were analyzed using an arc-length method with a branch-switching technique. For the dynamic analysis, the nonlinear equations of motion were derived based on CLPT and the nonlinear finite element model of the equations was constructed using the Hermite cubic interpolation functions for both conforming and nonconforming elements. The numerical analyses were conducted using the model and were compared with the experimental data.

  3. Atmospheric Dynamics and Disequilibrium CO/CH4 Chemistry in the Atmosphere of the Transiting Planet HD 209458b

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooper, C. S.; Showman, A. P.

    2005-08-01

    Chemical equilibrium considerations predict that carbon will be present in the atmosphere of HD 209458b as either CO or CH4. Assuming a solar abundance distribution of elements, the concentrations of these species are controlled by temperature and pressure only. In cooler regions, however, vigorous mass transport can occur on time scales shorter than the time scale for interconversion between CO and CH4. This results in excess [CO]/[CH4] relative to the concentrations attained in chemical equilibrium. In this work, we adapt the model of HD 209458b's meteorology used in Cooper & Showman (2005) to treat the disequilibrium chemistry of carbon. Cooper & Showman (2005) show that high-speed winds ( ˜ 4 km s-1) and large temperature contrasts ( ˜ 500 K) are plausible near the photosphere. We model CO and CH4 as passive tracers; i.e., they follow but do not disturb the fluid dynamics of the system. Our simulations will yield maps of the distribution of CO and CH4 to help guide efforts to detect the presence of carbon on this planet. Though CO was not detected on HD 209458b (Deming et al. 2005) by transmission spectroscopy, its presence in the atmosphere cannot be ruled out. For example, CO could be present over much of the dayside hemisphere but depleted near the limbs. The distribution of CO in the atmosphere is diagnostic of temperature at the pressure levels probed by various CO absorption features (Bézard & Lellouch 2002). A positive CO detection would also rule out the hypothesis that the ratio C/O > 1 on this extrasolar planet (e.g., Fortney et al. 2005). This research is supported by NSF grant AST-0307664 and NASA GSRP NGT5-50462.

  4. A method for the analysis of nonlinearities in aircraft dynamic response to atmospheric turbulence

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sidwell, K.

    1976-01-01

    An analytical method is developed which combines the equivalent linearization technique for the analysis of the response of nonlinear dynamic systems with the amplitude modulated random process (Press model) for atmospheric turbulence. The method is initially applied to a bilinear spring system. The analysis of the response shows good agreement with exact results obtained by the Fokker-Planck equation. The method is then applied to an example of control-surface displacement limiting in an aircraft with a pitch-hold autopilot.

  5. Exploring the Atmosphere of Neoproterozoic Earth: The Effect of O2 on Haze Formation and Composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hörst, Sarah M.; He, Chao; Ugelow, Melissa S.; Jellinek, A. Mark; Pierrehumbert, Raymond T.; Tolbert, Margaret A.

    2018-05-01

    Previous studies of haze formation in the atmosphere of the early Earth have focused on N2/CO2/CH4 atmospheres. Here, we experimentally investigate the effect of O2 on the formation and composition of aerosols to improve our understanding of haze formation on the Neoproterozoic Earth. We obtained in situ size, particle density, and composition measurements of aerosol particles produced from N2/CO2/CH4/O2 gas mixtures subjected to FUV radiation (115–400 nm) for a range of initial CO2/CH4/O2 mixing ratios (O2 ranging from 2 ppm to 0.2%). At the lowest O2 concentration (2 ppm), the addition increased particle production for all but one gas mixture. At higher oxygen concentrations (20 ppm and greater), particles are still produced, but the addition of O2 decreases the production rate. Both the particle size and number density decrease with increasing O2, indicating that O2 affects particle nucleation and growth. The particle density increases with increasing O2. The addition of CO2 and O2 not only increases the amount of oxygen in the aerosol, but it also increases the degree of nitrogen incorporation. In particular, the addition of O2 results in the formation of nitrate-bearing molecules. The fact that the presence of oxygen-bearing molecules increases the efficiency of nitrogen fixation has implications for the role of haze as a source of molecules required for the origin and evolution of life. The composition changes also likely affect the absorption and scattering behavior of these particles but optical property measurements are required to fully understand the implications for the effect on the planetary radiative energy balance and climate.

  6. An overview of the crash dynamics failure behavior of metal and composite aircraft structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carden, Huey D.; Boitnott, Richard L.; Fasanella, Edwin L.; Jones, Lisa E.

    1991-01-01

    An overview of failure behavior results is presented from some of the crash dynamics research conducted with concepts of aircraft elements and substructure not necessarily designed or optimized for energy absorption or crash loading considerations. Experimental and analytical data are presented that indicate some general trends in the failure behavior of a class of composite structures that includes fuselage panels, individual fuselage sections, fuselage frames, skeleton subfloors with stringers and floor beams without skin covering, and subfloors with skin added to the frame stringer structure. Although the behavior is complex, a strong similarity in the static/dynamic failure behavior among these structures is illustrated through photographs of the experimental results and through analytical data of generic composite structural models.

  7. Middle Atmosphere Program. Handbook for MAP. Volume 30: International School on Atmospheric Radar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fukao, Shoichiro (Editor)

    1989-01-01

    Broad, tutorial coverage is given to the technical and scientific aspects of mesosphere stratosphere troposphere (MST) meteorological radar systems. Control issues, signal processing, atmospheric waves, the historical aspects of radar atmospheric dynamics, incoherent scatter radars, radar echoes, radar targets, and gravity waves are among the topics covered.

  8. Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer Measurements of the Chemical Composition of the Atmosphere of Jupiter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niemann, H. B.; Haberman, J. A.; Harpold, D. N.; Hartle, R. E.; Kasprzak, W. T.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Atreya, S. K.; Carignan, G. R.; Donahue, T. M.; Hunten, D. M.; Owen, T. C.; Spencer, N. W.

    1996-09-01

    The chemical and isotopic composition of the Jovian atmosphere was measured by the Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer (GPMS). This data was obtained on December 7, 1995 over a time period of approximately 1 hour during the probe descent in the 0.5 to 20 bar pressure region and transmitted to Earth over a period of several weeks. The sampling was either of atmospheric gases directly introduced into the ion source of the mass spectrometer through one of 2 capillary leak arrays or of gas which had been processed in enrichment cells to enhance the sensitivity of the measurement to trace species or heavy noble gases. Mixing ratios or limits were previously reported [Niemann et al., 1996] for atmospheric hydrogen, helium, methane, water, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. Ratios for isotopes of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, C, and H were also obtained. Additional molecules detected at the present stage of analysis include ethane, ethylene, propane, and hydrogen chloride as well as benzene and carbon/nitrogen compounds. The GPMS Flight Unit was not calibrated for some of these molecules and laboratory studies continue on an Engineering Unit. A substantial increase was observed in the mixing ratio of water, hydrogen sulfide, ethane and other species with increasing depth into the atmosphere over the 8 bar to 23 bar pressure regime. It has been suggested [Atreya et al., 1996] that the lower than expected abundance of many species in the early part of the descent and the observed increase with depth may be the signature of a large downdraft. H. B. Niemann et al., Science 272, 781 (1996). S. K. Atreya et al., Paper presented at the European Geophysical Society Meeting, The Hague, Netherlands, May 6, 1996, EGS Bull. 58, 197 (1996).

  9. An unstructured-mesh finite-volume MPDATA for compressible atmospheric dynamics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kühnlein, Christian, E-mail: christian.kuehnlein@ecmwf.int; Smolarkiewicz, Piotr K., E-mail: piotr.smolarkiewicz@ecmwf.int

    An advancement of the unstructured-mesh finite-volume MPDATA (Multidimensional Positive Definite Advection Transport Algorithm) is presented that formulates the error-compensative pseudo-velocity of the scheme to rely only on face-normal advective fluxes to the dual cells, in contrast to the full vector employed in previous implementations. This is essentially achieved by expressing the temporal truncation error underlying the pseudo-velocity in a form consistent with the flux-divergence of the governing conservation law. The development is especially important for integrating fluid dynamics equations on non-rectilinear meshes whenever face-normal advective mass fluxes are employed for transport compatible with mass continuity—the latter being essential for flux-formmore » schemes. In particular, the proposed formulation enables large-time-step semi-implicit finite-volume integration of the compressible Euler equations using MPDATA on arbitrary hybrid computational meshes. Furthermore, it facilitates multiple error-compensative iterations of the finite-volume MPDATA and improved overall accuracy. The advancement combines straightforwardly with earlier developments, such as the nonoscillatory option, the infinite-gauge variant, and moving curvilinear meshes. A comprehensive description of the scheme is provided for a hybrid horizontally-unstructured vertically-structured computational mesh for efficient global atmospheric flow modelling. The proposed finite-volume MPDATA is verified using selected 3D global atmospheric benchmark simulations, representative of hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic flow regimes. Besides the added capabilities, the scheme retains fully the efficacy of established finite-volume MPDATA formulations.« less

  10. Ozone, Climate, and Global Atmospheric Change

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levine, Joel S.

    1992-01-01

    The delicate balance of the gases that make up our atmosphere allows life to exist on Earth. Ozone depletion and global warming are related to changes in the concentrations of these gases. To solve global atmospheric problems, we need to understand the composition and chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and the impact of human activities on them.

  11. Impact of preindustrial to present-day changes in short-lived pollutant emissions on atmospheric composition and climate forcing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naik, Vaishali; Horowitz, Larry W.; Fiore, Arlene M.; Ginoux, Paul; Mao, Jingqiu; Aghedo, Adetutu M.; Levy, Hiram

    2013-07-01

    We describe and evaluate atmospheric chemistry in the newly developed Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory chemistry-climate model (GFDL AM3) and apply it to investigate the net impact of preindustrial (PI) to present (PD) changes in short-lived pollutant emissions (ozone precursors, sulfur dioxide, and carbonaceous aerosols) and methane concentration on atmospheric composition and climate forcing. The inclusion of online troposphere-stratosphere interactions, gas-aerosol chemistry, and aerosol-cloud interactions (including direct and indirect aerosol radiative effects) in AM3 enables a more complete representation of interactions among short-lived species, and thus their net climate impact, than was considered in previous climate assessments. The base AM3 simulation, driven with observed sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice cover (SIC) over the period 1981-2007, generally reproduces the observed mean magnitude, spatial distribution, and seasonal cycle of tropospheric ozone and carbon monoxide. The global mean aerosol optical depth in our base simulation is within 5% of satellite measurements over the 1982-2006 time period. We conduct a pair of simulations in which only the short-lived pollutant emissions and methane concentrations are changed from PI (1860) to PD (2000) levels (i.e., SST, SIC, greenhouse gases, and ozone-depleting substances are held at PD levels). From the PI to PD, we find that changes in short-lived pollutant emissions and methane have caused the tropospheric ozone burden to increase by 39% and the global burdens of sulfate, black carbon, and organic carbon to increase by factors of 3, 2.4, and 1.4, respectively. Tropospheric hydroxyl concentration decreases by 7%, showing that increases in OH sinks (methane, carbon monoxide, nonmethane volatile organic compounds, and sulfur dioxide) dominate over sources (ozone and nitrogen oxides) in the model. Combined changes in tropospheric ozone and aerosols cause a net negative top-of-the-atmosphere

  12. Global variation of the para hydrogen fraction in Jupiter's atmosphere and implications for dynamics on the outer planets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Conrath, B. J.; Gierasch, P. J.

    1984-01-01

    A detailed analysis of the Voyager infrared spectrometer measurements on Jupiter's atmosphere is presented, and possible implications of para hydrogen disequilibrium for the energetics and dynamics of that atmosphere are examined. The method of data analysis is described, and results for the large scale latitude variation of the para hydrogen fraction are presented. The Jovian results show pronounced latitude variation, and are compared with other parameters including wind fields, thermal structure, and various indicators of atmospheric clouds. The problem of equilibration rate is reexamined, and it is concluded that on Jupiter the equilibration time is longer than the radiative time constant at the level of emission to space, but that this inequality reverses at greater depths. A model for the interaction of fluid motions with the ortho-para conversion process is presented, and a consistent mixing length theory for the reacting ortho-para mixture is developed. Several implications of the Jovian data for atmospheric energetics and stability on the outer planets are presented.

  13. Seasonal meridional energy balance and thermal structure of the atmosphere of Uranus - A radiative-convective-dynamical model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Friedson, James; Ingersoll, Andrew P.

    1987-01-01

    A model is presented for the thermodynamics of the seasonal meridional energy balance and thermal structure of the Uranian atmosphere. The model considers radiation and small-scale convection, and dynamical heat fluxes due to large-scale baroclinic eddies. Phase oscillations with a period of 0.5 Uranian year are discerned in the total internal power and global enthalpy storage. The variations in the identity of the main transport agent with the magnitude of the internal heat source are discussed. It is shown that meridional heat transport in the atmosphere is sufficient to lower seasonal horizontal temperature contrasts below those predicted with radiative-convection models.

  14. Molecular Dynamics Modeling of Carbon Nanotube Composite Fracture Using ReaxFF

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jensen, Benjamin D.; Wise, Kristopher E.; Odegard, Gregory M.

    2016-01-01

    Carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber reinforced composites with specific tensile strengths and moduli approaching those of aerospace grade carbon fiber composites have recently been reported. This achievement was enabled by the emerging availability of high N/tex yarns in kilometer-scale quantities. While the production of this yarn is an impressive advance, its strength is still much lower than that of the individual CNTs comprising the yarn. Closing this gap requires understanding load transfer between CNTs at the nanometer dimensional scale. This work uses reactive molecular dynamics simulations to gain an understanding at the nanometer scale of the key factors that determine CNT nanocomposite mechanical performance, and to place more realistic upper bounds on the target properties. While molecular dynamics simulations using conventional force fields can predict elastic properties, the ReaxFF reactive forcefield can also model fracture behavior because of its ability to accurately describe bond breaking and formation during a simulation. The upper and lower bounds of CNT composite properties are investigated by comparing systems composed of CNTs continuously connected across the periodic boundary with systems composed of finite length CNTs. These lengths, effectively infinite for the continuous tubes and an aspect ratio of 13 for the finite length case, result from practical limitations on the number of atoms that can be included in a simulation. Experimentally measured aspect ratios are typically on the order of 100,000, so the calculated results should represent upper and lower limits on experimental mechanical properties. Finally, the effect of various degrees of covalent crosslinking between the CNTs and amorphous carbon matrix is considered to identify the amount of CNT-matrix covalent bonding that maximizes overall composite properties.

  15. Characteristics of Atmospheric Pressure Rotating Gliding Arc Plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hao; Zhu, Fengsen; Tu, Xin; Bo, Zheng; Cen, Kefa; Li, Xiaodong

    2016-05-01

    In this work, a novel direct current (DC) atmospheric pressure rotating gliding arc (RGA) plasma reactor has been developed for plasma-assisted chemical reactions. The influence of the gas composition and the gas flow rate on the arc dynamic behaviour and the formation of reactive species in the N2 and air gliding arc plasmas has been investigated by means of electrical signals, high speed photography, and optical emission spectroscopic diagnostics. Compared to conventional gliding arc reactors with knife-shaped electrodes which generally require a high flow rate (e.g., 10-20 L/min) to maintain a long arc length and reasonable plasma discharge zone, in this RGA system, a lower gas flow rate (e.g., 2 L/min) can also generate a larger effective plasma reaction zone with a longer arc length for chemical reactions. Two different motion patterns can be clearly observed in the N2 and air RGA plasmas. The time-resolved arc voltage signals show that three different arc dynamic modes, the arc restrike mode, takeover mode, and combined modes, can be clearly identified in the RGA plasmas. The occurrence of different motion and arc dynamic modes is strongly dependent on the composition of the working gas and gas flow rate. supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51576174), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (No. 20120101110099) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2015FZA4011)

  16. Physics of the Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caballero, Rodrigo

    2014-11-01

    With the increasing attention paid to climate change, there is ever-growing interest in atmospheric physics and the processes by which the atmosphere affects Earth's energy balance. This self-contained text, written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics or meteorology, assumes no prior knowledge apart from basic mechanics and calculus and contains material for a complete course. Augmented with worked examples, the text considers all aspects of atmospheric physics except dynamics, including moist thermodynamics, cloud microphysics, atmospheric radiation and remote sensing, and will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers.

  17. Cantilever-beam dynamic modulus for wood composite products. Part 1, apparatus

    Treesearch

    Chris Turk; John F. Hunt; David J. Marr

    2008-01-01

    A cantilever-beam vibration-testing apparatus has been developed to provide a means of dynamic and non-destructive evaluation of modulus of elasticity for small samples of wood or wood-composite material. The apparatus applies a known displacement to a cantilever beam and then releases the beam into its natural first-mode vibration and records displacement as a...

  18. Layerwise mechanics and finite element for the dynamic analysis of piezoelectric composite plates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saravanos, Dimitris A.; Heyliger, Paul R.; Hopkins, Dale A.

    1996-01-01

    Laminate and structural mechanics for the analysis of laminated composite plate structures with piezoelectric actuators and sensors are presented. The theories implement layerwise representations of displacements and electric potential, and can model both the global and local electromechanical response of smart composite laminates. Finite-element formulations are developed for the quasi-static and dynamic analysis of smart composite structures containing piezoelectric layers. Comparisons with an exact solution illustrate the accuracy, robustness and capability of the developed mechanics to capture the global and local response of thin and/or thick laminated piezoelectric plates. Additional correlations and numerical applications demonstrate the unique capabilities of the mechanics in analyzing the static and free-vibration response of composite plates with distributed piezoelectric actuators and sensors.

  19. Dynamic tensile stress-strain characteristics of carbon/epoxy laminated composites in through-thickness direction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakai, Kenji; Yokoyama, Takashi

    2015-09-01

    The effect of strain rate up to approximately ɛ˙ = 102/s on the tensile stress-strain properties of unidirectional and cross-ply carbon/epoxy laminated composites in the through-thickness direction is investigated. Waisted cylindrical specimens machined out of the laminated composites in the through-thickness direction are used in both static and dynamic tests. The dynamic tensile stress-strain curves up to fracture are determined using the split Hopkinson bar (SHB). The low and intermediate strain-rate tensile stress-strain relations up to fracture are measured on an Instron 5500R testing machine. It is demonstrated that the ultimate tensile strength and absorbed energy up to fracture increase significantly, while the fracture strain decreases slightly with increasing strain rate. Macro- and micro-scopic examinations reveal a marked difference in the fracture surfaces between the static and dynamic tension specimens.

  20. Some current themes in physical hydrology of the land-atmosphere interface

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Milly, P.C.D.

    1991-01-01

    Certain themes arise repeatedly in current literature dealing with the physical hydrology of the interface between the atmosphere and the continents. Papers contributed to the 1991 International Association of Hydrological Sciences Symposium on Hydrological Interactions between Atmosphere, Soil and Vegetation echo these themes, which are discussed in this paper. The land-atmosphere interface is the region where atmosphere, soil, and vegetation have mutual physical contact, and a description of exchanges of matter or energy among these domains must often consider the physical properties and states of the entire system. A difficult family of problems is associated with the reconciliation of the wide range of spatial scales that arise in the course of observational, theoretical, and modeling activities. These scales are determined by some of the physical elements of the interface, by patterns of natural variability of the physical composition of the interface, by the dynamics of the processes at the interface, and by methods of measurement and computation. Global environmental problems are seen by many hydrologists as a major driving force for development of the science. The challenge for hydrologists will be to respond to this force as scientists rather than problem-solvers.