Observational and theoretical investigations in solar seismology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noyes, Robert W.

1992-01-01

This is the final report on a project to develop a theoretical basis for interpreting solar oscillation data in terms of the interior dynamics and structure of the Sun. The topics covered include the following: (1) studies of the helioseismic signatures of differential rotation and convection in the solar interior; (2) wave generation by turbulent convection; and (3) the study of antipodal sunspot imaging of an active region tomography.

Enigmatic photon absorption in plasmas near solar interior conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iglesias, Carlos A.

2015-06-01

Large systematic discrepancies between theoretical and experimental photon absorption of Fe plasmas applicable to the solar interior were reported [Bailey et al., Nature 517, 56 (2015)]. The disagreement is examined in the context of the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn f-sum rule. The analysis identifies several anomalies in the experimental results.

Uranus and Neptune: internal heat flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofstadter, M. D.; Simon, A. A.; Banfield, D. J.; Fortney, J. J.; Hayes, A. G., Jr.; Hedman, M.; Hospodarsky, G. B.; Mandt, K.; Showalter, G. M.; Soderlund, K. M.; Turtle, E. P.; Hofstadter, M. D.; Sayanagi, K. M.; Simon, A. A.; Banfield, D. J.; Fortney, J. J.; Hayes, A.; Hedman, M.; Hospodarsky, G. B.; Mandt, K.; Showalter, G. M.; Soderlund, K. M.; Turtle, E. P.; Nettelmann, N.; Scheibe, L.; Redmer, R.

2017-12-01

Uranus and Neptune offer unique possibilities to study the behavior of gas-ice-rock mixtures at high pressures, the formation of planets, planetary magnetic field generation [1], and planetary atmospheres. While Uranus and Neptune interior models have been constructed that satisfy some of the observational constraints, so far there are no physically motivated models that are consistent with all of them. Especially the observed intrinsic heat fluxes pose challenges [2]. Here I present the thermal boundary layer approach [3] to explain both the extraordinary low heat flux of Uranus and the high heat flux of Neptune, and discuss implications. In particular, current models suggest miscibility of ices with rocks at P>1 Mbar and super-solar ice-to-rock ratios, for Uranus an irradiated exoplanet-like evolution in equilibrium with the stellar incident flux, and fully convective deep interiors. The Figure illustrates such an ice giant interior model.[1] Soderlund K.M., Heimpel, M.H., King E.M. Aurnou J.M. (2013), Icarus 224, 97 [2] Guillot T. (2005), Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 33, 493 [3] Nettelmann N., Wang K., Fortney J.J. et al (2016), Icarus 275, 107

Solar Wind Plasma Interaction with Asteroid 16 Psyche: Implication for Formation Theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatemi, Shahab; Poppe, Andrew R.

2018-01-01

The asteroid 16 Psyche is a primitive metal-rich asteroid that has not yet been visited by spacecraft. Based on remote observations, Psyche is most likely composed of iron and nickel metal; however, the history of its formation and solidification is still unknown. If Psyche is a remnant core of a differentiated planetesimal exposed by collisions, it opens a unique window toward understanding the cores of the terrestrial bodies, including the Earth and Mercury. If not, it is perhaps a reaccreted rubble pile that has never melted. In the former case, Psyche may have a remanent, dipolar magnetic field; in the latter case, Psyche may have no intrinsic field, but nevertheless would be a conductive object in the solar wind. We use Advanced Modeling Infrastructure in Space Simulation (AMITIS), a three-dimensional GPU-based hybrid model of plasma that self-consistently couples the interior electromagnetic response of Psyche (i.e., magnetic diffusion) to its ambient plasma environment in order to quantify the different interactions under these two cases. The model results provide estimates for the electromagnetic environment of Psyche, showing that the magnetized case and the conductive case present very different signatures in the solar wind. These results have implications for an accurate interpretation of magnetic field observations by NASA's Discovery mission (Psyche mission) to the asteroid 16 Psyche.

Performative building envelope design correlated to solar radiation and cooling energy consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacky, Thiodore; Santoni

2017-11-01

Climate change as an ongoing anthropogenic environmental challenge is predominantly caused by an amplification in the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs), notably carbon dioxide (CO2) in building sector. Global CO2 emissions are emitted from HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) occupation to provide thermal comfort in building. In fact, the amount of energy used for cooling or heating building is implication of building envelope design. Building envelope acts as interface layer of heat transfer between outdoor environment and the interior of a building. It appears as wall, window, roof and external shading device. This paper examines performance of various design strategy on building envelope to limit solar radiation and reduce cooling loads in tropical climate. The design strategies are considering orientation, window to wall ratio, material properties, and external shading device. This research applied simulation method using Autodesk Ecotect to investigate simultaneously between variations of wall and window ratio, shading device composition and the implication to the amount of solar radiation, cooling energy consumption. Comparative analysis on the data will determine logical variation between opening and shading device composition and cooling energy consumption. Optimizing the building envelope design is crucial strategy for reducing CO2 emissions and long-term energy reduction in building sector. Simulation technology as feedback loop will lead to better performative building envelope.

75 FR 13301 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Solar Millennium...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-19

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLNVSO3100 L5101000.ER0000 LVRWF09F8590 241A... Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: In accordance with the National... exchangers, ultimately generating electricity. The project's proposed facility design includes solar fields...

78 FR 19099 - Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-29

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Indian Affairs 25 CFR Part 162 RIN 1076-AE73 Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior. ACTION: Final rule; correction. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) published a rule in the...

Preface: MHD wave phenomena in the solar interior and atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedun, Viktor; Srivastava, A. K.

2018-01-01

The Sun is our nearest star and this star produces various plasma wave processes and energetic events. These phenomena strongly influence interplanetary plasma dynamics and contribute to space-weather. The understanding of solar atmospheric dynamics requires hi-resolution modern observations which, in turn, further advances theoretical models of physical processes in the solar interior and atmosphere. In particular, it is essential to connect the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave processes with the small and large-scale solar phenomena vis-a-vis transport of energy and mass. With the advent of currently available and upcoming high-resolution space (e.g., IRIS, SDO, Hinode, Aditya-L1, Solar-C, Solar Orbiter), and ground-based (e.g., SST, ROSA, NLST, Hi-C, DKIST, EST, COSMO) observations, solar physicists are able to explore exclusive wave processes in various solar magnetic structures at different spatio-temporal scales.

Basaltic Volcanism and Ancient Planetary Crusts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shervais, John W.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this project is to decipher the origin of rocks which form the ancient lunar crust. Our goal is to better understand how the moon evolved chemically and, more generally, the processes involved in the chemical fractionation of terrestrial planetoids. This research has implications for other planetary bodies besides the Moon, especially smaller planetoids which evolved early in the history of the solar system and are now thermally stable. The three main areas focused on in our work (lunar mare basalts, KREEP basalts, and plutonic rocks of the lunar highlands) provide complementary information on the lunar interior and the processes that formed it.

A large bubble around the Crab Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Romani, Roger W.; Reach, William T.; Koo, Bon Chul; Heiles, Carl

1990-01-01

IRAS and 21 cm observations of the interstellar medium around the Crab nebula show evidence of a large bubble surrounded by a partial shell. If located at the canonical 2 kpc distance of the Crab pulsar, the shell is estimated to have a radius of about 90 pc and to contain about 50,000 solar masses of swept-up gas. The way in which interior conditions of this bubble can have important implications for observations of the Crab are described, and the fashion in which presupernova evolution of the pulsar progenitor has affected its local environment is described.

Solar astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosner, Robert; Noyes, Robert; Antiochos, Spiro K.; Canfield, Richard C.; Chupp, Edward L.; Deming, Drake; Doschek, George A.; Dulk, George A.; Foukal, Peter V.; Gilliland, Ronald L.

1991-01-01

An overview is given of modern solar physics. Topics covered include the solar interior, the solar surface, the solar atmosphere, the Large Earth-based Solar Telescope (LEST), the Orbiting Solar Laboratory, the High Energy Solar Physics mission, the Space Exploration Initiative, solar-terrestrial physics, and adaptive optics. Policy and related programmatic recommendations are given for university research and education, facilitating solar research, and integrated support for solar research.

Directional time-distance probing of model sunspot atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moradi, H.; Cally, P. S.; Przybylski, D.; Shelyag, S.

2015-05-01

A crucial feature not widely accounted for in local helioseismology is that surface magnetic regions actually open a window from the interior into the solar atmosphere, and that the seismic waves leak through this window, reflect high in the atmosphere, and then re-enter the interior to rejoin the seismic wave field normally confined there. In a series of recent numerical studies using translation invariant atmospheres, we utilized a `directional time-distance helioseismology' measurement scheme to study the implications of the returning fast and Alfvén waves higher up in the solar atmosphere on the seismology at the photosphere (Cally & Moradi 2013; Moradi & Cally 2014). In this study, we extend our directional time-distance analysis to more realistic sunspot-like atmospheres to better understand the direct effects of the magnetic field on helioseismic travel-time measurements in sunspots. In line with our previous findings, we uncover a distinct frequency-dependent directional behaviour in the travel-time measurements, consistent with the signatures of magnetohydrodynamic mode conversion. We found this to be the case regardless of the sunspot field strength or depth of its Wilson depression. We also isolated and analysed the direct contribution from purely thermal perturbations to the measured travel times, finding that waves propagating in the umbra are much more sensitive to the underlying thermal effects of the sunspot.

Anomalously Weak Solar Convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanasoge, Shravan M.; Duvall, Thomas L.; Sreenivasan, Katepalli R.

2012-01-01

Convection in the solar interior is thought to comprise structures on a spectrum of scales. This conclusion emerges from phenomenological studies and numerical simulations, though neither covers the proper range of dynamical parameters of solar convection. Here, we analyze observations of the wavefield in the solar photosphere using techniques of time-distance helioseismology to image flows in the solar interior. We downsample and synthesize 900 billion wavefield observations to produce 3 billion cross-correlations, which we average and fit, measuring 5 million wave travel times. Using these travel times, we deduce the underlying flow systems and study their statistics to bound convective velocity magnitudes in the solar interior, as a function of depth and spherical- harmonic degree l..Within the wavenumber band l < 60, convective velocities are 20-100 times weaker than current theoretical estimates. This constraint suggests the prevalence of a different paradigm of turbulence from that predicted by existing models, prompting the question: what mechanism transports the heat flux of a solar luminosity outwards? Advection is dominated by Coriolis forces for wavenumbers l < 60, with Rossby numbers smaller than approximately 10(exp -2) at r/R-solar = 0.96, suggesting that the Sun may be a much faster rotator than previously thought, and that large-scale convection may be quasi-geostrophic. The fact that isorotation contours in the Sun are not coaligned with the axis of rotation suggests the presence of a latitudinal entropy gradient.

78 FR 27859 - Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-13

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Indian Affairs [K00103 12/13 A3A10; 134D0102DR-DS5A300000-DR.5A311.IA000113] 25 CFR Part 162 RIN 1076-AE73 Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior. ACTION: Final rule; correcting amendment...

Seismic Constraints on Interior Solar Convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanasoge, Shravan M.; Duvall, Thomas L.; DeRosa, Marc L.

2010-01-01

We constrain the velocity spectral distribution of global-scale solar convective cells at depth using techniques of local helioseismology. We calibrate the sensitivity of helioseismic waves to large-scale convective cells in the interior by analyzing simulations of waves propagating through a velocity snapshot of global solar convection via methods of time-distance helioseismology. Applying identical analysis techniques to observations of the Sun, we are able to bound from above the magnitudes of solar convective cells as a function of spatial convective scale. We find that convection at a depth of r/R(solar) = 0.95 with spatial extent l < 30, where l is the spherical harmonic degree, comprise weak flow systems, on the order of 15 m/s or less. Convective features deeper than r/R(solar) = 0.95 are more difficult to image due to the rapidly decreasing sensitivity of helioseismic waves.

DETECTION OF EQUATORWARD MERIDIONAL FLOW AND EVIDENCE OF DOUBLE-CELL MERIDIONAL CIRCULATION INSIDE THE SUN

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

Zhao Junwei; Bogart, R. S.; Kosovichev, A. G.

2013-09-10

Meridional flow in the solar interior plays an important role in redistributing angular momentum and transporting magnetic flux inside the Sun. Although it has long been recognized that the meridional flow is predominantly poleward at the Sun's surface and in its shallow interior, the location of the equatorward return flow and the meridional flow profile in the deeper interior remain unclear. Using the first 2 yr of continuous helioseismology observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic Magnetic Imager, we analyze travel times of acoustic waves that propagate through different depths of the solar interior carrying information about the solar interior dynamics.more » After removing a systematic center-to-limb effect in the helioseismic measurements and performing inversions for flow speed, we find that the poleward meridional flow of a speed of 15 m s{sup -1} extends in depth from the photosphere to about 0.91 R{sub Sun }. An equatorward flow of a speed of 10 m s{sup -1} is found between 0.82 and 0.91 R{sub Sun} in the middle of the convection zone. Our analysis also shows evidence of that the meridional flow turns poleward again below 0.82 R{sub Sun }, indicating an existence of a second meridional circulation cell below the shallower one. This double-cell meridional circulation profile with an equatorward flow shallower than previously thought suggests a rethinking of how magnetic field is generated and redistributed inside the Sun.« less

Helioseismology Observations of Solar Cycles and Dynamo Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosovichev, A. G.; Guerrero, G.; Pipin, V.

2017-12-01

Helioseismology observations from the SOHO and SDO, obtained in 1996-2017, provide unique insight into the dynamics of the Sun's deep interior for two solar cycles. The data allow us to investigate variations of the solar interior structure and dynamics, and compare these variations with dynamo models and simulations. We use results of the local and global helioseismology data processing pipelines at the SDO Joint Science Operations Center (Stanford University) to study solar-cycle variations of the differential rotation, meridional circulation, large-scale flows and global asphericity. By comparing the helioseismology results with the evolution of surface magnetic fields we identify characteristic changes associated the initiation and development of Solar Cycles 23 and 24. For the physical interpretation of observed variations, the results are compared with the current mean-field dynamo models and 3D MHD dynamo simulations. It is shown that the helioseismology inferences provide important constraints on the solar dynamo mechanism, may explain the fundamental difference between the two solar cycles, and also give information about the next solar cycle.

Titan's Interior Chemical Composition: A Thermochemical Assessment*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Michael; Zaug, J. M.; Khare, B. N.; McKay, C. P.

2007-10-01

We study the interior composition of Titan using thermal chemical equilibrium calculations that are valid to high pressures and temperatures. The equations of state are based on exponential-6 fluid theory and have been validated against experimental data up to a few Mbars in pressure and approximately 20000K in temperature. In addition to CHNO molecules, we account for multi-phases of carbon, water and a variety of metals such as Al and Fe, and their oxides. With these fluid equations of state, chemical equilibrium is calculated for a set of product species. As the temperature and pressure evolves for increasing depth in the interior, the chemical equilibrium shifts. We assume that Titan is initially composed of comet material, which we assume to be solar, except for hydrogen, which we take to be depleted by a factor 1/690. We find that a significant amount of nitrogen is in the form of n2, rather than nh3. Moreover, above 12 kbars, as is the interior pressure of Titan, a significant amount of the carbon is in the form of graphite, rather than co2 and ch4. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding the atmospheric and surface composition of Titan. • This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.

Titan's Interior Chemical Composition: Possible Important Phase Transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Michael; Fried, L. E.; Khare, B. N.; McKay, C. P.

2008-09-01

We study the interior composition of Titan using thermal chemical equilibrium calculations that are valid to high pressures and temperatures. The equations of state are based on exponential-6 fluid theory and have been validated against experimental data up to a few Mbars in pressure and approximately 20000K in temperature. In addition to CHNO molecules, we account for multi-phases of carbon, water and a variety of metals such as Al and Fe, and their oxides. With these fluid equations of state, chemical equilibrium is calculated for a set of product species. As the temperature and pressure evolves for increasing depth in the interior, the chemical equilibrium shifts. We assume that Titan is initially composed of comet material, which we assume to be solar, except for hydrogen, which we take to be depleted by a factor 1/1000. We find that a significant amount of nitrogen is in the form of N2, rather than NH3. Moreover, above 12 kbars pressure, as is the interior pressure of Titan, a significant amount of the carbon is in the form of graphite, rather than CO2 and CH4. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding the atmospheric and surface composition of Titan. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Anomalously weak solar convection.

PubMed

Hanasoge, Shravan M; Duvall, Thomas L; Sreenivasan, Katepalli R

2012-07-24

Convection in the solar interior is thought to comprise structures on a spectrum of scales. This conclusion emerges from phenomenological studies and numerical simulations, though neither covers the proper range of dynamical parameters of solar convection. Here, we analyze observations of the wavefield in the solar photosphere using techniques of time-distance helioseismology to image flows in the solar interior. We downsample and synthesize 900 billion wavefield observations to produce 3 billion cross-correlations, which we average and fit, measuring 5 million wave travel times. Using these travel times, we deduce the underlying flow systems and study their statistics to bound convective velocity magnitudes in the solar interior, as a function of depth and spherical-harmonic degree ℓ. Within the wavenumber band ℓ < 60, convective velocities are 20-100 times weaker than current theoretical estimates. This constraint suggests the prevalence of a different paradigm of turbulence from that predicted by existing models, prompting the question: what mechanism transports the heat flux of a solar luminosity outwards? Advection is dominated by Coriolis forces for wavenumbers ℓ < 60, with Rossby numbers smaller than approximately 10(-2) at r/R([symbol: see text]) = 0.96, suggesting that the Sun may be a much faster rotator than previously thought, and that large-scale convection may be quasi-geostrophic. The fact that isorotation contours in the Sun are not coaligned with the axis of rotation suggests the presence of a latitudinal entropy gradient.

A higher-than-predicted measurement of iron opacity at solar interior temperatures.

PubMed

Bailey, J E; Nagayama, T; Loisel, G P; Rochau, G A; Blancard, C; Colgan, J; Cosse, Ph; Faussurier, G; Fontes, C J; Gilleron, F; Golovkin, I; Hansen, S B; Iglesias, C A; Kilcrease, D P; MacFarlane, J J; Mancini, R C; Nahar, S N; Orban, C; Pain, J-C; Pradhan, A K; Sherrill, M; Wilson, B G

2015-01-01

Nearly a century ago it was recognized that radiation absorption by stellar matter controls the internal temperature profiles within stars. Laboratory opacity measurements, however, have never been performed at stellar interior conditions, introducing uncertainties in stellar models. A particular problem arose when refined photosphere spectral analysis led to reductions of 30-50 per cent in the inferred amounts of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in the Sun. Standard solar models using the revised element abundances disagree with helioseismic observations that determine the internal solar structure using acoustic oscillations. This could be resolved if the true mean opacity for the solar interior matter were roughly 15 per cent higher than predicted, because increased opacity compensates for the decreased element abundances. Iron accounts for a quarter of the total opacity at the solar radiation/convection zone boundary. Here we report measurements of wavelength-resolved iron opacity at electron temperatures of 1.9-2.3 million kelvin and electron densities of (0.7-4.0) × 10(22) per cubic centimetre, conditions very similar to those in the solar region that affects the discrepancy the most: the radiation/convection zone boundary. The measured wavelength-dependent opacity is 30-400 per cent higher than predicted. This represents roughly half the change in the mean opacity needed to resolve the solar discrepancy, even though iron is only one of many elements that contribute to opacity.

Solar Physics in the Space Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dittmer, Phil D.; And Others

This amply illustrated booklet provides a physical description of the sun as well as present and future tasks for solar physics study. The first chapter, an introduction, describes the history of solar study, solar study in space, and the relevance of solar study. The second chapter describes the five heliographic domains including the interior,…

Advances in Time-Distance Helioseismology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duvall, Thomas L., Jr.; Beck, John G.; Gizon, Laurent; Kosovichev, Alexander F.; Oegerle, William (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Time-distance helioseismology is a way to measure travel times between surface locations for waves traversing the solar interior. Coupling the travel with an extensive modeling effort has proven to be a powerful tool for measuring flows and other wave speed inhomogeneities in the solar interior. Problems receiving current attention include studying the time variation of the meridional circulation and torsional oscillation and active region emergence and evolution, current results on these topics will be presented.

77 FR 15794 - Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed KRoad Moapa Solar Generation Facility...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-16

... construct, operate, and maintain an up to 350 MW solar photovoltaic electricity generating [[Page 15795... Proposed KRoad Moapa Solar Generation Facility, Clark County, NV AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior... KRoad Moapa Solar Generation Facility on the Moapa River Indian Reservation (Reservation) in Clark...

Helioseismology: A probe of the solar interior, atmosphere, and activity cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, E. J., Jr.

1995-01-01

Helioseismology began in earnest in the mid 1970's. In the two decades which have elapsed since that time this branch of solar physics has become a mature field of research. Helioseismology has demonstrated that the solar convection zone is about twice as deep as was generally thought to be the case before 1977. Helioseismology has also provided measurements of the solar internal angular velocity over much of the sun's interior. Helioseismology has also ruled out models which would solve the solar neutrino problem by a lowering of the temperature of the core. Recently, some of the seismic properties of the sun have been demonstrated to vary with changing levels of solar activity. Also, helioseismology has recently provided evidence for helical flow patterns in the shallow, sub-photosphere layers. The techniques of helioseismology are also expanding to include seismic probes of solar active regions. Some work is also being conducted into the possible contributions of the solar acoustic models to the heating of the solar atmosphere. In this talk I will highlight a few of the above results and concentrate on current areas of research in the field.

75 FR 71144 - Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Solar Millennium, LLC, Amargosa Farm Road...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-22

... 241A; 11-08807; TAS:14X5017] Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Solar Millennium, LLC, Amargosa Farm Road Solar Energy Project AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... (ROD) for the Solar Millennium, LLC, Amargosa Farm Road Solar Energy Project Environmental Impact...

75 FR 28279 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Hyder Valley Solar...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-20

... Valley Solar Energy Project, Maricopa County, AZ AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION... Solar Energy Project by any of the following methods: E-mail: HyderValley_Solar@blm.gov . Mail: Bureau.... Pacific Solar Investments is also considering the use of thermal energy storage. Thermal energy storage...

A Polytropic Model of the Solar Interior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvo-Mozo, B.; Buitrago Casas, J. C.; Martinez Oliveros, J. C.

2015-12-01

In this work we considered different processes in the solar interior that can be described using polytropes. This assumption implies a radially variable continuous polytropic exponent, that is, our model is a multi-polytropic model of the Sun. We derived the equations for this type of multi-polytropic structure and solved them using numerical integration methods. Both, the exponent and proportionality factor in the polytropic model equation of state were taken as input functions, for each spherical layer in the solar interior. Using the spatial distribution of the density and pressure terms from a solar standard model (SSM) we obtained the variable with depth polytropic exponents. We found that the radial distribution of these exponents show four different zones. These can be interpreted as a first region where the energy transport is controlled by radiation. The second region is defined by a sudden change in the polytropic index, which can be associated to the tachocline, followed by a region with a nearly constant polytropic index which suits well a convective zone. Finally, the exponent decreases radially at the photosphere.

Report of the solar physics panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Withbroe, George L.; Fisher, Richard R.; Antiochos, Spiro; Brueckner, Guenter; Hoeksema, J. Todd; Hudson, Hugh; Moore, Ronald; Radick, Richard R.; Rottman, Gary; Scherrer, Philip

1991-01-01

Recent accomplishments in solar physics can be grouped by the three regions of the Sun: the solar interior, the surface, and the exterior. The future scientific problems and areas of interest involve: generation of magnetic activity cycle, energy storage and release, solar activity, solar wind and solar interaction. Finally, the report discusses a number of future space mission concepts including: High Energy Solar Physics Mission, Global Solar Mission, Space Exploration Initiative, Solar Probe Mission, Solar Variability Explorer, Janus, as well as solar physics on Space Station Freedom.

Anomalously weak solar convection

PubMed Central

Hanasoge, Shravan M.; Duvall, Thomas L.

2012-01-01

Convection in the solar interior is thought to comprise structures on a spectrum of scales. This conclusion emerges from phenomenological studies and numerical simulations, though neither covers the proper range of dynamical parameters of solar convection. Here, we analyze observations of the wavefield in the solar photosphere using techniques of time-distance helioseismology to image flows in the solar interior. We downsample and synthesize 900 billion wavefield observations to produce 3 billion cross-correlations, which we average and fit, measuring 5 million wave travel times. Using these travel times, we deduce the underlying flow systems and study their statistics to bound convective velocity magnitudes in the solar interior, as a function of depth and spherical-harmonic degree ℓ. Within the wavenumber band ℓ < 60, convective velocities are 20–100 times weaker than current theoretical estimates. This constraint suggests the prevalence of a different paradigm of turbulence from that predicted by existing models, prompting the question: what mechanism transports the heat flux of a solar luminosity outwards? Advection is dominated by Coriolis forces for wavenumbers ℓ < 60, with Rossby numbers smaller than approximately 10-2 at r/R⊙ = 0.96, suggesting that the Sun may be a much faster rotator than previously thought, and that large-scale convection may be quasi-geostrophic. The fact that isorotation contours in the Sun are not coaligned with the axis of rotation suggests the presence of a latitudinal entropy gradient. PMID:22665774

76 FR 72717 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed KRoad Moapa Solar Generation Facility...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-25

...) and easements for KRoad to construct, operate and maintain an up-to 350 MW solar photovoltaic... Proposed KRoad Moapa Solar Generation Facility, Clark County, NV AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior... the proposed KRoad Moapa Solar Generation Facility on the Moapa River Indian Reservation (Reservation...

40 CFR 1066.845 - AC17 air conditioning efficiency test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... solar heating is disabled for certain test intervals as described in this section. (d) Interior air... vehicle's windows and operate the vehicle over a preconditioning UDDS with no solar heating and with the... cooling fans. (3) Turn on solar heating within one minute after turning off the engine. Once the solar...

Solar concentrator with integrated tracking and light delivery system with summation

DOEpatents

Maxey, Lonnie Curt

2015-05-05

A solar light distribution system includes a solar light concentrator that is affixed externally to a light transfer tube. Solar light waves are processed by the concentrator into a collimated beam of light, which is then transferred through a light receiving port and into the light transfer tube. A reflector redirects the collimated beam of light through the tube to a light distribution port. The interior surface of the light transfer tube is highly reflective so that the light transfers through the tube with minimal losses. An interchangeable luminaire is attached to the light distribution port and provides light inside of a structure. A sun tracking device rotates the concentrator and the light transfer tube to optimize the receiving of solar light by the concentrator throughout the day. The system provides interior lighting that uses only renewable energy sources, and releases no carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Solar concentrator with integrated tracking and light delivery system with collimation

DOEpatents

Maxey, Lonnie Curt

2015-06-09

A solar light distribution system includes a solar light concentrator that is affixed externally to a light transfer tube. Solar light waves are processed by the concentrator into a collimated beam of light, which is then transferred through a light receiving port and into the light transfer tube. A reflector directs the collimated beam of light through the tube to a light distribution port. The interior surface of the light transfer tube is highly reflective so that the light transfers through the tube with minimal losses. An interchangeable luminaire is attached to the light distribution port and distributes light inside of a structure. A sun tracking device rotates the concentrator and the light transfer tube to optimize the receiving of solar light by the concentrator throughout the day. The system provides interior lighting, uses only renewable energy sources, and releases no carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

A co-ordinated and synergistic analysis strategy for future ground-based and space helioseismology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulrich, Roger K.

1991-01-01

The variety of helioseismology observational programs planned for the mid-1990s represents an unprecedented opportunity to improve understanding of the solar interior. This review discusses the coordination of the GONG, IRIS, Birmingham and other ground-based observational programs with the space experiments on the SOHO mission: GOLF, VIRGO, and MDI. The integration and coordination of the different data streams in terms of the spatial and temporal coverage as well as the implications of the different spectral resolution and stability characteristics of each experiment are discussed. The study of the effect of active regions on various helioseismology signals is presented as an example of how ground-based and space experiments can be coordinated.

77 FR 38822 - Notice of Availability: Record of Decision for KRoad Moapa Solar Facility

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

....ER0000 LVRWF1103400] Notice of Availability: Record of Decision for KRoad Moapa Solar Facility AGENCY... Moapa Solar Facility located in Clark County, Nevada. The Secretary of the Interior approved the ROD on... applicant, KRoad Moapa Solar, LLC, (KRoad) filed two right-of-way (ROW) applications to construct a 500 kV...

75 FR 81307 - Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, Crescent Dunes...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

...-foot central receiver tower, salt tanks, steam generation building and equipment, steam turbine and... Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior... of the Record of Decision [[Page 81308

77 FR 76067 - Notice of Availability of a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-26

... Statement for the Proposed McCoy Solar Energy Project, CA AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior... amendment and final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the McCoy Solar Energy Project (project)--a photovoltaic solar electricity generation [[Page 76068

Solar collector-skylight assembly

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

Dame, R.E.

1984-10-09

A solar collector-skylight assembly having movable parabolic concentrators wherein, in one position the parabolic concentrators direct solar energy to a collector to heat fluid circulating therethrough to thereby provide a solar heater; and when the concentrators are moved to another position, the assembly functions as a skylight wherein the solar energy is allowed to pass through the collector, to thereby illuminate the interior of a building upon which the solar collector-skylight assembly is mounted.

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.

Entry Probe Missions to the Giant Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spilker, T. R.; Atkinson, D. H.; Atreya, S. K.; Colaprete, A.; Cuzzi, J. N.; Spilker, L. J.; Coustenis, A.; Venkatapathy, E.; Reh, K.; Frampton, R.

2009-12-01

The primary motivation for in situ probe missions to the outer planets derives from the need to constrain models of solar system formation and the origin and evolution of atmospheres, to provide a basis for comparative studies of the gas and ice giants, and to provide a valuable link to extrasolar planetary systems. As time capsules of the solar system, the gas and ice giants offer a laboratory to better understand the atmospheric chemistries, dynamics, and interiors of all the planets, including Earth; and it is within the atmospheres and interiors of the giant planets that material diagnostic of the epoch of formation can be found, providing clues to the local chemical and physical conditions existing at the time and location at which each planet formed. Measurements of current conditions and processes in those atmospheres inform us about their evolution since formation and into the future, providing information about our solar system’s evolution, and potentially establishing a framework for recognizing extrasolar giant planets in different stages of their evolution. Detailed explorations and comparative studies of the gas and ice giant planets will provide a foundation for understanding the integrated dynamic, physical, and chemical origins, formation, and evolution of the solar system. To allow reliable conclusions from comparative studies of gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, an entry probe mission to Saturn is needed to complement the Galileo Probe measurements at Jupiter. These measurements provide the basis for a significantly better understanding of gas giant formation in the context of solar system formation. A probe mission to either Uranus or Neptune will be needed for comparative studies of the gas giants and the ice giants, adding knowledge of ice giant origins and thus making further inroads in our understanding of solar system formation. Recognizing Jupiter’s spatial variability and the need to understand its implications for global composition, returning to Jupiter with a follow-on probe mission, possibly with technological advances allowing a multiple-probe mission, would make use of data from the Juno mission to guide entry location and measurement suite selection. This poster summarizes a white paper prepared for the Space Studies Board’s 2013-2022 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. It discusses specific measurements to be made by planetary probes at the giant planets, rationales and priorities for those measurements, and locations within the destination atmospheres where the measurements are best made.

Magnetism and the interior of the moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1974-01-01

The application of lunar magnetic field measurements to the study of properties of the lunar crust and deep interior is reviewed. Following a brief description of lunar magnetometers and the lunar magnetic environment, measurements of lunar remanent fields and their interaction with the solar plasma are discussed. The magnetization induction mode is considered with reference to lunar magnetic permeability and iron abundance calculations. Finally, electrical conductivity and temperature calculations from analyses of poloidal induction, for data taken in both the solar wind and in the geomagnetic tail, are reviewed.

Phase Behaviour of Methane Hydrate Under Conditions Relevant to Titan's Interior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sclater, G.; Fortes, A. D.; Crawford, I. A.

2018-06-01

The high-pressure behaviour Clathrate hydrates, thought to be abundant in the outer solar system, underpins planetary modelling efforts of the interior of Titan, where clathrates are hypothesised to be the source of the dense N2, CH4 atmosphere.

Illumination control apparatus for compensating solar light

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owens, L. J. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

An illumination control apparatus is presented for supplementing light from solar radiation with light from an artificial light source to compensate for periods of insufficient levels of solar light. The apparatus maintains a desired illumination level within an interior space comprising an artificial light source connected to an electrical power source with a switch means for selectively energizing said light source. An actuator means for controlling the on-off operation of the switch means is connected to a light sensor which responses to the illumination level of the interior space. A limit switch carried adjacent to the actuator limits the movement of the actuator within a predetermined range so as to prevent further movement thereof during detection of erroneous illumination conditions.

Solar-Array Deployment Test for InSight

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-05-27

Engineers and technicians at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, run a test of deploying the solar arrays on NASA's InSight lander in this April 30, 2015 image. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19665

75 FR 64350 - Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the NextLight Renewable Power, LLC, Silver State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-19

...Light Renewable Power, LLC, Silver State Solar Project Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: Bureau of... State Solar Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Department of the Interior Secretary...-way (ROW) authorization to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a 400-megawatt (MW) solar...

75 FR 62852 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-13

...-way (ROW) authorization to construct and operate a 45-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic project which... Solar Project, California and the Approved Plan Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area...) Lucerne Valley Solar Project located in San Bernardino County, California. The Secretary of the Interior...

Observaciones de la corona solar interior con un coronógrafo de espejo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenborg, G.; Schwenn, R.; Francile, C.; Rovira, M.

El plasma de la corona solar es un buen indicador de las líneas de fuerza del campo magnético. Por lo tanto, el análisis de estructuras coronales cuasiestacionarias en la corona da importante información sobre el campo magnético y la actividad asociada. Se trata de poner límites a los modelos teóricos existentes mediante el estudio de distintas estructuras en la corona interior. En agosto de 1997 comenzó a operar el coronógrafo solar (MICA) en El Leoncito como parte del Observatorio Solar Alemán-Argentino. Desde su instalación obtiene imágenes de la corona solar (1.05 a 2.0 radios solares) en 2 líneas espectrales correspondientes a la emisión de Fe XIV y Fe X. El instrumento puede obtener imágenes cada minuto por lo que es ideal para estudiar procesos rápidos. Presentamos observaciones recientes que muestran la capacidad del coronógrafo así como la evolución de algunos eventos dinámicos observados por MICA.

From Emergence to Eruption: The Physics and Diagnostics of Solar Active Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, Mark

2017-08-01

The solar photosphere is continuously seeded by the emergence of magnetic fields from the solar interior. In turn, photospheric evolution shapes the magnetic terrain in the overlying corona. Magnetic fields in the corona store the energy needed to power coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares. In this talk, we recount a physics-based narrative of solar eruptive events from cradle to grave, from emergence to eruption, from evaporation to condensation. We review the physical processes which are understood to transport magnetic flux from the interior to the surface, inject free energy and twist into the corona, disentangle the coronal field to permit explosive energy release, and subsequently convert the released energy into observable signatures. Along the way, we review observational diagnostics used to constrain theories of active region evolution and eruption. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges enabled by the large existing repository of solar observations. We argue that the synthesis of physics and diagnostics embodied in (1) data-driven modeling and (2) machine learning efforts will be an accelerating agent for scientific discovery.

Offset truss hex solar concentrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, John E. (Inventor); Sturgis, James D. (Inventor); Erikson, Raymond J. (Inventor); Waligroski, Gregg A. (Inventor); Scott, Michael A. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A solar energy concentrator system comprises an offset reflector structure made up of a plurality of solar energy reflector panel sections interconnected with one another to form a piecewise approximation of a portion of a (parabolic) surface of revolution rotated about a prescribed focal axis. Each panel section is comprised of a plurality of reflector facets whose reflective surfaces effectively focus reflected light to preselected surface portions of the interior sidewall of a cylindrically shaped solar energy receiver. The longitudinal axis of the receiver is tilted at an acute angle with respect to the optical axis such that the distribution of focussed solar energy over the interior surface of the solar engine is optimized for dynamic solar energy conversion. Each reflector panel section comprises a flat, hexagonally shaped truss support framework and a plurality of beam members interconnecting diametrically opposed corners of the hexagonal framework recessed within which a plurality of (spherically) contoured reflector facets is disposed. The depth of the framework and the beam members is greater than the thickness of a reflector facet such that a reflector facet may be tilted (for controlling the effective focus of its reflected light through the receiver aperture) without protruding from the panel section.

The future of solar physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, E. N.

1985-01-01

Outstanding problems for the future of solar physics and stellar physics are examined. The physics of stellar interiors has been called into serious question by the very low measured neutrino flux from the sun. The Ga-71 neutrino detection experiment is the next step in unravelling this mystery. The new methods of helioseismology, for probing the interior of the sun, have already found the primordial rapid rotation of the central core. The forthcoming worldwide helioseismology observing network will permit fuller exploitation of the method, promising to provide the first direct sounding of the interior of a star, hitherto known to us only through theoretical inference and the discrepant neutrino emission. An essential step in developing the physics of stellar activity will be the Solar Optical Telescope (presently planned by NASA to be launched early in the next decade) to permit a 'microscopic' examination of the surface of the sun to study the source of the action. The activity and X-ray emission of other stars depend on much the same effects, so that the study of the sun is essential to determining the significance of the X-ray emission from other stars.

78 FR 57880 - Notice of Availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-20

...-MW PV solar energy facility. The BLM approved a Record of Decision on October 12, 2010, for the... PV solar energy facility on 618 acres of BLM-administered lands, which represented the first phase of... the Silver State Solar South Project, Clark County, NV AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior...

77 FR 12873 - Notice of Segregation of Public Lands in the State of Arizona Associated With the Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-02

... Quartzsite Solar Energy Project, La Paz County, AZ AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION... connection with the BLM's processing of a right-of-way (ROW) application for Quartzsite Solar Energy, LLC's Quartzsite Solar Energy Project (Proposed Project). This segregation covers approximately 2,013.76 acres of...

77 FR 7600 - Notice of Segregation of Public Lands in the State of Arizona for the Restoration Design Energy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-13

...--Agua Caliente Solar Energy Zone in Yuma County, AZ AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION... of protecting potential sites for future solar energy development while they are being analyzed in... public lands corresponds with the analysis of these same public lands as a proposed Solar Energy Zone...

Seismic imaging of the Sun's far hemisphere and its applications in space weather forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindsey, Charles; Braun, Douglas

2017-06-01

The interior of the Sun is filled acoustic waves with periods of about 5 min. These waves, called "p modes," are understood to be excited by convection in a thin layer beneath the Sun's surface. The p modes cause seismic ripples, which we call "the solar oscillations." Helioseismic observatories use Doppler observations to map these oscillations, both spatially and temporally. The p modes propagate freely throughout the solar interior, reverberating between the near and far hemispheres. They also interact strongly with active regions at the surfaces of both hemispheres, carrying the signatures of said interactions with them. Computational analysis of the solar oscillations mapped in the Sun's near hemisphere, applying basic principles of wave optics to model the implied p modes propagating through the solar interior, gives us seismic maps of large active regions in the Sun's far hemisphere. These seismic maps are useful for space weather forecasting. For the past decade, NASA's twin STEREO spacecraft have given us full coverage of the Sun's far hemisphere in electromagnetic (EUV) radiation from the far side of Earth's orbit about the Sun. We are now approaching a decade during which the STEREO spacecraft will lose their farside vantage. There will occur significant periods from thence during which electromagnetic coverage of the Sun's far hemisphere will be incomplete or nil. Solar seismology will make it possible to continue our monitor of large active regions in the Sun's far hemisphere for the needs of space weather forecasters during these otherwise blind periods.

Seismic imaging of the Sun's far hemisphere and its applications in space weather forecasting.

PubMed

Lindsey, Charles; Braun, Douglas

2017-06-01

The interior of the Sun is filled acoustic waves with periods of about 5 min. These waves, called " p modes," are understood to be excited by convection in a thin layer beneath the Sun's surface. The p modes cause seismic ripples, which we call "the solar oscillations." Helioseismic observatories use Doppler observations to map these oscillations, both spatially and temporally. The p modes propagate freely throughout the solar interior, reverberating between the near and far hemispheres. They also interact strongly with active regions at the surfaces of both hemispheres, carrying the signatures of said interactions with them. Computational analysis of the solar oscillations mapped in the Sun's near hemisphere, applying basic principles of wave optics to model the implied p modes propagating through the solar interior, gives us seismic maps of large active regions in the Sun's far hemisphere. These seismic maps are useful for space weather forecasting. For the past decade, NASA's twin STEREO spacecraft have given us full coverage of the Sun's far hemisphere in electromagnetic (EUV) radiation from the far side of Earth's orbit about the Sun. We are now approaching a decade during which the STEREO spacecraft will lose their farside vantage. There will occur significant periods from thence during which electromagnetic coverage of the Sun's far hemisphere will be incomplete or nil. Solar seismology will make it possible to continue our monitor of large active regions in the Sun's far hemisphere for the needs of space weather forecasters during these otherwise blind periods.

Geothermal Energy in Planetary Icy Large Objects via Cosmic Rays Muon–Catalyzed Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Morais, A.

2018-05-01

We propose the possibility that muon-catalyzed fusion, produced by cosmic rays, might add energy to the interior of planetary icy large objects of the solar system, and other solar systems, interesting for astrobiological considerations.

The quiet sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, E. G.

1973-01-01

An up-to-date textbook of solar physics is presented. The solar structure and processes, and the interior are described along with the photosphere, the chromosphere, and the corona. The strongest Fraunhofer lines, visible coronal lines, and coronal UV, XUV, and X-ray lines are listed.

Sulfate content of Europa's ocean and shell: evolutionary considerations and some geological and astrobiological implications.

PubMed

McKinnon, William B; Zolensky, Michael E

2003-01-01

Recent models for the origin of Jupiter indicate that the Galilean satellites were mostly derived from largely unprocessed solar nebula solids and planetesimals. In the jovian subnebula the solids that built Europa were first heated and then cooled, but the major effect was most likely partial or total devolatilization, and less likely to have been wholesale thermochemical reprocessing of rock + metal compositions (e.g., oxidation of Fe and hydration of silicates). Ocean formation and substantial alteration of interior rock by accreted water and ice would occur during and after accretion, but none of the formation models predicts or implies accretion of sulfates. Europa's primordial ocean was most likely sulfidic. After accretion and later radiogenic and tidal heating, the primordial ocean would have interacted hydrothermally with subjacent rock. It has been hypothesized that sulfides could be converted to sulfates if sufficient hydrogen was lost to space, but pressure effects and the impermeability of serpentinite imply that extraction of sulfate from thoroughly altered Europa-rock would have been inefficient (if indeed Mg sulfates formed at all). Permissive physical limits on the extent of alteration limit the sulfate concentration of Europa's evolved ocean to 10% by weight MgSO(4) or equivalent. Later oxidation of the deep interior of Europa may have also occurred because of water released by the breakdown of hydrated silicates, ultimately yielding S magma and/or SO(2) gas. Geological and astrobiological implications are considered.

76 FR 66079 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the K Road...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-25

.../barstow/K Road_ Calico_Solar.html. E-mail: CalicoPV[email protected] . Fax: (760) 252-6098. Mail: Bureau of... Calico Solar Project, San Bernardino County, CA AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION... Statement (EIS) for an amendment to the right-of- way (ROW) grant for the K Road Calico Solar Project...

Introduction to Asteroseismology: from Dream to Reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, Don

It has been only two years since the birth of asteroseismology for solar-like stars was proclaimed. With the resounding success of Helioseismology in determining the interior structure and rotation of the Sun and in providing unprecedented studies of the interaction of pulsation and magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere astronomers have been thrilled after decades of disappointing attempts with the recent discovery of solar-like oscillations in the other stars. There is now true seismology of a variety of solar-like stars. Asteroseismology also studies stars with a wide variety of interior and surface conditions. For two decades asteroseismic techniques have been applied to many pulsating stars across the HR Diagram. This review will introduce for non-specialists the astrophysics of pulsation modes in stars - p-modes and g-modes; a graphic view of spherical harmonics and their nodes; excitation; the effects of rotation magnetic fields and tides. It will introduce photometric and spectroscopic detection techniques. It will show some of the great successes already accomplished and it will point the way to the next 1.5 days of fascinating discoveries in the seismology of solar-like stars

Asteroseismology: From Dream to Reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, D. W.

2005-01-01

It has been only two years since the birth of asteroseismology for solar-like stars was proclaimed. With the resounding success of Helioseismology in determining the interior structure and rotation of the Sun and in providing unprecedented studies of the interaction of pulsation and magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere astronomers have been thrilled after decades of disappointing attempts with the recent discovery of solar-like oscillations in the other stars. There is now true seismology of a variety of solar-like stars. Asteroseismology also studies stars with a wide variety of interior and surface conditions. For two decades asteroseismic techniques have been applied to many pulsating stars across the HR Diagram. This review will introduce for non-specialists the astrophysics of pulsation modes in stars - p-modes and g-modes; a graphic view of spherical harmonics and their nodes; excitation; the effects of rotation magnetic fields and tides. It will introduce photometric and spectroscopic detection techniques. It will show some of the great successes already accomplished and it will point the way to the next 1.5 days of fascinating discoveries in the seismology of solar-like stars.

High C/O Chemistry and Weak Thermal Inversion in the Extremely Irradiated Atmosphere of Exoplanet WASP-12b

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madhusudhan, Nikku; Harrington, Joseph; Nymeyer, Sarah; Campo, Christopher J.; Wheatley, Peter J.; Deming, Drake; Blecie, Jasmina; Hardy, Ryan A.; Lust, Nate B.; Anderson, David R.;

THE SPECTRAL AMPLITUDE OF STELLAR CONVECTION AND ITS SCALING IN THE HIGH-RAYLEIGH-NUMBER REGIME

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

Featherstone, Nicholas A.; Hindman, Bradley W., E-mail: feathern@colorado.edu

2016-02-10

Convection plays a central role in the dynamics of any stellar interior, and yet its operation remains largely hidden from direct observation. As a result, much of our understanding concerning stellar convection necessarily derives from theoretical and computational models. The Sun is, however, exceptional in that regard. The wealth of observational data afforded by its proximity provides a unique test bed for comparing convection models against observations. When such comparisons are carried out, surprising inconsistencies between those models and observations become apparent. Both photospheric and helioseismic measurements suggest that convection simulations may overestimate convective flow speeds on large spatial scales.more » Moreover, many solar convection simulations have difficulty reproducing the observed solar differential rotation owing to this apparent overestimation. We present a series of three-dimensional stellar convection simulations designed to examine how the amplitude and spectral distribution of convective flows are established within a star’s interior. While these simulations are nonmagnetic and nonrotating in nature, they demonstrate two robust phenomena. When run with sufficiently high Rayleigh number, the integrated kinetic energy of the convection becomes effectively independent of thermal diffusion, but the spectral distribution of that kinetic energy remains sensitive to both of these quantities. A simulation that has converged to a diffusion-independent value of kinetic energy will divide that energy between spatial scales such that low-wavenumber power is overestimated and high-wavenumber power is underestimated relative to a comparable system possessing higher Rayleigh number. We discuss the implications of these results in light of the current inconsistencies between models and observations.« less

76 FR 28064 - Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Palen Solar I, LLC's Palen...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-13

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CACA 048810, LLCAD06000, L51010000.FX0000... of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. SUMMARY: In accordance with the... are designed to generate in total approximately 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity at full development...

Flare Seismology from SDO Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindsey, Charles; Martinez Oliveros, Juan Carlos; Hudson, Hugh

2011-10-01

Some flares release intense seismic transients into the solar interior. These transients are the sole instance we know of in which the Sun's corona exerts a conspicuous influence on the solar interior through flares. The desire to understand this phenomenon has led to ambitious efforts to model the mechanisms by which energy stored in coronal magnetic fields drives acoustic waves that penetrate deep into the Sun's interior. These mechanisms potentially involve the hydrodynamic response of the chromosphere to thick-target heating by high-energy particles, radiative exchange in the chromosphere and photosphere, and Lorentz-force transients to account for acoustic energies estimated up to at 5X10^27 erg and momenta of order 6X10^19 dyne sec. An understanding of these components of flare mechanics promises more than a powerful diagnostic for local helioseismology. It could give us fundamental new insight into flare mechanics themselves. The key is appropriate observations to match the models. Helioseismic observations have identified the compact sources of transient seismic emission at the foot points of flares. The Solar Dynamics Observatory is now giving us high quality continuum-brightness and Doppler observations of acoustically active flares from HMI concurrent with high-resolution EUV observations from AIA. Supported by HXR observations from RHESSI and a broad variety of other observational resources, the SDO promises a leading role in flare research in solar cycle 24.

Detection of emerging sunspot regions in the solar interior.

PubMed

Ilonidis, Stathis; Zhao, Junwei; Kosovichev, Alexander

2011-08-19

Sunspots are regions where strong magnetic fields emerge from the solar interior and where major eruptive events occur. These energetic events can cause power outages, interrupt telecommunication and navigation services, and pose hazards to astronauts. We detected subsurface signatures of emerging sunspot regions before they appeared on the solar disc. Strong acoustic travel-time anomalies of an order of 12 to 16 seconds were detected as deep as 65,000 kilometers. These anomalies were associated with magnetic structures that emerged with an average speed of 0.3 to 0.6 kilometer per second and caused high peaks in the photospheric magnetic flux rate 1 to 2 days after the detection of the anomalies. Thus, synoptic imaging of subsurface magnetic activity may allow anticipation of large sunspot regions before they become visible, improving space weather forecast.

Inferences of the deep solar meridional flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Böning, Vincent G. A.

2017-10-01

Understanding the solar meridional flow is important for uncovering the origin of the solar activity cycle. Yet, recent helioseismic estimates of this flow have come to conflicting conclusions in deeper layers of the solar interior, i.e., at depths below about 0.9 solar radii. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to a better understanding of the deep solar meridional flow. Time-distance helioseismology is the major method for investigating this flow. In this method, travel times of waves propagating between pairs of locations on the solar surface are measured. Until now, the travel-time measurements have been modeled using the ray approximation, which assumes that waves travel along infinitely thin ray paths between these locations. In contrast, the scattering of the full wave field in the solar interior due to the flow is modeled in first order by the Born approximation. It is in general a more accurate model of the physics in the solar interior. In a first step, an existing model for calculating the sensitivity of travel-time measurements to solar interior flows using the Born approximation is extended from Cartesian to spherical geometry. The results are succesfully compared to the Cartesian ones and are tested for self-consistency. In a second step, the newly developed model is validated using an existing numerical simulation of linear wave propagation in the Sun. An inversion of artificial travel times for meridional flow shows excellent agreement for noiseless data and reproduces many features in the input flow profile in the case of noisy data. Finally, the new method is used to infer the deep meridional flow. I used Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) data that were earlier analyzed using the ray approximation and I employed the same Substractive Optimized Local Averaging (SOLA) inversion technique as in the earlier study. Using an existing formula for the covariance of travel-time measurements, it is shown that the assumption of uncorrelated errors from earlier studies leads to errors in the inverted flows being underestimated by a factor of about two to four. The inverted meridional flow above about 0.85 solar radii confirms the earlier results from ray theory regarding the general pattern of the flow, especially regarding a shallow return flow at about 0.9 solar radii, with some differences in the magnitude of the flow. Below about 0.85 solar radii, the inversion result depends on the thresholds used in the singular value decomposition. One result is again similar to the original regarding its general single-cell shape. Other results show a multi-cell structure in the southern hemisphere with two or three cells stacked radially. However, both the single-cell and the multi-cell flow profiles are consistent with the measured travel times within the measurement errors. To reach an unambiguous conclusion on the meridional flow below about 0.85 solar radii, the errors in the measured travel times have to be decreased considerably in future studies. For now, I conclude that the existing controversy of recent measurements of the deep meridional flow is relaxed by properly taking the associated errors into account.

International Solar Cycle Studies (ISCS), "Solar Energy Flux Study: from the interior to the outer layer" — Working Group 1 report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pap, Judit; Fröhlich, Claus

The purpose of this report is to describe the research activities and plans of Working Group 1: "Solar Energy Flux Study: From the Interior to the Outer Layer" of the International Solar Cycle Study (ISCS), which is an international research organization operating under the auspices of the Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP). As part of the report, we also summarize the status of the measurements and results on the solar energy flux variations. The main objective of ISCS's Working Group 1 is to coordinate and support comprehensive international research of the variations in the solar energy flux during the rising portion and maximum of solar cycle 23. The research activities of ISCS's Working Group 1 will concentrate on the following tasks: (1) to measure and study the variations in the solar radiative and mass output and solar activity indices during the solar activity cycle, (2) to understand why the solar radiative and mass output and the solar activity indices vary during the solar cycle, and (3) to study the role of solar variability in solar-terrestrial changes and its contribution to global change. ISCS WG1 "Solar Energy Flux Study: From the Interior to the Outer Layer" has been divided into three panels: •| Panel 1: Variations in Total and Spectral Irradiance from Infrared to Far UV. Panel leaders: Martin Anklin of the Physikalisch-Meteorologishes Observatorium Davos, Switzerland (total irradiance), Gerard Thuillier of the Service d'Aeronomie-CNRS, Verrieres, France (visible and infrared), and Linton Floyd of the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA (ultraviolet). •| Panel 2: Variations in EUV, X-ray and Particle Fluxes. Panel leaders: Gerhard Schmidtke of Fraunhofer IPM, Freiburg, Germany and W. Kent Tobiska of FDC/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA (EUV/XUV), and David Winningham of the Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA (particles). •| Panel 3: Solar Indices, Cosmogenic Isotopes, Solar-Stellar Relations. Panel leaders: Gary Chapman of the San Fernando Observatory, CSUN, Northridge, CA, USA (solar indices), Juerg Beer of Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland (cosmogenic isotopes), and Sallie Baliunas of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USA (solar-stellar relations). The first two panels concentrate on solar energy flux measurements, whereas the third panel concentrates on solar indices and alternative ways to model and predict irradiance variations at various wavelengths and their terrestrial/climate effects. Working Group 1 of ISCS has supported and adopted the "Thermospheric-Ionospheric Geospheric Research (TIGER)" program as part of ISCS/WG1/Panel 2. The main objectives of TIGER are to measure, model, and interpret solar EUV/UV and particle fluxes and to study and model their effect on the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere (see details by Schmidtke et al., 2001, this volume). This approach links ISCS/WG1 activities directly with studies of our space environment.

A POSSIBLE CARBON-RICH INTERIOR IN SUPER-EARTH 55 Cancri e

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

Madhusudhan, Nikku; Lee, Kanani K. M.; Mousis, Olivier, E-mail: Nikku.Madhusudhan@yale.edu

Terrestrial planets in the solar system, such as the Earth, are oxygen-rich, with silicates and iron being the most common minerals in their interiors. However, the true chemical diversity of rocky planets orbiting other stars is yet unknown. Mass and radius measurements are used to constrain the interior compositions of super-Earths (exoplanets with masses of 1-10 M{sub Circled-Plus }), and are typically interpreted with planetary interior models that assume Earth-centric oxygen-rich compositions. Using such models, the super-Earth 55 Cancri e (mass 8 M{sub Circled-Plus }, radius 2 R{sub Circled-Plus }) has been suggested to bear an interior composition consisting ofmore » Fe, silicates, and an envelope ({approx}> 10% by mass) of supercritical water. We report that the mass and radius of 55 Cancri e can also be explained by a carbon-rich solid interior made of Fe, C, SiC, and/or silicates and without a volatile envelope. While the data allow Fe mass fractions of up to 40%, a wide range of C, SiC, and/or silicate mass fractions are possible. A carbon-rich 55 Cancri e is also plausible if its protoplanetary disk bore the same composition as its host star, which has been reported to be carbon-rich. However, more precise estimates of the stellar elemental abundances and observations of the planetary atmosphere are required to further constrain its interior composition. The possibility of a C-rich interior in 55 Cancri e opens a new regime of geochemistry and geophysics in extraterrestrial rocky planets, compared to terrestrial planets in the solar system.« less

A broad look at solar physics adapted from the solar physics study of August 1975

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, E.; Timothy, A.; Beckers, J.; Hundhausen, A.; Kundu, M. R.; Leith, C. E.; Lin, R.; Linsky, J.; Macdonald, F. B.; Noyes, R.

1979-01-01

The current status of our knowledge of the basic mechanisms involved in fundamental solar phenomena is reviewed. These include mechanisms responsible for heating the corona, the generation of the solar wind, the particle acceleration in flares, and the dissipation of magnetic energy in field reversal regions, known as current sheets. The discussion covers solar flares and high-energy phenomena, solar active regions; solar interior, convection, and activity; the structure and energetics of the quiet solar atmosphere; the structure of the corona; the solar composition; and solar terrestrial interactions. It also covers a program of solar research, including the special observational requirements for spectral and angular resolution, sensitivity, time resolution, and duration of the techniques employed.

20th National Solar Physics Meeting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorotovic, Ivan

2010-12-01

These proceedings (ISBN: 978-80-85221-68-8) provide an overview of current research on solar physics, geophysics and space weather in the astronomical, geophysical and space physics institutions in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. Several researchers from other countries participated in the meeting as well. The different parts address: solar interior, solar photosphere, chromosphere, corona, total solar eclipses, space weather, instrumentation. Most of the papers are published in Slovak and Czech, respectively. The proceedings are intended for researchers, graduate and PhD. students, workers of astronomical observatories interested in solar physics, geophysics and space weather.

Fractal-Like Materials Design with Optimized Radiative Properties for High-Efficiency Solar Energy Conversion

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

Ho, Clifford K.; Ortega, Jesus D.; Christian, Joshua Mark

Novel designs to increase light trapping and thermal efficiency of concentrating solar receivers at multiple length scales have been conceived, designed, and tested. The fractal-like geometries and features are introduced at both macro (meters) and meso (millimeters to centimeters) scales. Advantages include increased solar absorptance, reduced thermal emittance, and increased thermal efficiency. Radial and linear structures at the meso (tube shape and geometry) and macro (total receiver geometry and configuration) scales redirect reflected solar radiation toward the interior of the receiver for increased absorptance. Hotter regions within the interior of the receiver can reduce thermal emittance due to reduced localmore » view factors to the environment, and higher concentration ratios can be employed with similar surface irradiances to reduce the effective optical aperture, footprint, and thermal losses. Coupled optical/fluid/thermal models have been developed to evaluate the performance of these designs relative to conventional designs. Modeling results showed that fractal-like structures and geometries can increase the effective solar absorptance by 5 – 20% and the thermal efficiency by several percentage points at both the meso and macro scales, depending on factors such as intrinsic absorptance. Meso-scale prototypes were fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques, and a macro-scale bladed receiver design was fabricated using Inconel 625 tubes. On-sun tests were performed using the solar furnace and solar tower at the National Solar Thermal Test facility. The test results demonstrated enhanced solar absorptance and thermal efficiency of the fractal-like designs.« less

Report from solar physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, A. B. C.; Acton, L.; Brueckner, G.; Chupp, E. L.; Hudson, H. S.; Roberts, W.

1989-01-01

A discussion of the nature of solar physics is followed by a brief review of recent advances in the field. These advances include: the first direct experimental confirmation of the central role played by thermonuclear processes in stars; the discovery that the 5-minute oscillations of the Sun are a global seismic phenomenon that can be used as a probe of the structure and dynamical behavior of the solar interior; the discovery that the solar magnetic field is subdivided into individual flux tubes with field strength exceeding 1000 gauss. Also covered was a science strategy for pure solar physics. Brief discussions are given of solar-terrestrial physics, solar/stellar relationships, and suggested space missions.

Energy design analysis for the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Dormitory

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

Marchand, K.E.; Graham, C.; Dekker, D.

1980-01-01

The passive solar aspects of the New Mexico School of Mining and Technology Dormitory Hall are described. This building consists of 13,000 sq. ft. of interior living space and utilizes several passive solar concepts. Cost effectiveness has been a primary design concern.

Photovoltaic energy system at an Alaskan site. Research report

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

Das, D.K.; Briggs, R.W.

1991-01-01

The study presented herein provides information gathered over several years on the availability of solar energy and its utilization by a photovoltaic (PV) system installed near Fairbanks (65 N latitude) to demonstrate its feasibility. The study addresses both theoretical and experimental investigations on the potential of solar energy for interior Alaska. Three theoretical approaches are described for calculation solar radiation using American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Liu-Jordan, and Collares-Pereira and Rabl models. Computer programs for these theories have been included in the Appendix of the report. The actual test setup of a PV system withmore » all its auxiliary components installed in Haystack (near Fairbanks) and the electrical loads run by it have been described in detail. Four and one-half years of solar radiation measurements and operational experience with the system are documented. Finally, comparisons are made between the measured solar radiation with previous measurements done at the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the calculated values from the three models cited earlier. The information from the study should be useful to interested users in interior Alaska and perhaps to other countries of the world located in similar northern latitudes.« less

Effect of electromagnetic dipole dark matter on energy transport in the solar interior

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

Geytenbeek, Ben; Rao, Soumya; White, Martin

In recent years, a revised set of solar abundances has led to a discrepancy in the sound-speed profile between helioseismology and theoretical solar models. Conventional solutions require additional mechanisms for energy transport within the Sun. Vincent et al. have recently suggested that dark matter with a momentum or velocity dependent cross section could provide a solution. In this work, we consider three models of dark matter with such cross sections and their effect on the stellar structure. In particular, the three models incorporate dark matter particles interacting through an electromagnetic dipole moment: an electric dipole, a magnetic dipole or anmore » anapole. Each model is implemented in the DarkStec stellar evolution program, which incorporates the effects of dark matter capture and heat transport within the solar interior. We show that dark matter with an anapole moment of ∼ 1 GeV{sup −2} or magnetic dipole moment of ∼ 10{sup −3}μ {sub p} can improve the sound-speed profile, small frequency separations and convective zone radius with respect to the Standard Solar Model. However, the required dipole moments are strongly excluded by direct detection experiments.« less

Metal-silicate fractionation in the surface dust layers of accreting planetesimals: Implications for the formation of ordinary chondrites and the nature of asteroid surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shaoxiong; Akridge, Glen; Sears, Derek W. G.

Some of the most primitive solar system materials available for study in the laboratory are the ordinary chondrites, the largest meteorite class. The size and distribution of the chondrules (silicate beads) and metal, which leads to the definition of the H, L, and LL classes, suggest sorting before or during aggregation. We suggest that meteorite parent bodies (probably asteroids) had thick dusty surfaces during their early evolution that were easily mobilized by gases evolving from their interiors. Density and size sorting would have occurred in the surface layers as the upward drag forces of the gases (mainly water) acted against the downward force of gravity. The process is analogous to the industrially important process of fluidization and sorting in pyroclastic volcanics. We calculate that gas flow velocities and gas fluxes for the regolith of an asteroid-sized object heated by the impact of accreting objects or by 26Al would have been sufficient for fluidization. It can also explain, quantitatively in some cases, the observed metal-silicate sorting of ordinary chondrites, which has long been ascribed to processes occurring in the primordial solar nebula. Formation of the chondrites in the thick dynamic regolith is consistent with the major properties of chondritic meteorites (i.e., redox state, petrologic type, cooling rate, matrix abundance). These ideas have implications for the nature of asteroid surfaces and the virtual lack of asteroids with ordinary chondrite-like surfaces.

Tests of general relativity using Starprobe radio metric tracking data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mease, K. D.; Anderson, J. D.; Wood, L. J.; White, L. K.

1982-01-01

The potential of a proposed spacecraft mission, called Starprobe, for testing general relativity and providing information on the interior structure and dynamics of the sun is investigated. Parametric, gravitational perturbation terms are derived which represent relativistic effects and effects due to spatial and temporal variations in the solar potential at a given radial distance. A covariance analysis based on Kalman filtering theory predicts the accuracies with which the free parameters in the perturbation terms can be estimated with radio metric tracking data through the process of trajectory reconstruction. It is concluded that Starprobe can contribute significant information on both the nature of gravitation and the structure and dynamics of the solar interior.

Interaction of the Local Interstellar Medium with the Heliosphere: Role of the Interior and Exterior Magnetic Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, Aaron; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A complete model of the global interaction between the solar wind and the local interstellar medium must take account of interstellar neutral atoms, interstellar ionized gas, solar and galactic magnetic fields, galactic and anomalous cosmic rays. For now, however, in view of the many uncertainties about conditions in the interstellar medium, etc., all models must be regarded as highly idealized and incomplete. In the present review I concentrate on the role of magnetic fields of solar and interstellar origin. The former, the interior field, has negligible influence on the unshocked solar wind; the immediate post-shock solar wind is probably low-beta, so that the interior magnetic field is still unimportant, but this situation changes as the plasma flows through the heliosheath, and a ridge of strong magnetic field may form to separate materials of polar and equatorial origin. The exterior (interstellar) field is likely to play an important role in determining the global morphology of the system outside the termination shock. If the exterior field is strong enough, it can compress the heliosphere (although exterior neutral and/or ionized hydrogen may play the dominant role). Even if the interstellar magnetic field does not provide the dominant pressure, its orientation can substantially affect the configuration of the heliosphere, especially the location and orientation of the heliospheric discontinuities. The configurations can be quite different for the situations in which the field and flow are (a) aligned or (b) transverse. Obliquity of the field produces asymmetry in the geometry of the system; in particular the noses of heliopause and interstellar bow shock are shifted away from the interstellar flow direction, and in opposite directions, due to the asymmetric draping of the magnetic field.

Revealing the beneficial role of K in grain interiors, grain boundaries, and at the buffer interface for highly efficient CuInSe 2 solar cells

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

Muzzillo, Christopher P.; Poplawsky, Jonathan D.; Tong, Ho Ming

K incorporation within grain boundaries, grain interiors, and interfaces has been studied within CuInSe 2 solar cells to better understand the beneficial or detrimental role of K distribution among these regions in chalcopyrite–based solar cells. Solar cells have been fabricated with intentional K introduction into specific regions of the device including the CuInSe 2/CdS interface (CuInSe 2/KInSe 2/CdS) and the grain interiors (Cu 0.93K 0.07InSe 2/CdS). A control CuInSe 2/CdS device was also studied to separate effects of K originating from the soda–lime glass substrate from those of intentionally introduced K. The experiment was designed to understand K effects inmore » Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells while mitigating complications from multiple elements in the 3 + site. The distribution of all elements within these samples has been directly observed with sub–nm resolution via atom probe tomography. In addition, electron beam–induced current measurements have been performed to correlate the atom probe tomography compositional profiles to the nanoscale carrier collection properties. The experiments show that a large decrease in the Cu/In ratio at the CdS interface can be achieved by forming KInSe 2 at the absorber surface, which drastically improves the device efficiency. The results presented here show a direct link between K concentration, Cu depletion, and In accumulation, such that the Cu/In ratio significantly reduces with K incorporation. In conclusion, the findings help clarify the mechanism behind K–induced efficiency enhancement.« less

Revealing the beneficial role of K in grain interiors, grain boundaries, and at the buffer interface for highly efficient CuInSe 2 solar cells

DOE PAGES

Muzzillo, Christopher P.; Poplawsky, Jonathan D.; Tong, Ho Ming; ...

2018-06-06

K incorporation within grain boundaries, grain interiors, and interfaces has been studied within CuInSe 2 solar cells to better understand the beneficial or detrimental role of K distribution among these regions in chalcopyrite–based solar cells. Solar cells have been fabricated with intentional K introduction into specific regions of the device including the CuInSe 2/CdS interface (CuInSe 2/KInSe 2/CdS) and the grain interiors (Cu 0.93K 0.07InSe 2/CdS). A control CuInSe 2/CdS device was also studied to separate effects of K originating from the soda–lime glass substrate from those of intentionally introduced K. The experiment was designed to understand K effects inmore » Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells while mitigating complications from multiple elements in the 3 + site. The distribution of all elements within these samples has been directly observed with sub–nm resolution via atom probe tomography. In addition, electron beam–induced current measurements have been performed to correlate the atom probe tomography compositional profiles to the nanoscale carrier collection properties. The experiments show that a large decrease in the Cu/In ratio at the CdS interface can be achieved by forming KInSe 2 at the absorber surface, which drastically improves the device efficiency. The results presented here show a direct link between K concentration, Cu depletion, and In accumulation, such that the Cu/In ratio significantly reduces with K incorporation. In conclusion, the findings help clarify the mechanism behind K–induced efficiency enhancement.« less

Measuring the Pulse of Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-25

Elysium Planitia, a flat-smooth plain just north of the equator makes for the perfect location from which to study the deep Martian interior. Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, is designed to study the deep interior of Mars. The mission seeks the fingerprints of the processes that formed the rocky planets of the solar system. Its landing site, Elysium Planitia, was picked from 22 candidates, and is centered at about 4.5 degrees north latitude and 135.9 degrees east longitude; about 373 miles (600 kilometers) from Curiosity's landing site, Gale Crater. The locations of other Mars landers and rovers are labeled. InSight's scientific success and safe landing depends on landing in a relatively flat area, with an elevation low enough to have sufficient atmosphere above the site for a safe landing. It also depends on landing in an area where rocks are few in number. Elysium Planitia has just the right surface for the instruments to be able to probe the deep interior, and its proximity to the equator ensures that the solar-powered lander is exposed to plenty of sunlight. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22232

Periodicities in the X-ray Emission from the Solar Corona: SphinX and SOXS Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steślicki, M.; Awasthi, A. K.; Gryciuk, M.; Jain, R.

The structure and evolution of the solar magnetic field is driven by a magnetohydrodynamic dynamo operating in the solar interior, which induces various solar activities that exhibit periodic variations on different timescales. Therefore, probing the periodic nature of emission originating from the solar corona may provide insights of the convection-zone-photosphere-corona coupling processes. We present the study of the mid-range periodicities, between rotation period (˜27 days) and the Schwabe cycle period (˜11 yr), in the solar soft X-ray emission, based on the data obtained by two instruments: SphinX and SOXS in various energy bands.

Solar variability: Implications for global change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lean, Judith; Rind, David

1994-01-01

Solar variability is examined in search of implications for global change. The topics covered include the following: solar variation modification of global surface temperature; the significance of solar variability with respect to future climate change; and methods of reducing the uncertainty of the potential amplitude of solar variability on longer time scales.

Facility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Guidebook: Bureau of Reclamation

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

Kiatreungwattana, Kosol; VanGeet, Otto; Stoltenberg, Blaise

2016-09-01

This guidebook was written for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to explore the use of non-hydro renewable energy resources to meet the U.S. Department of Interior's objectives and Reclamation's mission. This guidebook presents readers with the processes and steps needed to assess and successfully implement facility-scale solar projects.

Time-Distance Helioseismology Data-Analysis Pipeline for Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO-HMI) and Its Initial Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, J.; Couvidat, S.; Bogart, R. S.; Parchevsky, K. V.; Birch, A. C.; Duvall, Thomas L., Jr.; Beck, J. G.; Kosovichev, A. G.; Scherrer, P. H.

2011-01-01

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/HMI) provides continuous full-disk observations of solar oscillations. We develop a data-analysis pipeline based on the time-distance helioseismology method to measure acoustic travel times using HMI Doppler-shift observations, and infer solar interior properties by inverting these measurements. The pipeline is used for routine production of near-real-time full-disk maps of subsurface wave-speed perturbations and horizontal flow velocities for depths ranging from 0 to 20 Mm, every eight hours. In addition, Carrington synoptic maps for the subsurface properties are made from these full-disk maps. The pipeline can also be used for selected target areas and time periods. We explain details of the pipeline organization and procedures, including processing of the HMI Doppler observations, measurements of the travel times, inversions, and constructions of the full-disk and synoptic maps. Some initial results from the pipeline, including full-disk flow maps, sunspot subsurface flow fields, and the interior rotation and meridional flow speeds, are presented.

Alfvén Turbulence Driven by High-Dimensional Interior Crisis in the Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chian, A. C.-L.; Rempel, E. L.; Macau, E. E. N.; Rosa, R. R.; Christiansen, F.

2003-09-01

Alfvén intermittent turbulence has been observed in the solar wind. It has been previously shown that the interplanetary Alfvén intermittent turbulence can appear due to a low-dimensional temporal chaos [1]. In this paper, we study the nonlinear spatiotemporal dynamics of Alfvén waves governed by the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation which describes the phase evolution of a large-amplitude Alfvén wave. We investigate the Alfvén turbulence driven by a high-dimensional interior crisis, which is a global bifurcation caused by the collision of a chaotic attractor with an unstable periodic orbit. This nonlinear phenomenon is analyzed using the numerical solutions of the model equation. The identification of the unstable periodic orbits and their invariant manifolds is fundamental for understanding the instability, chaos and turbulence in complex systems such as the solar wind plasma. The high-dimensional dynamical system approach to space environment turbulence developed in this paper can improve our interpretation of the origin and the nature of Alfvén turbulence observed in the solar wind.

On the Cause of Solar Differential Rotations in the Solar Interior and Near the Solar Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, L.

2012-12-01

A theoretical model is proposed to explain the cause of solar differential rotations observed in the solar interior and near the solar surface. We propose that the latitudinal differential rotation in the solar convection zone is a manifestation of an easterly wind in the mid latitude. The speed of the easterly wind is controlled by the magnitude of the poleward temperature gradient in the lower part of the solar convection zone. The poleward temperature gradient depends on the orientation and strength of the magnetic fields at different latitudes in the solar convection zone. The north-south asymmetry in the wind speed can lead to north-south asymmetry in the evolution of the solar cycle. The easterly wind is known to be unstable for a west-to-east rotating star or planet. Based on the observed differential rotations in the solar convection zone, we can estimate the easterly wind speed at about 60-degree latitude and determine the azimuthal wave number of the unstable wave modes along the zonal flow. The lowest azimuthal wave number is about m=7~8. This result is consistent with the average width of the elephant-trunk coronal hole shown in the solar X-ray images. The nonlinear evolution of the unstable easterly wind can lead to transpolar migration of coronal holes and can change the poloidal magnetic field in a very efficient way. In the study of radial differential rotation near the solar surface, we propose that the radial differential rotation depends on the radial temperature gradient. The radial temperature gradient depends on the magnetic field structure above the solar surface. The non-uniform magnetic field distribution above the solar surface can lead to non-uniform radial convections and formation of magnetic flux rope at different spatial scales. The possible cause of continuous formation and eruption of prominences near an active region will also be discussed.

Magnetic probing of the solar interior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benton, E. R.; Estes, R. H.

1985-01-01

The magnetic field patterns in the region beneath the solar photosphere is determined. An approximate method for downward extrapolation of line of sight magnetic field measurements taken at the solar photosphere was developed. It utilizes the mean field theory of electromagnetism in a form thought to be appropriate for the solar convection zone. A way to test that theory is proposed. The straightforward application of the lowest order theory with the complete model fit to these data does not indicate the existence of any reasonable depth at which flux conservation is achieved.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Special Session: Oxygen in the Solar System, I

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The Special Session: Oxygen in the Solar System, I, included the following reports:Oxygen in the Solar System: Origins of Isotopic and Redox Complexity; The Origin of Oxygen Isotope Variations in the Early Solar System; Solar and Solar-Wind Oxygen Isotopes and the Genesis Mission; Solar 18O/17O and the Setting for Solar Birth; Oxygen Isotopes in Early Solar System Materials: A Perspective Based on Microbeam Analyses of Chondrules from CV Carbonaceous Chondrites; Insight into Primordial Solar System Oxygen Reservoirs from Returned Cometary Samples; Tracing Meteorites to Their Sources Through Asteroid Spectroscopy; Redox Conditions Among the Terrestrial Planets; Redox Complexity in Martian Meteorites: Implications for Oxygen in the Terrestrial Planets; Implications of Sulfur Isotopes for the Evolution of Atmospheric Oxygen; Oxygen in the Outer Solar System; and On the Oxidation States of the Galilean Satellites: Implications for Internal Structures.

Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazio, T. Joseph; Shkolnik, Evgenya; Hallinan, Gregg

2017-05-01

The W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) sponsored the "Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability" study to review the state of knowledge of extrasolar planetary magnetic fields and the prospects for their detection.There were multiple motivations for this Study. Planetary-scale magnetic fields are a window to a planet's interior and provide shielding of the planet's atmosphere. The Earth, Mercury, Ganymede, and the giant planets of the solar system all contain internal dynamo currents that generate planetary-scale magnetic fields. In turn, these internal dynamo currents arise from differential rotation, convection, compositional dynamics, or a combination of these in objects' interiors. If coupled to an energy source, such as the incident kinetic or magnetic energy from the solar wind or an orbiting satellite, a planet's magnetic field can produce intense electron cyclotron masers in its magnetic polar regions. The most well known example of this process in the solar system is the Jovian decametric emission, but all of the giant planets and the Earth contain similar electron cyclotron masers within their magnetospheres. Extrapolated to extrasolar planets, the remote detection of the magnetic field of an extrasolar planet would provide a means of obtaining constraints on the thermal state, composition, and dynamics of its interior--all of which will be difficult to determine by other means--as well as improved understanding of the basic planetary dynamo process.We review the findings from the Study, including potential mission concepts that emerged and recent developments toward one of the mission concepts, a space-based radio wavelength array. There was an identification of that radio wavelength observations would likely be key to making significant progress in this field.We acknowledge ideas and advice from the participants in the "Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability" study organized by the W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies. Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Space Weather Research: Indian perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhardwaj, Anil; Pant, Tarun Kumar; Choudhary, R. K.; Nandy, Dibyendu; Manoharan, P. K.

2016-12-01

Space weather, just like its meteorological counterpart, is of extreme importance when it comes to its impact on terrestrial near- and far-space environments. In recent years, space weather research has acquired an important place as a thrust area of research having implications both in space science and technology. The presence of satellites and other technological systems from different nations in near-Earth space necessitates that one must have a comprehensive understanding not only of the origin and evolution of space weather processes but also of their impact on technology and terrestrial upper atmosphere. To address this aspect, nations across the globe including India have been investing in research concerning Sun, solar processes and their evolution from solar interior into the interplanetary space, and their impact on Earth's magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system. In India, over the years, a substantial amount of work has been done in each of these areas by various agencies/institutions. In fact, India has been, and continues to be, at the forefront of space research and has ambitious future programs concerning these areas encompassing space weather. This review aims at providing a glimpse of this Indian perspective on space weather research to the reader and presenting an up-to-date status of the same.

Seismic Study of the Subsurface Structure and Dynamics of the Solar Interior from High Spatial Resolution Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korzennik, Sylvain G.

1997-01-01

We have carried out the data reduction and analysis of Mt. Wilson 60' solar tower high spatial resolution observations. The reduction of the 100-day-long summer of 1990 observation campaign in terms of rotational splittings was completed leading to an excess of 600,000 splittings. The analysis of these splittings lead to a new inference of the solar internal rotation rate as a function of depth and latitude.

Times Change, but This Ten-Year-Old School Plan Remains Fresh and Functional.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rist, Marilee C.

1989-01-01

The 1979 passive solar design for Meadow Park Elementary School (Irvine, California) was not used until 1986. Architects had incorporated workable energy-saving features that would give a sizable return on the investment. They maximized use of natural light and used solar features (clerestory windows and interior courtyards) to reduce heat…

The IRIS network site at the Wilcox Solar Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoeksema, J. T.; Scherrer, P. H.

1991-01-01

The site for the International Research on the Interior of the Sun (IRIS) instrument housed at the Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University (near San Francisco, USA) is described together with the instrument operation procedure. The IRIS instrument, which measures global oscillations of the sun, operates continuously every clear day since it was installed in August 1987.

Observations of Lunar Exospheric Helium with LAMP UV Spectrograph onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grava, Cesare; Hurley, Dana M.; Retherford, Kurt D.; Gladstone, G. Randall; Feldman, Paul D.; Pryor, Wayne R.; Greathouse, Thomas K.; Mandt, Kathleen E.

2017-04-01

Helium was one of the first elements discovered in the lunar exosphere, being detected by the mass spectrometer LACE (Lunar Atmosphere Composition Experiment) deployed at the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission. Most of it comes from neutralization of solar wind alpha particles impinging on the lunar surface, but there is increasing evidence that a non-negligible fraction of it diffuses from the interior of the Moon, as a result of radioactive decay of thorium and uranium. Therefore, pinpointing the amount of endogenic helium can constrain the abundance of these two elements in the crust, with implication for the formation of the Moon. The Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) far-UV spectrograph onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) carried out an atmospheric campaign to study the lunar exospheric helium. The spacecraft was pitched along the direction of motion to look through a longer illuminated column of gas, compared to the usual nadir-looking mode, and therefore enhancing the brightness of the emission line at 58.4 nm of helium atoms resonantly scattering solar photons. The lines of sight of the observations spanned a variety of local times, latitudes, longitudes, and altitudes, allowing us to reconstruct the temporal and spatial distribution of helium and its radial density profile with the help of an exospheric model. Moreover, correlating the helium density inferred by LAMP with the flux of solar wind alpha particles (the main source of lunar helium) measured from the twin ARTEMIS spacecraft, it is possible to constrain the amount of helium which comes from the interior of the Moon via outgassing. While most of the observations can be explained by the exospheric model, we have found discrepancies between the model and LAMP observations, with the former underestimating the latter, especially at northern selenographic latitudes, when LRO altitude is maximum. Such discrepancies suggest that the vertical distribution of helium differs from a Chamberlain exospheric model, an interesting result considered that helium does not interact with the lunar surface, and may be indicative of a different thermal population of helium atoms. We present results from over 150 observations performed routinely from 2013 to 2016 to look for trends in the spatial and temporal distribution of helium and to constrain the fraction of endogenous helium compared to the solar wind contribution.

ATLAS-SOHO: Satellite Arrival and Uncrating, Uncrating of the Propulsion Unit and Electric Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The SOHO satellite, part of the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Program (ISTP), is a solar observatory designed to study the structure, chemical composition, and dynamics of the solar interior. It will also observe the structure (density, temperature and velocity fields), dynamics and composition of the outer solar atmosphere, and the solar wind and its relation to the solar atmosphere. The spacecraft was launched on December 2, 1995. This video shows the unloading of the satellite from the transport plane at the Kennedy Space Station and the lowering to an awaiting flatbed truck. The video also shows the uncrating of the satellite, the propulsion unit and the electric module in a clean room.

Integrated solar collector

DOEpatents

Tchernev, Dimiter I.

1985-01-01

A solar collector having a copper panel in a contiguous space relationship with a condenser-evaporator heat exchanger located under the panel, the panel having a honeycomb-like structure on its interior defining individual cells which are filled with zeolite loaded, in its adsorbed condition, with 18 to 20% by weight of water. The interior of the panel and heat exchanger are maintained at subatmospheric pressure of about 0.1 to 1 psia. The panel and heat exchanger are insulated on their lateral sides and bottoms and on the top of the heat exchange. The panel has a black coating on its top which is exposed to and absorbs solar energy. Surrounding the insulation (which supports the panel) is an extruded aluminum framework which supports a pair of spaced-apart glass panels above the solar panel. Water in conduits from a system for heating or cooling or both is connected to flow into an inlet and discharge from outlet of a finned coil received within the heat exchanger. The collector panel provides heat during the day through desorption and condensing of water vapor from the heated solar panel in the heat exchanger and cools at night by the re-adsorption of the water vapor from the heat exchanger which lowers the absolute pressure within the system and cools the heat exchange coils by evaporation.

The Hydromagnetic Interior of a Solar Quiescent Prominence. I. Coupling between Force Balance and Steady Energy Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Low, B. C.; Berger, T.; Casini, R.; Liu, W.

2012-08-01

This series of papers investigates the dynamic interiors of quiescent prominences revealed by recent Hinode and SDO/AIA high-resolution observations. This first paper is a study of the static equilibrium of the Kippenhahn-Schlüter diffuse plasma slab, suspended vertically in a bowed magnetic field, under the frozen-in condition and subject to a theoretical thermal balance among an optically thin radiation, heating, and field-aligned thermal conduction. The everywhere-analytical solutions to this nonlinear problem are an extremely restricted subset of the physically admissible states of the system. For most values of the total mass frozen into a given bowed field, force balance and steady energy transport cannot both be met without a finite fraction of the total mass having collapsed into a cold sheet of zero thickness, within which the frozen-in condition must break down. An exact, resistive hydromagnetic extension of the Kippenhahn-Schlüter slab is also presented, resolving the mass-sheet singularity into a finite-thickness layer of steadily falling dense fluid. Our hydromagnetic result suggests that the narrow, vertical prominence Hα threads may be falling across magnetic fields, with optically thick cores much denser and ionized to much lower degrees than conventionally considered. This implication is discussed in relation to (1) the recent SDO/AIA observations of quiescent prominences that are massive and yet draining mass everywhere in their interiors, (2) the canonical range of 5-60 G determined from spectral polarimetric observations of prominence magnetic fields over the years, and (3) the need for a more realistic multi-fluid treatment.

Exploring the Largest Mass Fraction of the Solar System: the Case for Planetary Interiors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danielson, L. R.; Draper, D.; Righter, K.; McCubbin, F.; Boyce, J.

2017-01-01

Why explore planetary interiors: The typical image that comes to mind for planetary science is that of a planet surface. And while surface data drive our exploration of evolved geologic processes, it is the interiors of planets that hold the key to planetary origins via accretionary and early differentiation processes. It is that initial setting of the bulk planet composition that sets the stage for all geologic processes that follow. But nearly all of the mass of planets is inaccessible to direct examination, making experimentation an absolute necessity for full planetary exploration.

KSC-2011-5986

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Testing of the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft is under way in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is scheduled for Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-5983

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Lockheed Martin technician in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., tests the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is scheduled for Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-5985

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., test the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is scheduled for Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-5988

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Testing of the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft is under way in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is scheduled for Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-5982

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Lockheed Martin technician in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., tests the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is scheduled for Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-5980

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., prepare to test the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is scheduled for Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-5989

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., test the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is scheduled for Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Review of grain interior, grain boundary, and interface effects of K in CIGS solar cells: Mechanisms for performance enhancement

DOE PAGES

Muzzillo, Christopher P.

2017-07-16

Introducing K into Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S) 2 (CIGS) absorbers has led to recent world record power conversion efficiencies for thin film polycrystalline solar cells. In this work, the diverse phenomena associated with K in CIGS were reviewed, and overarching mechanisms were identified. The effects of K depend on its distribution among grain interiors (GIs), grain boundaries (GBs), and interfaces. High substrate Na and low temperature favor GI K incorporation, while low Na and high temperature favor segregation of K at GBs. Depositing KInSe 2 (or KIn 1-yGaySe 2) by co-evaporation or KF post-deposition treatment onto CIGS reduces buffer interface recombination in themore » final solar cells. KInSe 2 decomposes in air, which makes characterization difficult and may affect performance. In conclusion, the mechanism for reduced interface recombination could be direct passivation, beneficial compound precursor, oxidation barrier, or favorable diffusion alteration.« less

Review of grain interior, grain boundary, and interface effects of K in CIGS solar cells: Mechanisms for performance enhancement

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

Muzzillo, Christopher P.

Introducing K into Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S) 2 (CIGS) absorbers has led to recent world record power conversion efficiencies for thin film polycrystalline solar cells. In this work, the diverse phenomena associated with K in CIGS were reviewed, and overarching mechanisms were identified. The effects of K depend on its distribution among grain interiors (GIs), grain boundaries (GBs), and interfaces. High substrate Na and low temperature favor GI K incorporation, while low Na and high temperature favor segregation of K at GBs. Depositing KInSe 2 (or KIn 1-yGaySe 2) by co-evaporation or KF post-deposition treatment onto CIGS reduces buffer interface recombination in themore » final solar cells. KInSe 2 decomposes in air, which makes characterization difficult and may affect performance. In conclusion, the mechanism for reduced interface recombination could be direct passivation, beneficial compound precursor, oxidation barrier, or favorable diffusion alteration.« less

Manhattan Solar Cannon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treffers, Richard R.; Loisos, George; Ubbelohde, Susan; Douglas, Susanna; Pintos, Eduardo; Mulherin, James; Pasley, David

2015-01-01

We describe a 2.4 m hexagonal solar collector atop a Manhattan office building used for a solar / arts project. The collector uses an afocal design to concentrate the sunlight into a 0.6 m diameter beam which is directed by mirrors into a 80 m long fiber optic sculpture which descends an interior stairwell. The collector is fully steerable and follows the sun each day robotically. The control system and the optical design of the collector as well as the fiber optic sculpture will be discussed.

Energy Transport Effects in Flaring Atmospheres Heated by Mixed Particle Beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zharkova, Valentina; Zharkov, Sergei; Macrae, Connor; Druett, Malcolm; Scullion, Eamon

2016-07-01

We investigate energy and particle transport in the whole flaring atmosphere from the corona to the photosphere and interior for the flaring events on the 1st July 2012, 6 and 7 September 2011 by using the RHESSI and SDO instruments as well as high-resolution observations from the Swedish 1-metre Solar Telescope (SST3) CRISP4 (CRisp Imaging Spectro-polarimeter). The observations include hard and soft X-ray emission, chromospheric emission in both H-alpha 656.3 nm core and continuum, as well as, in the near infra-red triplet Ca II 854.2 nm core and continuum channels and local helioseismic responses (sunquakes). The observations are compared with the simulations of hard X-ray emission and tested by hydrodynamic simulations of flaring atmospheres of the Sun heated by mixed particle beams. The temperature, density and macro-velocity variations of the ambient atmospheres are calculated for heating by mixed beams and the seismic response of the solar interior to generation of supersonic shocks moving into the solar interior. We investigate the termination depths of these shocks beneath the quiet photosphere levels and compare them with the parameters of seismic responses in the interior, or sunquakes (Zharkova and Zharkov, 2015). We also present an investigation of radiative conditions modelled in a full non-LTE approach for hydrogen during flare onsets with particular focus on Balmer and Paschen emission in the visible, near UV and near IR ranges and compare them with observations. The links between different observational features derived from HXR, optical and seismic emission are interpreted by different particle transport models that will allow independent evaluation of the particle transport scenarios.

Kinetic isotopic fractionation and the origin of HDO and CH3D in the solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yung, Yuk L.; Wen, Jun-Shan; Friedl, Randall R.; Pinto, Joseph P.; Bayes, Kyle D.

1988-01-01

It is suggested that photochemical enrichment processes driven by stellar UV emissions could result in a large deuterium fractionation of water and methane relative to H2 in the primitive solar nebula. These enrichment processes could have profoundly influenced the isotopic content of water in the terrestrial planets, if a large fraction of their volatiles had been added by impacts of meteorites and comets formed in the outer parts of the solar nebula. Efficient mixing could have exposed the material in the interior of the solar nebula to starlight.

Dichotomy of X-Ray Jets in Solar Coronal Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robe, D. M.; Moore, R. L.; Falconer, D. A.

2012-12-01

It has been found that there are two different types of X-ray jets observed in the Sun's polar coronal holes: standard jets and blowout jets. A proposed model of this dichotomy is that a standard jet is produced by a burst of reconnection of the ambient magnetic field with the opposite-polarity leg of the base arcade. In contrast, it appears that a blowout jet is produced when the interior of the arcade has so much pent-up free magnetic energy in the form of shear and twist in the interior field that the external reconnection unleashes the interior field to erupt open. In this project, X-ray movies of the polar coronal holes taken by Hinode were searched for X-ray jets. Co-temporal movies taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory in 304 Å emission from He II, showing solar plasma at temperatures around 80,000 K, were examined for whether the identified blowout jets carry much more He II plasma than the identified standard jets. It was found that though some jets identified as standard from the X-ray movies could be seen in the He II 304 Å movies, the blowout jets carried much more 80,000 K plasma than did most standard jets. This finding supports the proposed model for the morphology and development of the two types of jets.

Climate Change Implications to Vegetation Production in Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neigh, Christopher S.R.

2008-01-01

Investigation of long-term meteorological satellite data revealed statistically significant vegetation response to climate drivers of temperature, precipitation and solar radiation with exclusion of fire disturbance in Alaska. Abiotic trends were correlated to satellite remote sensing observations of normalized difference vegetation index to understand biophysical processes that could impact ecosystem carbon storage. Warming resulted in disparate trajectories for vegetation growth due to precipitation and photosynthetically active radiation variation. Interior spruce forest low lands in late summer through winter had precipitation deficit which resulted in extensive fire disturbance and browning of undisturbed vegetation with reduced post-fire recovery while Northern slope moist alpine tundra had increased production due to warmer-wetter conditions during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Coupled investigation of Alaska s vegetation response to warming climate found spatially dynamic abiotic processes with vegetation browning not a result from increased fire disturbance.

RECURRENT EXPLOSIVE ERUPTIONS AND THE ''SIGMOID-TO-ARCADE'' TRANSFORMATION IN THE SUN DRIVEN BY DYNAMICAL MAGNETIC FLUX EMERGENCE

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

Archontis, V.; Hood, A. W.; Tsinganos, K., E-mail: va11@st-andrews.ac.uk

2014-05-10

We report on three-dimensional MHD simulations of recurrent mini coronal mass ejection (CME)-like eruptions in a small active region (AR), which is formed by the dynamical emergence of a twisted (not kink unstable) flux tube from the solar interior. The eruptions develop as a result of the repeated formation and expulsion of new flux ropes due to continuous emergence and reconnection of sheared field lines along the polarity inversion line of the AR. The acceleration of the eruptions is triggered by tether-cutting reconnection at the current sheet underneath the erupting field. We find that each explosive eruption is followed bymore » reformation of a sigmoidal structure and a subsequent ''sigmoid-to-flare arcade'' transformation in the AR. These results might have implications for recurrent CMEs and eruptive sigmoids/flares observations and theoretical studies.« less

What we know about Mars (but otherwise wouldn't) if it is the shergottite parent body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcsween, H. Y., Jr.

1985-01-01

The evidence that some meteorites may actually be samples of fairly large solar system bodies, specifically the moon and the planet Mars was presented. The proposed martian meteorites, called shergottites are igneous rocks that crystallized from molten magmas. Their crystallization ages are much too young to have formed by internal melting within small asteroids, and the unusual chemical composition of gases trapped when these rocks were severely shocked matches that of the martin atmosphere measured by Viking. The implications of these samples for martian evolution was discussed and suggested, that if Mars is the shergottite parent body, the martian interior is much more like that of the earth than has been previously thought. Shergottites explain presence of small magnetic field indicate that volatileement concentratins in Mars should be similar to the Earth, and explain the great lengths of volcanic flows on the martian surface.

Fire history and fire management implications in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, interior Alaska

Treesearch

S. A. Drury; P. J. Grissom

2008-01-01

We conducted this investigation in response to criticisms that the current Alaska Interagency Fire Management Plans are allowing too much of the landscape in interior Alaska to burn annually. To address this issue, we analyzed fire history patterns within the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, interior Alaska. We dated 40 fires on 27 landscape points within the...

Mars Interior Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-20

Artist rendition of the formation of rocky bodies in the solar system -- how they form and differentiate and evolve into terrestrial planets. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16078

InSight Atlas V LVOS

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-03

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

On the Claim of Modulations in 36Cl Beta Decay and Their Association with Solar Rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pommé, S.; Kossert, K.; Nähle, O.

2017-11-01

Recently, claims were made by Sturrock et al. ( Astropart. Phys. 42, 62, 2013), Sturrock, Fischbach, and Scargle ( Solar Phys. 291, 3467, 2016; arXiv http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1705.03010, 2017) that beta decay can be induced by interaction of the nucleus with solar neutrinos and that cyclic modulations in decay rates are indicative of the dynamics of the solar interior. Transient modulations in residuals from a purely exponential decay curve were observed at frequencies near 11 a^{-1} and 12.7 a^{-1} in repeated activity measurements of a 36Cl source by Alburger, Harbottle, and Norton ( Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 78, 168, 1986) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in a period from 1984 to 1985. Sturrock et al. have speculatively associated them with rotational influence on the solar neutrino flux. In this work, more accurate 36Cl decay-rate measurements - performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig in the period 2010 - 2013 by means of the triple-to-double coincidence ratio measurement technique - are scrutinised. The residuals from an exponential decay curve were analysed by a weighted Lomb-Scargle periodogram. The existence of modulations in the frequency range between 0.2 a^{-1} and 20 a^{-1} could be excluded down to an amplitude of about 0.0016%. The invariability of the 36Cl decay constant contradicts the speculations made about the deep solar interior on the basis of instabilities in former activity measurements.

Seismic Study of the Solar Interior: Inferences from SOI/MDI Observations During Solar Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korzennik, Sylvain G.; Wagner, William J. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We have continued in collaboration with Dr. Eff-Darwich (University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain) the study of the structure, asphericity and dynamics of the solar interior from p-mode frequencies and frequency splittings. In March 2001, Dr. Eff-Darwich came for 3 weeks visit to CfA. During this visit we completed our work on the inversion of the internal solar rotation rate, and submitted a paper describing this work to the Astrophysical Journal. This paper has been recently revised in response to the referee comments and I expect that it will be accepted for publication very soon. We also have analyzed helioseismic data looking for temporal variations of the solar stratification near the base of the convection zone. We have expanded on the initial work that was presented at the SOHO-10/GONG-2000 meeting (October 2000, Tenerife), and are in the process of writing this up. Substantial progress towards the characterization of high-degree p-modes has been achieved. Indeed, in collaboration Dr. Rabello-Soares (Stanford University), we have gained a clear conceptual understanding of the various elements that affect the leakage matrix of the SOI/MDI instrument. This was presented in an invited talk at the SOHO-10/GONG-2000 meeting (October 2000, Tenerife). Once we will have successfully migrated from a qualitative to a quantitative assessment of these effects, we should be able to generate high-degree p-modes frequencies so crucial in the diagnostic of the layers just below solar surface.

DOUBLE DYNAMO SIGNATURES IN A GLOBAL MHD SIMULATION AND MEAN-FIELD DYNAMOS

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

Beaudoin, Patrice; Simard, Corinne; Cossette, Jean-François

The 11 year solar activity cycle is the most prominent periodic manifestation of the magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) large-scale dynamo operating in the solar interior, yet longer and shorter (quasi-) periodicities are also present. The so-called “quasi-biennial” signal appearing in many proxies of solar activity has been gaining increasing attention since its detection in p -mode frequency shifts, which suggests a subphotospheric origin. A number of candidate mechanisms have been proposed, including beating between co-existing global dynamo modes, dual dynamos operating in spatially separated regions of the solar interior, and Rossby waves driving short-period oscillations in the large-scale solar magnetic field producedmore » by the 11 year activity cycle. In this article, we analyze a global MHD simulation of solar convection producing regular large-scale magnetic cycles, and detect and characterize shorter periodicities developing therein. By constructing kinematic mean-field α {sup 2}Ω dynamo models incorporating the turbulent electromotive force (emf) extracted from that same simulation, we find that dual-dynamo behavior materializes in fairly wide regions of the model’s parameters space. This suggests that the origin of the similar behavior detected in the MHD simulation lies with the joint complexity of the turbulent emf and differential rotation profile, rather that with dynamical interactions such as those mediated by Rossby waves. Analysis of the simulation also reveals that the dual dynamo operating therein leaves a double-period signature in the temperature field, consistent with a dual-period helioseismic signature. Order-of-magnitude estimates for the magnitude of the expected frequency shifts are commensurate with helioseismic measurements. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that the solar quasi-biennial oscillations are associated with a secondary dynamo process operating in the outer reaches of the solar convection zone.« less

Probing the magnetic topologies of magnetic clouds by means of solar energetic particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahler, S. W.; Reames, D. V.

1991-01-01

Solar energetic particles (SEPs) have been used as probes of magnetic cloud topologies. The rapid access of SEPs to the interiors of many clouds indicates that the cloud field lines extend back to the sun and hence are not plasmoids. The small modulation of galactic cosmic rays associated with clouds also suggests that the magnetic fields of clouds are not closed.

Comment on "Detection of emerging sunspot regions in the solar interior".

PubMed

Braun, Douglas C

2012-04-20

Ilonidis et al. (Reports, 19 August 2011, p. 993) report acoustic travel-time decreases associated with emerging sunspot regions before their appearance on the solar surface. An independent analysis using helioseismic holography does not confirm these travel-time anomalies for the four regions illustrated by Ilonidis et al. This negative finding is consistent with expectations based on current emerging flux models.

Detection of the Magnetospheric Emissions from Extrasolar Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazio, J.

2014-12-01

Planetary-scale magnetic fields are a window to a planet's interior and provide shielding of the planet's atmosphere. The Earth, Mercury, Ganymede, and the giant planets of the solar system all contain internal dynamo currents that generate planetary-scale magnetic fields. These internal dynamo currents arise from differential rotation, convection, compositional dynamics, or a combination of these. If coupled to an energy source, such as the incident kinetic or magnetic energy from the solar wind, a planet's magnetic field can produce electron cyclotron masers in its magnetic polar regions. The most well known example of this process is the Jovian decametric emission, but all of the giant planets and the Earth contain similar electron cyclotron masers within their magnetospheres. Extrapolated to extrasolar planets, the remote detection of the magnetic field of an extrasolar planet would provide a means of obtaining constraints on the thermal state, composition, and dynamics of its interior as well as improved understanding of the basic planetary dynamo process. The magnetospheric emissions from solar system planets and the discovery of extrasolar planets have motivated both theoretical and observational work on magnetospheric emissions from extrasolar planets. Stimulated by these advances, the W.M. Keck Institute for Space Studies hosted a workshop entitled "Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability." I summarize the current observational status of searches for magnetospheric emissions from extrasolar planets, based on observations from a number of ground-based radio telescopes, and future prospects for ground-based studies. Using the solar system planetary magnetic fields as a guide, future space-based missions will be required to study planets with magnetic field strengths lower than that of Jupiter. I summarize mission concepts identified in the KISS workshop, with a focus on the detection of planetary electron cyclotron maser emission. The authors acknowledge ideas and advice from the participants in the "Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability" workshop organized by the Keck Institute for Space Studies. Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA.

Helioseismic Constraints on the Gradient of Angular Velocity at the Base of the Solar Convection Zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kosovichev, A. G.

1996-01-01

The layer of transition from the nearly rigid rotation of the radiative interior to the latitudinal differential rotation of the convection zone plays a significant role in the internal dynamics of the Sun. Using rotational splitting coefficients of the p-mode frequencies, obtained during 1986-1990 at the Big Bear Solar Observatory, we have found that the thickness of the transitional layer is 0.09 +/- 0.04 solar radii (63 +/- 28 Mm), and that most of the transition occurs beneath the adiabatically stratified part of the convection zone, as suggested by the dynamo theories of the 22 yr solar activity cycle.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Lift & Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

A United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Booster Transport

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-02

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster is transported to Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Spacecraft Arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-28

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft arrives at the Astrotech processing facility. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

InSight Atlas V LVOS

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-03

A crane lifts a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

A United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Fairing Arrival, Offload, and Unbagging

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-31

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazio, T. Joseph W.; Shkolnik, Evgenya; Hallinan, Gregg; Planetary Habitability Study Team

2016-06-01

The W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) sponsored the Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability Study to review the state of knowledge of extrasolar planetary magnetic fields and the prospects for their detection. There were multiple motivations for this Study. Planetary-scale magnetic fields are a window to a planet's interior and provide shielding of the planet's atmosphere. The Earth, Mercury, Ganymede, and the giant planets of the solar system all contain internal dynamo currents that generate planetary-scale magnetic fields. In turn, these internal dynamo currents arise from differential rotation, convection, compositional dynamics, or a combination of these in objects' interiors. If coupled to an energy source, such as the incident kinetic or magnetic energy from the solar wind or an orbiting satellite, a planet's magnetic field can produce intense electron cyclotron masers in its magnetic polar regions. The most well known example of this process in the solar system is the Jovian decametric emission, but all of the giant planets and the Earth contain similar electron cyclotron masers within their magnetospheres. Extrapolated to extrasolar planets, the remote detection of the magnetic field of an extrasolar planet would provide a means of obtaining constraints on the thermal state, composition, and dynamics of its interior--all of which will be difficult to determine by other means--as well as improved understanding of the basic planetary dynamo process. This report presents the findings from the Study, including potential mission concepts that emerged and future work in both modeling and observations. There was also an identification of that radio wavelength observations would likely be key to making significant progress in this field. The entire Study program would not have been possible without the generous support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. We thank Michele Judd, Tom Prince, and the staff of the W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies for their hospitality and attention to detail, such that the Study participants could turn their attention to focused discussions and innovative ideas. We also thank Charles ("Chuck") Carter of Eagre Games, Inc., for his assistance with graphics.

Affordable passive solar homes - low-cost, compact designs. [Glossary

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

Crowther, R.L.

1984-01-01

The designs and plans of this book present total, integrative, energy design. They carefully integrate site, architecture, and interior for various population segments that meet a frugal budget. The book is divided into two sections. The first part gives data concerning design, construction, site, climatic factors, materials, interiors, financing, and other home ownership factors that enhance affordability. Basic information on the design assumptions and considerations incorporate into the homes is presented, along with passive solar systems descriptions. The second part presents designs and plans with a brief review of considerations that serve defined human living needs, as well single-family, attached,more » or multiple residential configurations. The plans are based on a dimensional grid using 4-foot and 2-foot (1.2 meter and .61 meter) increments compatible with economic standard lumber and materials sizes.« less

The rotation of the Uranian system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podolak, M.

1984-01-01

The rotation of Uranus is examined for clues as to the origin of the Solar System. Both theories based on the formation of planets through the accretion of small planetesimals, and theories based on the formation of giant gaseous protoplanets through a gravitational instability in the primitive solar nebula allow for qualitative explanations of the large tilt of Uranus's equator to the orbital plane, and the fact that its satellites lie in the equatorial plane. Models of the planetary interior show that the mass ratio of ice-forming materials to rock in Uranus's interior must be more than about three if the rotation period is about 16 h. Such a large ratio seems to exclude those accretional theories that require most of the nebular gas to be heated to relatively high temperatures before being accreted into the planet.

Solar Skylight

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

Adamson, J. C.

1984-01-31

A reflective shutter rotates within a skylight housing in such a fashion as to control solar energy thereby providing a combination of heating, lighting, and ventilation. The skylight housing has three faces: a glazed southern face, a glazed northern face, and an open downwardly oriented face to the interior of the structure. Counter-weighted pivot arms support the shutter at either end causing the center of rotation to pass through the center of gravity. The shutter has three basic positions: In the first position, during the winter day, the shutter closes off the northern face, allowing solar energy to enter directlymore » into the supporting structure providing heat gain and daylighting. In the second position, during the winter night, the shutter closes off the open face to the interior, providing insulation between the structure and the skylight housing. In the third position, during the non-heating season, the shutter closes off the southern face blocking unwanted heat gain but allowing diffuse northern light to penetrate for daylighting. In this last position, a means is provided for ventilating by natural convection. The apparatus can be operated either manually or by motor.« less

Solar skylight

DOEpatents

Adamson, James C.

1984-01-01

A reflective shutter rotates within a skylight housing in such a fashion as to control solar energy thereby providing a combination of heating, lighting, and ventilation. The skylight housing has three faces: a glazed southern face, a glazed northern face, and an open downwardly oriented face to the interior of the structure. Counter-weighted pivot arms support the shutter at either end causing the center of rotation to pass through the center of gravity. The shutter has three basic positions: In the first position, during the winter day, the shutter closes off the northern face, allowing solar energy to enter directly into the supporting structure providing heat gain and daylighting. In the second position, during the winter night, the shutter closes off the open face to the interior, providing insulation between the structure and the skylight housing. In the third position, during the non-heating season, the shutter closes off the southern face blocking unwanted heat gain but allowing diffuse northern light to penetrate for daylighting. In this last position, a means is provided for ventilating by natural convection. The apparatus can be operated either manually or by motor.

KSC-2011-5981

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory spacecraft are positioned side-by-side in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. Lockheed Martin technicians are performing testing the solar arrays on GRAIL-A to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is scheduled for Sept. 8. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Solar-Powered Cooler and Heater for an Automobile Interior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Richard T.

2006-01-01

The apparatus would include a solar photovoltaic panel mounted on the roof and a panellike assembly mounted in a window opening. The window-mounted assembly would include a stack of thermoelectric devices sandwiched between two heat sinks. A fan would circulate interior air over one heat sink. Another fan would circulate exterior air over the other heat sink. The fans and the thermoelectric devices would be powered by the solar photovoltaic panel. By means of a double-pole, double-throw switch, the panel voltage fed to the thermoelectric stack would be set to the desired polarity: For cooling operation, the chosen polarity would be one in which the thermoelectric devices transport heat from the inside heat sink to the outside one; for heating operation, the opposite polarity would be chosen. Because thermoelectric devices are more efficient in heating than in cooling, this apparatus would be more effective as a heater than as a cooler. However, if the apparatus were to include means to circulate air between the outside and the inside without opening the windows, then its effectiveness as a cooler in a hot, sunny location would be increased.

Our Sun IV: The Standard Model and Helioseismology: Consequences of Uncertainties in Input Physics and in Observed Solar Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boothroyd, Arnold I.; Sackmann, I.-Juliana

2001-01-01

Helioseismic frequency observations provide an extremely accurate window into the solar interior; frequencies from the Michaelson Doppler Imager (MDI) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, enable the adiabatic sound speed and adiabatic index to be inferred with an accuracy of a few parts in 10(exp 4) and the density with an accuracy of a few parts in 10(exp 3). This has become a Serious challenge to theoretical models of the Sun. Therefore, we have undertaken a self-consistent, systematic study of the sources of uncertainties in the standard solar models. We found that the largest effect on the interior structure arises from the observational uncertainties in the photospheric abundances of the elements, which affect the sound speed profile at the level of 3 parts in 10(exp 3). The estimated 4% uncertainty in the OPAL opacities could lead to effects of 1 part in 10(exp 3); the approximately 5%, uncertainty in the basic pp nuclear reaction rate would have a similar effect, as would uncertainties of approximately 15% in the diffusion constants for the gravitational settling of helium. The approximately 50% uncertainties in diffusion constants for the heavier elements would have nearly as large an effect. Different observational methods for determining the solar radius yield results differing by as much as 7 parts in 10(exp 4); we found that this leads to uncertainties of a few parts in 10(exp 3) in the sound speed int the solar convective envelope, but has negligible effect on the interior. Our reference standard solar model yielded a convective envelope position of 0.7135 solar radius, in excellent agreement with the observed value of 0.713 +/- 0.001 solar radius and was significantly affected only by Z/X, the pp rate, and the uncertainties in helium diffusion constants. Our reference model also yielded envelope helium abundance of 0.2424, in good agreement with the approximate range of 0.24 to 0.25 inferred from helioseismic observations; only extreme Z/X values yielded envelope helium abundance outside this range. We found that other current uncertainties, namely, in the solar age and luminosity, in nuclear rates other than the pp reaction, in the low-temperature molecular opacities, and in the low-density equation of state, have no significant effect on the quantities that can be inferred from helioseismic observations. The predicted pre-main-sequence lithium depletion is uncertain by a factor of 2. The predicted neutrino capture rate is uncertain by approximately 30% for the Cl-27 experiment and by approximately 3% for Ga-71 experiments, while the B-8 neutrino flux is uncertain by approximately 30%.

Lunar electrical conductivity, permeability and temperature from Apollo magnetometer experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1977-01-01

Magnetometers were deployed at four Apollo sites on the moon to measure remanent and induced lunar magnetic fields. Measurements from this network of instruments were used to calculate the electrical conductivity, temperature, magnetic permeability, and iron abundance of the lunar interior. The measured lunar remanent fields range from 3 gammas minimum at the Apollo 15 site to 327 gammas maximum at the Apollo 16 site. Simultaneous magnetic field and solar plasma pressure measurements show that the remanent fields at the Apollo 12 and 16 sites interact with, and are compressed by, the solar wind. Remanent fields at Apollo 12 and Apollo 16 are increased 16 gammas and 32 gammas, respectively, by a solar plasma bulk pressure increase of 1.5 X 10 to the -7th power dynes/sq cm. Global lunar fields due to eddy currents, induced in the lunar interior by magnetic transients, were analyzed to calculate an electrical conductivity profile for the moon. From nightside magnetometer data in the solar wind it was found that deeper than 170 km into the moon the conductivity rises from .0003 mhos/m to .10 mhos/m at 100 km depth. Recent analysis of data obtained in the geomagnetic tail, in regions free of complicating plasma effects, yields results consistent with nightside values.

Thermalization time scales for WIMP capture by the Sun in effective theories

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

Widmark, A., E-mail: axel.widmark@fysik.su.se

I study the process of dark matter capture by the Sun, under the assumption of a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP), in the framework of non-relativistic effective field theory. Hypothetically, WIMPs from the galactic halo can scatter against atomic nuclei in the solar interior, settle to thermal equilibrium with the solar core and annihilate to produce an observable flux of neutrinos. In particular, I examine the thermalization process using Monte-Carlo integration of WIMP trajectories. I consider WIMPs in a mass range of 10–1000 GeV and WIMP-nucleon interaction operators with different dependence on spin and transferred momentum. I find that themore » density profiles of captured WIMPs are in accordance with a thermal profile described by the Sun's gravitational potential and core temperature. Depending on the operator that governs the interaction, the majority of the thermalization time is spent in either the solar interior or exterior. If normalizing the WIMP-nuclei interaction strength to a specific capture rate, I find that the thermalization time differs at most by 3 orders of magnitude between operators. In most cases of interest, the thermalization time is many orders of magnitude shorter than the age of the solar system.« less

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.

InSight Atlas V LVOS

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-12-15

A crane positions a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

Insight Fairing Offload and Unbagging

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-30

In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians remove protective wrapping from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Lift and Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage is lifted and mated atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California a crane lifts a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage for mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V LVOS

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-03

A crane positions a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Fairing Arrival, Offload, and Unbagging

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-31

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars has just arrived at the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Booster Transport

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-02

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster departs building 7525 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on its way to Space Launch Complex 3. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage is transported to Space Launch Complex 3 for mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Spacecraft Arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-28

After a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ground crews offload NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

InSight Spacecraft Arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-28

After arrival at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ground crews prepare NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft for transportation to the Astrotech processing facility. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to explore the deep interior of Mars. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-01

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft is uncrated inside the Astrotech processing facility. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

InSight Atlas V Fairing Arrival, Offload, and Unbagging

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-31

In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians remove protective wrapping from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V LVOS

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-03

Technicians, engineers and U.S. Air Force personnel prepare to support erection of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Spacecraft Arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-28

A U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California carrying NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Lift & Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California technicians and engineers mate a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Lift & Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California a crane lifts a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage for mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Booster Prep for Transport

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-01

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster is prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Booster Transport

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-02

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will be positioned on the pad to launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

The composition and origin of the moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, D. L.

1972-01-01

A model is presented of the moon as a high temperature condensate from the solar nebula. The Ca, Al, and Ti rich compounds condense first in a cooling nebula. The initial high temperature mineralogy is gehlenite, spinel, perovskite, Ca-Al-rich pyroxenes, and anorthite. Type 3 carbonaceous chondrites such as the Allende meteorite are composed primarily of these minerals and are highly enriched in refractories. These inclusions can yield basalt and anorthosite in the proportions required to eliminate the europium anomaly, leaving a residual spinel-melilite interior. The inferred high U content of the lunar interior, both from the Allende analogy and the high heat flow, indicates a high temperature interior. The model is consistent with extensive early, shallow melting at 3 A.E., and with high deep internal temperatures. It is predicted that the outer 250 km is rich in plagioclase and FeO. The low iron content of the interior raises the interior temperatures estimated from electrical conductivity by some 800 C.

Convective Overshoot in Stellar Interior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Q. S.

2015-07-01

In stellar interiors, the turbulent thermal convection transports matters and energy, and dominates the structure and evolution of stars. The convective overshoot, which results from the non-local convective transport from the convection zone to the radiative zone, is one of the most uncertain and difficult factors in stellar physics at present. The classical method for studying the convective overshoot is the non-local mixing-length theory (NMLT). However, the NMLT bases on phenomenological assumptions, and leads to contradictions, thus the NMLT was criticized in literature. At present, the helioseismic studies have shown that the NMLT cannot satisfy the helioseismic requirements, and have pointed out that only the turbulent convection models (TCMs) can be accepted. In the first part of this thesis, models and derivations of both the NMLT and the TCM were introduced. In the second part, i.e., the work part, the studies on the TCM (theoretical analysis and applications), and the development of a new model of the convective overshoot mixing were described in detail. In the work of theoretical analysis on the TCM, the approximate solution and the asymptotic solution were obtained based on some assumptions. The structure of the overshoot region was discussed. In a large space of the free parameters, the approximate/asymptotic solutions are in good agreement with the numerical results. We found an important result that the scale of the overshoot region in which the thermal energy transport is effective is 1 HK (HK is the scale height of turbulence kinetic energy), which does not depend on the free parameters of the TCM. We applied the TCM and a simple overshoot mixing model in three cases. In the solar case, it was found that the temperature gradient in the overshoot region is in agreement with the helioseismic requirements, and the profiles of the solar lithium abundance, sound speed, and density of the solar models are also improved. In the low-mass stars of open clusters Hyades, Praesepe, NGC6633, NGC752, NGC3680, and M67, using the model and parameter same to the solar case to deal with the convective envelope overshoot mixing, the lithium abundances on the surface of the stellar models were consistent with the observations. In the case of the binary HY Vir, the same model and parameter also make the radii and effective temperatures of HY Vir stars with convective cores be consistent with the observations. Based on the implications of the above results, we found that the simple overshoot mixing model may need to be improved significantly. Motivated by those implications, we established a new model of the overshoot mixing based on the fluid dynamic equations, and worked out the diffusion coefficient of convective mixing. The diffusion coefficient shows different behaviors in convection zone and overshoot region. In the overshoot region, the buoyancy does negative works on flows, thus the fluid flows around the equilibrium location, which leads to a small scale and low efficiency of overshoot mixing. The physical properties are significantly different from the classical NMLT, and consistent with the helioseismic studies and numerical simulations. The new model was tested in stellar evolution, and its parameter was calibrated.

Colliding worlds: A journey in time and space through the solar system (Farinella Prize Lecture)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchi, S.

2017-09-01

The evolution of the interiors, surfaces, and atmospheres of solid bodies in the solar system is affected by interplanetary collisions. From Mercury to the outskirts of the solar system, collisions with leftover planetesimals -asteroids, comets and their debris- provide a primary evolutionary process. Impact craters mark this evolution and provide a diagnostic tool, which coupled with modeling and, when possible, sample analysis, allow us to unravel the ancient history of the solar system. In this prize talk, I will present a few selected cutting-edge research topics at the frontier between modeling and space exploration that without any doubt would have deeply interested the curious mind of Paolo Farinella.

Lunar surface magnetometer experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Sonett, C. P.

1972-01-01

The Apollo 15 lunar-surface magnetometer (LSM) is one of a network of magnetometers that have been deployed on the moon to study intrinsic remanent magnetic fields and global magnetic response of the moon to large-scale solar and terrestrial magnetic fields. From these field measurements, properties of the lunar interior such as magnetic permeability, electrical conductivity, and temperature can be calculated. In addition, correlation with solar-wind-spectrometer data allows study of the the solar-wind plasma interaction with the moon and, in turn, investigation of the resulting absorption of gases and accretion of an ionosphere. These physical parameters and processes determined from magnetometer measurements must be accounted for by comprehensive theories of origin and evolution of the moon and solar system.

Xenon in the Protoplanetary Disk (PPD-Xe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marti, K.; Mathew, K. J.

2015-06-01

Relationships among solar system Xe components as observed in the solar wind, in planetary atmospheres, and in meteorites are investigated using isotopic correlations. The term PPD-Xe is used for components inferred to have been present in the molecular cloud material that formed the protoplanetary disk (PPD). The evidence of the lack of simple relationships between terrestrial atmospheric Xe and solar or meteoritic components is confirmed. Xe isotopic correlations indicate a heterogeneous PPD composition with variable mixing ratios of the nucleosynthetic component Xe-HL. Solar Xe represents a bulk PPD component, and the isotopic abundances did not change from the time of incorporation into the interior of Mars through times of regolith implantations to the present.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Magnetospheres of planets with an intrinsic magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belenkaya, Elena S.

2009-08-01

This review presents modern views on the physics of magnetospheres of Solar System planets having an intrinsic magnetic field, and on the structure of magnetospheric magnetic fields. Magnetic fields are generated in the interiors of Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune via the dynamo mechanism. These fields are so strong that they serve as obstacles for the plasma stream of the solar wind. A magnetosphere surrounding a planet forms as the result of interaction between the solar wind and the planetary magnetic field. The dynamics of magnetospheres are primary enforced by solar wind variations. Each magnetosphere is unique. The review considers common and individual sources of magnetic fields and the properties of planetary magnetospheres.

Solar wind alpha particle capture at Mars and Venus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenberg, Gabriella; Barabash, Stas; Nilsson, Hans; Fedorov, A.; Brain, David; André, Mats

Helium is detected in the atmospheres of both Mars and Venus. It is believed that radioactive decay of uranium and thorium in the interior of the planets' is not sufficient to account for the abundance of helium observed. Alpha particles in the solar wind are suggested to be an additional source of helium, especially at Mars. Recent hybrid simulations show that as much as 30We use ion data from the ASPERA-3 and ASPERA-4 instruments on Mars and Venus Express to estimate how efficient solar wind alpha particles are captured in the atmospheres of the two planets.

Measure Guideline: Summary of Interior Ducts in New Construction, Including an Efficient, Affordable Method to Install Fur-Down Interior Ducts

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

Beal, D.; McIlvaine , J.; Fonorow, K.

2011-11-01

This document illustrates guidelines for the efficient installation of interior duct systems in new housing, including the fur-up chase method, the fur-down chase method, and interior ducts positioned in sealed attics or sealed crawl spaces. This document illustrates guidelines for the efficient installation of interior duct systems in new housing. Interior ducts result from bringing the duct work inside a home's thermal and air barrier. Architects, designers, builders, and new home buyers should thoroughly investigate any opportunity for energy savings that is as easy to implement during construction, such as the opportunity to construct interior duct work. In addition tomore » enhanced energy efficiency, interior ductwork results in other important advantages, such as improved indoor air quality, increased system durability and increased homeowner comfort. While the advantages of well-designed and constructed interior duct systems are recognized, the implementation of this approach has not gained a significant market acceptance. This guideline describes a variety of methods to create interior ducts including the fur-up chase method, the fur-down chase method, and interior ducts positioned in sealed attics or sealed crawl spaces. As communication of the intent of an interior duct system, and collaboration on its construction are paramount to success, this guideline details the critical design, planning, construction, inspection, and verification steps that must be taken. Involved in this process are individuals from the design team; sales/marketing team; and mechanical, insulation, plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall and solar contractors.« less

Possible Moonwich of Ice and Oceans on Ganymede Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-01

This artist concept of Jupiter moon Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, illustrates the club sandwich model of its interior oceans. Scientists suspect Ganymede has a massive ocean under an icy crust.

Young Adult Male Satisfaction with Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities: Interior Design Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potthoff, Joy K.

1991-01-01

Examined young adult male patient (n=18) satisfaction with interior environments of three different in-patient drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities: renovated Elk's Club; hospital wing; and facility built for drug and alcohol treatment. Findings indicated satisfaction declined over four-week treatment period; familiar objects were missed;…

Meridional Flow Measurements: Comparisons Between Ring Diagram Analysis and Fourier-Hankel Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaatri, A.; Roth, M.

2008-09-01

The meridional circulation is a weak flow with amplitude in the order of 10 m/s on the solar surface. As this flow could be responsible for the transport of magnetic flux during the solar cycle it has become a crucial ingredient in some dynamo models. However, only less is known about the overall structure of the meridional circulation. Helioseismology is able to provide information on the structure of this flow in the solar interior. One widely used helioseismic technique for measuring frequency shifts due to horizontal flows in the subsurface layers of the sun is the ring diagram analyis (Corbard et al. 2003). It is based on the analysis of frequency shifts in the solar oscillation power spectrum as a function of the orientation of the wave vector. This then allows drawing conclusions on the strength of meridional flow, too. Ring diagram analysis is currently limited to the analysis of the wave field in only a small region on the solar surface. Consequently, information on the solar interior can only be inferred down to a depth of about 16 Mm. Another helioseismology method that promises to estimate the meridional flow strength down to greater depths is the Fourier-Hankel analysis (Krieger et al. 2007). This technique is based on a decomposition of the wave field in poleward and equatorward propagating waves. A possible frequency shift between them is then due to the meridional flow. We have been motivated for carrying out a comparative study between the two techniques to measure the meridional flow. We investigate the degree of coherence between the two methods by analyzing the same data sets recorded by the SOHO-MDI and GONG instruments.

Self-assembled metastable γ-Ga2O3 nanoflowers with hexagonal nanopetals for solar-blind photodetection.

PubMed

Teng, Yue; Song, Le Xin; Ponchel, Anne; Yang, Zheng Kun; Xia, Juan

2014-09-01

Metastable γ-Ga2O3 nanoflowers assembled from hexagonal nanopetals are successfully constructed by the oxidation of metallic Ga in acetone solution. The nanoflowers with a hollow interior structure exhibit a short response time and a large light-current-dark-current ratio under a relatively low bias voltage, suggesting an especially important potential application in solar-blind photodetection. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Understanding Space Weather: The Sun as a Variable Star

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strong, Keith; Saba, Julia; Kucera, Therese

2011-01-01

The Sun is a complex system of systems and until recently, less than half of its surface was observable at any given time and then only from afar. New observational techniques and modeling capabilities are giving us a fresh perspective of the solar interior and how our Sun works as a variable star. This revolution in solar observations and modeling provides us with the exciting prospect of being able to use a vastly increased stream of solar data taken simultaneously from several different vantage points to produce more reliable and prompt space weather forecasts. Solar variations that cause identifiable space weather effects do not happen only on solar-cycle timescales from decades to centuries; there are also many shorter-term events that have their own unique space weather effects and a different set of challenges to understand and predict, such as flares, coronal mass ejections, and solar wind variations

Understanding Space Weather: The Sun as a Variable Star

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strong, Keith; Saba, Julia; Kucera, Therese

2012-01-01

The Sun is a complex system of systems and until recently, less than half of its surface was observable at any given time and then only from afar. New observational techniques and modeling capabilities are giving us a fresh perspective of the solar interior and how our Sun works as a variable star. This revolution in solar observations and modeling provides us with the exciting prospect of being able to use a vastly increased stream of solar data taken simultaneously from several different vantage points to produce more reliable and prompt space weather forecasts. Solar variations that cause identifiable space weather effects do not happen only on solar-cycle timescales from decades to centuries; there are also many shorter-term events that have their own unique space weather effects and a different set of challenges to understand and predict, such as flares, coronal mass ejections, and solar wind variations.

Heliophysics 2009 Roadmap and Global Change: Possibilities for Improved Understanding of the Connection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spann, Jim

2010-01-01

Heliophysics is the science that includes all aspects of the research needed to understand the Sun and its effects on the Earth and the solar system. Six science targets: 1. Origins of Near-Earth Plasma - to understand the origin and transport of terrestrial plasma from its source to the magnetosphere and solar wind. 2. Solar Energetic Particle Acceleration and Transport - to understand how and where solar eruptions accelerate energetic particles that reach Earth. 3. Ion-Neutral Coupling in the Atmosphere - to understand how neutral winds control ionospheric variability. 4. Climate Impacts of Space Radiation - to understand our atmosphere s response to auroral, radiation belt, and solar energetic particles, and the associated effects on nitric oxide (NO) and ozone. 5. Dynamic Geospace Coupling - to understand how magnetospheric dynamics provides energy into the coupled ionosphere-magnetosphere system. 6. Heliospheric Magnetics - to understand the flow and dynamics of transient magnetic structures form the solar interior to Earth.

Variability of the solar shape (before space dedicated missions)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozelot, J. P.; Damiani, C.; Lefebvre, S.

2009-12-01

Shrinking or expansion of the solar shape and irradiance variations are ultimately related to solar activity. We give here a review on existing ground-based or space solar radius measurements, extending the concept to shape changes. We show how helioseismology results allow us to look at the variations below the surface, where changes are not uniform, putting in evidence a new shallow layer, the leptocline, which is the seat of solar asphericities, radius variations with the 11-yr cycle and the cradle of complex physical processes: partial ionization of the light elements, opacities changes, superadiabaticity, strong gradient of rotation and pressure. Based on such physical grounds, we show why it is important to get accurate measurements from scheduled dedicated space missions: PICARD, SDO, DynaMICCS, ASTROMETRIA, SPHERIS. Such measurements will provide us a unique opportunity to study in detail the relationship between global solar properties and changes in the Sun's interior.

Hot spots and active longitudes: Organization of solar activity as a probe of the interior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bai, Taeil; Hoeksema, J. Todd; Scherrer, Phil H.

1995-01-01

In order to investigate how solar activity is organized in longitude, major solar flares, large sunspot groups, and large scale photospheric magnetic field strengths were analyzed. The results of these analyses are reported. The following results are discussed: hot spots, initially recognized as areas of high concentration of major flares, are the preferred locations for the emergence of big sunspot groups; double hot spots appear in pairs that rotate at the same rate separated by about 180 deg in longitude, whereas, single hot spots have no such companions; the northern and southern hemispheres behave differently in organizing solar activity in longitude; the lifetime of hot spots range from one to several solar cycles; a hot spot is not always active throughout its lifetime, but goes through dormant periods; and hot spots with different rotational periods coexist in the same hemisphere during the same solar cycle.

Asteroseismology - The impact of solar space observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudson, H. S.

1993-01-01

Observations from space relevant to solar global properties (oscillations, magnetic activity, etc.) are helpful both scientifically and technically in preparing for stellar observations. This paper summarizes the results from the main previous experiments (ACRIM, SOUP, and IPHIR), and also gives an initial technical report from the SXT instrument on board Yohkoh, launched in August 1991. The solar observations to date demonstrate the existence of several mechanisms for low-level variability: spots, faculae, the photospheric network, granulation, and p-mode oscillations. The observations of oscillations have been particularly helpful in setting limits on solar interior rotation. In addition to the solar processes, stars of other types may have different mechanisms of variability. These may include the analogs of coronal holes or solar flares, modes of oscillation not detected in the sun, collisions with small bodies, duplicity, and probably mechanisms not invented yet but related in interesting ways to stellar convection and magnetism.

Nanoscale imaging of photocurrent and efficiency in CdTe solar cells

DOE PAGES

Leite, Marina S.; National Inst. of Standards and Technology; Abashin, Maxim; ...

2014-10-15

The local collection characteristics of grain interiors and grain boundaries in thin film CdTe polycrystalline solar cells are investigated using scanning photocurrent microscopy. The carriers are locally generated by light injected through a small aperture (50-300 nm) of a near-field scanning optical microscope in an illumination mode. Possible influence of rough surface topography on light coupling is examined and eliminated by sculpting smooth wedges on the granular CdTe surface. By varying the wavelength of light, nanoscale spatial variations in external quantum efficiency are mapped. We find that the grain boundaries (GBs) are better current collectors than the grain interiors (GIs).more » The increased collection efficiency is caused by two distinct effects associated with the material composition of GBs. First, GBs are charged, and the corresponding built-in field facilitates the separation and the extraction of the photogenerated carriers. Second, the GB regions generate more photocurrent at long wavelength corresponding to the band edge, which can be caused by a smaller local band gap. As a result, resolving carrier collection with nanoscale resolution in solar cell materials is crucial for optimizing the polycrystalline device performance through appropriate thermal processing and passivation of defect and surfaces.« less

The ancient sun: Fossil record in the earth, moon and meteorites; Proceedings of the Conference, Boulder, CO, October 16-19, 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepin, R. O. (Editor); Eddy, J. A.; Merrill, R. B.

1980-01-01

Papers are presented concerning theories of solar variability and their consequences for luminosity, particle emission and magnetic field changes within the past 4.5 billion years, and on the records of such solar behavior in lunar, meteoritic and terrestrial materials. Specific topics include the neutrino luminosity of the sun, the relation of sunspots to the terrestrial climate of the past 100 years, solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays, the historical record of solar activity, C-14 variations in terrestrial and marine reservoirs, and solar particle fluxes as indicated by track, thermoluminescence and solar wind measurements in lunar rocks. Attention is also given to the spin-down of the solar interior through circulation currents and fluid instabilities, grain surface exposure models in planetary regoliths, rare gases in the solar wind, nitrogen isotopic variations in the lunar regolith, the influence of solar UV radiation on climate, and the pre-main sequence evolution of the sun and evidence of the primordial solar wind in the electromagnetic induction heating of the asteroids and moon.

Prospects for the future investigations of Mercury by the BepiColombo Laser Altimeter (BELA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinbrügge, Gregor; Stark, Alexander; Hussmann, Hauke; Wickhusen, Kai; Oberst, Jürgen

2017-04-01

The flight model of the BepiColombo Laser Altimeter (BELA) has recently been delivered for integration on the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO). We performed numerical simulations of the instrument performance expected in flight based on the measured BELA flight model (FM) parameters. In particular, we study measurement performance of topography, slopes, albedo, and roughness. Further, we analyzed the orbit evolution of the MPO based on most recent Mercury gravity data from MESSENGER. This allows us to estimate local and global topographic coverage, as well as the potential for estimates of the tidal Love number h2. Also possible implications of BELA science data on Mercury's interior structure, especially on the core radius and the mantle rheology, will be assessed. BELA is built by the Institute of Physics of the University of Bern and the DLR Institute of Planetary Research in cooperation with the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) and the Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research (MPS).

Melting curve of SiO2 at multimegabar pressures: implications for gas giants and super-Earths.

PubMed

González-Cataldo, Felipe; Davis, Sergio; Gutiérrez, Gonzalo

2016-05-23

Ultrahigh-pressure phase boundary between solid and liquid SiO2 is still quite unclear. Here we present predictions of silica melting curve for the multimegabar pressure regime, as obtained from first principles molecular dynamics simulations. We calculate the melting temperatures from three high pressure phases of silica (pyrite-, cotunnite-, and Fe2P-type SiO2) at different pressures using the Z method. The computed melting curve is found to rise abruptly around 330 GPa, an increase not previously reported by any melting simulations. This is in close agreement with recent experiments reporting the α-PbO2-pyrite transition around this pressure. The predicted phase diagram indicates that silica could be one of the dominant components of the rocky cores of gas giants, as it remains solid at the core of our Solar System's gas giants. These results are also relevant to model the interior structure and evolution of massive super-Earths.

Melting curve of SiO2 at multimegabar pressures: implications for gas giants and super-Earths

PubMed Central

González-Cataldo, Felipe; Davis, Sergio; Gutiérrez, Gonzalo

2016-01-01

Ultrahigh-pressure phase boundary between solid and liquid SiO2 is still quite unclear. Here we present predictions of silica melting curve for the multimegabar pressure regime, as obtained from first principles molecular dynamics simulations. We calculate the melting temperatures from three high pressure phases of silica (pyrite-, cotunnite-, and Fe2P-type SiO2) at different pressures using the Z method. The computed melting curve is found to rise abruptly around 330 GPa, an increase not previously reported by any melting simulations. This is in close agreement with recent experiments reporting the α-PbO2–pyrite transition around this pressure. The predicted phase diagram indicates that silica could be one of the dominant components of the rocky cores of gas giants, as it remains solid at the core of our Solar System’s gas giants. These results are also relevant to model the interior structure and evolution of massive super-Earths. PMID:27210813

Xenon in the protoplanetary disk (PPD-XE)

DOE PAGES

Marti, K.; Mathew, K. J.

2015-06-18

Relationships among solar system Xe components as observed in the solar wind (SW), in planetary atmospheres and in meteorites are investigated using isotopic correlations. The term PPD-Xe is used for components inferred to have been present in the molecular cloud material that formed the protoplanetary disk (PPD). The evidence of the lack of simple relationships between terrestrial atmospheric Xe and solar or meteoritic components is confirmed. Xe isotopic correlations indicate a heterogeneous PPD composition with variable mixing ratios of the nucleosynthetic component Xe-HL. Solar Xe represents a bulk PPD component, and the isotopic abundances did not change from the timemore » of incorporation into the interior of Mars, through times of regolith implantations to the present.« less

GLOBAL HELIOSEISMIC EVIDENCE FOR A DEEPLY PENETRATING SOLAR MERIDIONAL FLOW CONSISTING OF MULTIPLE FLOW CELLS

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

Schad, A.; Roth, M.; Timmer, J., E-mail: ariane.schad@kis.uni-freiburg.de

2013-12-01

We use a novel global helioseismic analysis method to infer the meridional flow in the deep Solar interior. The method is based on the perturbation of eigenfunctions of Solar p modes due to meridional flow. We apply this method to time series obtained from Dopplergrams measured by the Michelson Doppler Imager aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory covering the observation period 2004-2010. Our results show evidence that the meridional flow reaches down to the base of the convection zone. The flow profile has a complex spatial structure consisting of multiple flow cells distributed in depth and latitude. Toward the Solarmore » surface, our results are in good agreement with flow measurements from local helioseismology.« less

Water transport in limestone by X-ray CAT scanning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mossoti, Victor G.; Castanier, Louis M.

1989-01-01

The transport of water through the interior of Salem limestone test briquettes can be dynamically monitored by computer aided tomography (commonly called CAT scanning in medical diagnostics). Most significantly, unless evaporation from a particular face of the briquette is accelerated by forced air flow (wind simulation), the distribution of water in the interior of the briquette remains more or less uniform throughout the complete drying cycle. Moreover, simulated solar illumination of the test briquette does not result in the production of significant water gradients in the briquette under steady-state drying conditions.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Stage Offload

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-31

Inside Building B7525 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Centaur upper stage for a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is offloaded from a transport truck. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V ASA and Nozzle Arrival/Unload

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-05

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) and nozzle for a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is removed from its shipping container. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-01

Inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the heatshield for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft is removed from protective wrapping. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

InSight Atlas V Fairing Rotate to Vertical

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-07

In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the payload fairing for the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars is lifted to the vertical position. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-01

Inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers inspect the heatshield for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-01

Inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the heatshield for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft has been removed from protective wrapping. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

InSight Atlas V ASA to ISA Installation

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-06

Inside Building B7525 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) is installed to the interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California technicians and engineers prepare a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage for lifting and mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage is prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 3 for mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

25 CFR 162.526 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false [Reserved] 162.526 Section 162.526 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Bonding and Insurance § 162.526 [Reserved] ...

25 CFR 162.526 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false [Reserved] 162.526 Section 162.526 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Bonding and Insurance § 162.526 [Reserved] ...

Preface (for CUP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pap, Judit

1993-01-01

Study of changes in solar and stellar irradiances has been of high interest for a long time. Determining the absolute value of the luminosity of stars with different ages is a crucial question for the theory of stellar evolution and energy production in stellar interiors.

Metal Sulfide Nanocrystals inside Ferritin with Photovoltaic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Kameron; Peterson, J. Ryan; Olsen, Cameron; Hogg, Heather; Colton, John; Watt, Richard; Colton Team

Ferritin is a spherical protein shell used universally by organisms to store iron. Due to a number of ferritin's properties (a conductive shell, ability to be arranged in ordered arrays, and high stability), recent theoretical work has proposed that non-native semiconductor nanocrystals inside ferritin can be used for high-efficiency solar energy conversion. We present research on the synthesis of a variety of these nanocrystals (PbS, CuS, Mo2S, ZnS, and PbSe) inside ferritin's hollow interior and band gap energies of the resulting ferritin-nanocrystal constructs. We also report preliminary solar cell results for dye sensitized solar cells with PbS-ferritin as the dye.

A search for lithium in Pleiades brown dwarf candidates using the Keck hires echelle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Basri, Gibor; Graham, James R.

1994-01-01

We report Keck Observatory high-resolution echelle spectra of lithium at 670.8 nm in two of the lowest luminosity brown dwarf candidates in the Pleiades. These objects have estimated masses of 0.055 to 0.059 solar mass from their location on a color-magnitude diagram relative to theoretical isochrones. Stellar interior models predict that Li has not burned in them. However, we find no evidence of the Li line, at limits 100 to 1000 times below the initial abundance. This indicates that Li has in fact been depleted, presumably by nuclear processing as occurs in Pleiades stars. Interior models suggest that such large Li depletion occurs only for objects with M greater than 0.09 solar mass at the age of the Pleiades. Thus, it is unlikely that the candidates are brown dwarfs. The brown dwarf candidates present a conflict: either they have masses greater than suggested from their placement on the H-R diagram, or they do have the very low suggested masses but are nonetheless capable of destroying Li, in only 70 Myr. Until this dilemma is resolved, the photometric identification of brown dwarfs will remain difficult. Resolution may reside in higher T(sub eff) derived from optical and IR colors or in lower T(sub eff) in the interior models.

Lunar electrical conductivity, permeability,and temperature from Apollo magnetometer experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1974-01-01

Magnetometers were deployed at four Apollo sites on the moon to measure remanent and induced lunar magnetic fields. Measurements from this network of instruments were used to calculate the electrical conductivity, temperature, magnetic permeability, and iron abundance of the lunar interior. Global lunar fields due to eddy currents, induced in the lunar interior by magnetic transients, were analyzed to calculate and electrical conductivity profile for the moon, and those profiles were used to calculate the lunar temperature for an assumed lunar material of olivine. Simultaneous measurements by magnetometers on the lunar surface and in orbit around the moon were use to construct a whole-moon hysteresis curve, from which the global lunar magnetic permeability is determined. Total iron abundance (sum of iron in the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states) was calculated for two assumed compositional models of the lunar interior. Other lunar models with an iron core and with a shallow iron-rich layer also discussed in light of the measured global lunar permeability. Simultaneous magnetic field and solar plasma pressure measurements show that the remanent fields at the Apollo 12 and 16 sites interact with, and are compressed by, the solar wind. Velocities and thicknesses of the earth's magnetopause and bow shock were also estimated from simultaneous magnetometer measurements.

Magnetic Fields of Extrasolar Planets: Planetary Interiors and Habitability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazio, T. Joseph

2018-06-01

Ground-based observations showed that Jupiter's radio emission is linked to its planetary-scale magnetic field, and subsequent spacecraft observations have shown that most planets, and some moons, have or had a global magnetic field. Generated by internal dynamos, magnetic fields are one of the few remote sensing means of constraining the properties of planetary interiors. For the Earth, its magnetic field has been speculated to be partially responsible for its habitability, and knowledge of an extrasolar planet's magnetic field may be necessary to assess its habitability. The radio emission from Jupiter and other solar system planets is produced by an electron cyclotron maser, and detections of extrasolar planetary electron cyclotron masers will enable measurements of extrasolar planetary magnetic fields. Based on experience from the solar system, such observations will almost certainly require space-based observations, but they will also be guided by on-going and near-future ground-based observations.This work has benefited from the discussion and participants of the W. M. Keck Institute of Space Studies "Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability" and content within a white paper submitted to the National Academy of Science Committee on Exoplanet Science Strategy. Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Radial and latitudinal gradients in the solar internal angular velocity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, Edward J., Jr.; Cacciani, Alessandro; Korzennik, Sylvain G.; Tomczyk, Steven; Ulrich, Roger K.; Woodard, Martin F.

1988-01-01

The frequency splittings of intermediate-degree (3 to 170 deg) p-mode oscillations obtained from a 16-day subset of observations were analyzed. Results show evidence for both radial and latitudinal gradients in the solar internal angular velocity. From 0.6 to 0.95 solar radii, the solar internal angular velocity increases systematically from 440 to 463 nHz, corresponding to a positive radial gradient of 66 nHz/solar radius for that portion of the solar interior. Analysis also indicates that the latitudinal differential rotation gradient which is seen at the solar surface persists throughout the convection zone, although there are indications that the differential rotation might disappear entirely below the base of the convection zone. The analysis was extended to include comparisons with additional observational studies and between earlier results and the results of additional inversions of several of the observational datasets. All the comparisons reinforce conclusions regarding the existence of radial and latitudinal gradients in the internal angular velocity.

Radiation heat transfer simulation in a window for a small particle solar receiver using the Monte Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitmore, Alexander Jason

Concentrating solar power systems are currently the predominant solar power technology for generating electricity at the utility scale. The central receiver system, which is a concentrating solar power system, uses a field of mirrors to concentrate solar radiation onto a receiver where a working fluid is heated to drive a turbine. Current central receiver systems operate on a Rankine cycle, which has a large demand for cooling water. This demand for water presents a challenge for the current central receiver systems as the ideal locations for solar power plants have arid climates. An alternative to the current receiver technology is the small particle receiver. The small particle receiver has the potential to produce working fluid temperatures suitable for use in a Brayton cycle which can be more efficient when pressurized to 0.5 MPa. Using a fused quartz window allows solar energy into the receiver while maintaining a pressurized small particle receiver. In this thesis, a detailed numerical investigation for a spectral, three dimensional, cylindrical glass window for a small particle receiver was performed. The window is 1.7 meters in diameter and 0.0254 meters thick. There are three Monte Carlo Ray Trace codes used within this research. The first MCRT code, MIRVAL, was developed by Sandia National Laboratory and modified by a fellow San Diego State University colleague Murat Mecit. This code produces the solar rays on the exterior surface of the window. The second MCRT code was developed by Steve Ruther and Pablo Del Campo. This code models the small particle receiver, which creates the infrared spectral direction flux on the interior surface of the window used in this work. The third MCRT, developed for this work, is used to model radiation heat transfer within the window itself and is coupled to an energy equation solver to produce a temperature distribution. The MCRT program provides a source term to the energy equation. This in turn, produces a new temperature field for the MCRT program; together the equations are solved iteratively. These iterations repeat until convergence is reached for a steady state temperature field. The energy equation was solved using a finite volume method. The window's thermal conductivity is modeled as a function of temperature. This thermal model is used to investigate the effects of different materials, receiver geometries, interior convection coefficients and exterior convection coefficients. To prevent devitrification and the ultimate failure of the window, the window needs to stay below the devitrification temperature of the material. In addition, the temperature gradients within the window need to be kept to a minimum to prevent thermal stresses. A San Diego State University colleague E-Fann Saung uses these temperature maps to insure that the mounting of the window does not produce thermal stresses which can cause cracking in the brittle fused quartz. The simulations in this thesis show that window temperatures are below the devitrification temperature of the window when there are cooling jets on both surfaces of the window. Natural convection on the exterior window surface was explored and it does not provide adequate cooling; therefore forced convection is required. Due to the low thermal conductivity of the window, the edge mounting thermal boundary condition has little effect on the maximum temperature of the window. The simulations also showed that the solar input flux absorbed less than 1% of the incoming radiation while the window absorbed closer to 20% of the infrared radiation emitted by the receiver. The main source of absorbed power in the window is located directly on the interior surface of the window where the infrared radiation is absorbed. The geometry of the receiver has a large impact on the amount of emitted power which reached the interior surface of the window, and using a conical shaped receiver dramatically reduced the receiver's infrared flux on the window. The importance of internal emission is explored within this research. Internal emission produces a more even emission field throughout the receiver than applying radiation surface emission only. Due to a majority of the infrared receiver re-radiation being absorbed right at the interior surface, the surface emission only approximation method produces lower maximum temperatures.

Systematic measurements of opacity dependence on temperature, density, and atomic number at stellar interior conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagayama, Taisuke

2017-10-01

Model predictions for iron opacity are notably different from measurements performed at matter conditions similar to the boundary between the solar radiation and convection zones. The calculated iron opacities have narrower spectral lines, weaker quasi-continuum at short wavelength, and deeper opacity windows than the measurements. If correct, these measurements help resolve a decade old problem in solar physics. A key question is therefore: What is responsible for the model-data discrepancy? The answer is complex because the experiments are challenging and opacity theories depend on multiple entangled physical processes such as the influence of completeness and accuracy of atomic states, line broadening, contributions from myriad transitions from excited states, and multi-photon absorption processes. To help determine the cause of this discrepancy, a systematic study of opacity variation with temperature, density, and atomic number is underway. Measurements of chromium, iron, and nickel opacities have been performed at two different temperatures and densities. The collection of measured opacities provides constraints on hypotheses to explain the discrepancy. We will discuss implications of measured opacities, experimental errors, and possible opacity model refinements. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

25 CFR 162.537 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false [Reserved] 162.537 Section 162.537 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Compliance and Enforcement § 162.537 [Reserved] WSR Leases ...

25 CFR 162.537 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false [Reserved] 162.537 Section 162.537 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Compliance and Enforcement § 162.537 [Reserved] WSR Leases ...

Minimal Magnetic States of the Sun and the Solar Wind: Implications for the Origin of the Slow Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cliver, E. W.; von Steiger, R.

2017-09-01

During the last decade it has been proposed that both the Sun and the solar wind have minimum magnetic states, lowest order levels of magnetism that underlie the 11-yr cycle as well as longer-term variability. Here we review the literature on basal magnetic states at the Sun and in the heliosphere and draw a connection between the two based on the recent deep 2008-2009 minimum between cycles 23 and 24. In particular, we consider the implications of the low solar activity during the recent minimum for the origin of the slow solar wind.

Large Impact Features on Icy Galilean Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, J. M.; Schenk, P. M.; Korycansky, D. G.

2017-01-01

Impact crater morphology can be a very useful tool for probing planetary interiors, but nowhere in the solar system is a greater variety of crater morphologies observed (Fig. 1) than on the large icy Galilean satellites Ganymede and Callisto [e.g., 1- 3]. As on the rocky terrestrial planets, impact crater morphology becomes more complex with increasing size on these satellites. With increasing size, however, these same craters become less like their counterparts on the rocky planets. Several impact landforms and structures (multiring furrows, palimpsests, and central domes, for example), have no obvious analogs on any other planets. Further, several studies [e.g., 4-6] have drawn attention to impact landforms on Europa which are unusual, even by Galilean satellite standards. These radical differences in morphology suggest that impact into icy lithospheres that are mechanically distinct from silicate lithospheres may be responsible. As such, large impact structures may be important probes of the interiors of these bodies over time [e.g., 7]. The first goal of this work is to integrate and correlate the detailed morphologic and morphometric measurements and observations of craters on icy Galilean satellites [e.g., 4, 8-12] with new detailed mapping of these structures from Galileo high-resolution images. As a result, we put forward a revised crater taxonomy for Ganymede and Callisto in order to simplify the nonuniform impact crater nomenclature cluttering the literature. We develop and present an integrated model for the development of these unusual crater morphologies and their implications for the thermal evolution of these bodies.

Saturn PRobe Interior and aTmosphere Explorer (SPRITE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Amy; Banfield, D.; Atkinson, D.; Atreya, S.; Brinckerhoff, W.; Colaprete, A.; Coustenis, A.; Fletcher, L.; Guillot, T.; Hofstadter, M.;

Forward and Inverse Modeling of the Emission and Transmission Spectrum of GJ 436b: Investigating Metal Enrichment, Tidal Heating, and Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morley, Caroline V.; Knutson, Heather; Line, Michael; Fortney, Jonathan J.; Thorngren, Daniel; Marley, Mark S.; Teal, Dillon; Lupu, Roxana

2017-02-01

The Neptune-mass GJ 436b is one of the most studied transiting exoplanets with repeated measurements of its thermal emission and transmission spectra. We build on previous studies to answer outstanding questions about this planet, including its potentially high metallicity and tidal heating of its interior. We present new observations of GJ 436b’s thermal emission at 3.6 and 4.5 μm, which reduce uncertainties in estimates of GJ 436b’s flux at those wavelengths and demonstrate consistency between Spitzer observations spanning more than 7 yr. We analyze the Spitzer thermal emission photometry and Hubble WFC3 transmission spectrum. We use a dual-pronged modeling approach of both self-consistent and retrieval models. We vary the metallicity, intrinsic luminosity from tidal heating, disequilibrium chemistry, and heat redistribution. We also study clouds and photochemical hazes, but do not find strong evidence for either. The self-consistent and retrieval models combine to suggest that GJ 436b has a high atmospheric metallicity, with best fits at or above several hundred times solar metallicity, tidal heating warming its interior with best-fit intrinsic effective temperatures around 300-350 K, and disequilibrium chemistry. High metal enrichments (>600× solar) occur from the accretion of rocky, rather than icy, material. Assuming the interior temperature Tint ˜ 300-350 K, we find a dissipation factor Q‧ ˜ 2 × 105-106, larger than Neptune’s Q‧, implying a long tidal circularization timescale for the orbit. We suggest that Neptune-mass planets may be more diverse than imagined, with metal enhancements spanning several orders of magnitude, to perhaps over 1000× solar metallicity. High-fidelity observations with instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope will be critical for characterizing this diversity.

Shortleaf pine-bluestem habitat restoration in the Interior Highlands: Implications for stand growth and regeneration

Treesearch

James M. Guldin; John Strom; Warren Montague; Larry D. Hedrick

2004-01-01

National Forest managers in the Interior Highlands of Arkansas are restoring 155,000 acres of unburned shortleaf pine stands to shortleaf pine-bluestem habitat. Habitat restoration consists of longer rotations, removal of midstory hardwoods, and reintroduction of fire. A study was installed in the spring of 2000 to evaluate shortleaf pine regeneration and overstory...

Solar Energy: Potential Powerhouse for Jobs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCallion, Tom

1976-01-01

Components of solar energy systems are described, the development of the solar industry discussed, and implications are drawn for employment opportunities in industries (which may expand into new, solar-related areas) and in the professions, from law to sales, upon the advent of solar heating. (AJ)

The Whole Heliosphere Interval: Campaign Summaries and Early Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Barbara J.; Gibson, Sarah E.; Kozyra, Janet U.

2008-01-01

The Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI) is an internationally coordinated observing and modeling effort to characterize the 3-dimensional interconnected solar-heliospheric-planetary system - a.k.a. the "heliophysical" system. The heart of the WHI campaign is the study of the interconnected 3-D heliophysical domain, from the interior of the Sun, to the Earth, outer planets, and into interstellar space. WHI observing campaigns began with the 3-0 solar structure from solar Carrington Rotation 2068, which ran from March 20 - April 16, 2008. Observations and models of the outer heliosphere and planetary impacts extended beyond those dates as necessary; for example, the solar wind transit time to outer planets can take months. WHI occurs during solar minimum, which optimizes our ability to characterize the 3-D heliosphere and trace the structure to the outer limits of the heliosphere. A summary of some of the key results from the WHI first workshop in August 2008 will be given.

25 CFR 162.549 - How much monetary compensation must be paid under a WSR lease of tribal land?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation... tribe may request, in writing, that we determine fair market rental, in which case we will use a...

25 CFR 162.549 - How much monetary compensation must be paid under a WSR lease of tribal land?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation... tribe may request, in writing, that we determine fair market rental, in which case we will use a...

25 CFR 162.550 - How much monetary compensation must be paid under a WSR lease of individually owned Indian land?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease... Indian landowners submit an economic analysis that is approved by the Office of Indian Energy & Economic...

Implications of new GALLEX results for the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein solution of the solar neutrino problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gelb, James M.; Kwong, Waikwok; Rosen, S. P.

1992-01-01

We compare the implications for Be-7 and pp neutrinos of the two Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein fits to the new GALLEX solar neutrino measurements. Small-mixing-angle solutions tend to suppress the former as electron neutrinos, but not the latter, and large-angle solutions tend to reduce both by about a factor of two. The consequences for BOREXINO and similar solar neutrino-electron scattering experiments are discussed.

Stellar Ro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Featherstone, Nicholas

2017-05-01

Our understanding of the interior dynamics that give rise to a stellar dynamo draws heavily from investigations of similar dynamics in the solar context. Unfortunately, an outstanding gap persists in solar dynamo theory. Convection, an indispensable component of the dynamo, occurs in the midst of rotation, and yet we know little about how the influence of that rotation manifests across the broad range of convective scales present in the Sun. We are nevertheless well aware that the interaction of rotation and convection profoundly impacts many aspects of the dynamo, including the meridional circulation, the differential rotation, and the helicity of turbulent EMF. The rotational constraint felt by solar convection ultimately hinges on the characteristic amplitude of deep convective flow speeds, and such flows are difficult to measure helioseismically. Those measurements of deep convective power which do exist disagree by orders of magnitude, and until this disagreement is resolved, we are left with the results of models and those less ambiguous measurements derived from surface observations of solar convection. I will present numerical results from a series of nonrotating and rotating convection simulations conducted in full 3-D spherical geometry. This presentation will focus on how convective spectra differ between the rotating and non-rotating models and how that behavior changes as simulations are pushed toward more turbulent and/or more rotationally-constrained regimes. I will discuss how the surface signature of rotationally-constrained interior convection might naturally lead to observable signatures in the surface convective pattern, such as supergranulation and a dearth of giant cells.

What is Neptune's D/H ratio really telling us about its water abundance?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali-Dib, Mohamad; Lakhlani, Gunjan

2018-05-01

We investigate the deep-water abundance of Neptune using a simple two-component (core + envelope) toy model. The free parameters of the model are the total mass of heavy elements in the planet (Z), the mass fraction of Z in the envelope (fenv), and the D/H ratio of the accreted building blocks (D/Hbuild).We systematically search the allowed parameter space on a grid and constrain it using Neptune's bulk carbon abundance, D/H ratio, and interior structure models. Assuming solar C/O ratio and cometary D/H for the accreted building blocks are forming the planet, we can fit all of the constraints if less than ˜15 per cent of Z is in the envelope (f_{env}^{median} ˜ 7 per cent), and the rest is locked in a solid core. This model predicts a maximum bulk oxygen abundance in Neptune of 65× solar value. If we assume a C/O of 0.17, corresponding to clathrate-hydrates building blocks, we predict a maximum oxygen abundance of 200× solar value with a median value of ˜140. Thus, both cases lead to oxygen abundance significantly lower than the preferred value of Cavalié et al. (˜540× solar), inferred from model-dependent deep CO observations. Such high-water abundances are excluded by our simple but robust model. We attribute this discrepancy to our imperfect understanding of either the interior structure of Neptune or the chemistry of the primordial protosolar nebula.

The Interior Analysis and 3-D Reconstruction of Internally-Mixed Light-Absorbing Atmospheric Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conny, J. M.; Collins, S. M.; Anderson, I.; Herzing, A.

2010-12-01

Carbon-containing atmospheric particles may either absorb solar or outgoing long-wave radiation or scatter solar radiation, and thus, affect Earth’s radiative balance in multiple ways. Light-absorbing carbon that is common in urban air particles such as industrial coke dust, road dust, and diesel soot, often exists in the same particle with other phases that contain, for example, aluminum, calcium, iron, and sulfur. While the optical properties of atmospheric particles in general depend on overall particle size and shape, the inhomogeneity of chemical phases within internally-mixed particles may also greatly affect particle optical properties. In this study, a series of microscopic approaches were used to identify individual light-absorbing coarse-mode particles and to assess their interior structure and composition. Particle samples were collected in 2004 from one of the U.S. EPA’s Los Angeles Particulate Matter Supersites, and were likely affected substantially by road dust and construction dust. First, bright-field and dark-field light microscopy and computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to distinguish predominantly light-absorbing carbonaceous particles from other particle types such as mineral dust, sea salt, and brake wear. Second, high-resolution SEM-EDX elemental mapping of individual carbonaceous particles was used to select particles with additional elemental phases that exhibited spatial inhomogeneity. Third, focused ion-beam SEM (FIB-SEM) with EDX was used to slice through selected particles to expose interior surfaces and to determine the spatial distribution of element phases throughout the particles. Fourth, study of the interior phases of a particle was augmented by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of a thin section of the particle prepared by FIB-SEM. Here, electron energy loss spectroscopy with TEM was used to study chemical bonding in the carbonaceous phase. Finally, automated serial slicing and imaging in the FIB-SEM generated a stack of secondary electron images of the particles’ interior surfaces that allowed for the 3-D reconstruction of the particles, a process known as FIB tomography. Interior surface of light-absorbing carbonaceous particle from FIB-SEM analysis.

Global and Local Helioseismic Studies of Solar Convection Zone Dynamics Using SOI-MDI on SOHO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toomre, Juri; Haber, Deborah; Hindman, Bradley; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Joergen; Gough, Douglas; Thompson, Michael

2003-01-01

Our joint collaborative analyses of global mode data to characterize the solar differential rotation (e.g. Thompson et al. 1996, Schou et al. 1998), and most recently to detect and analyze temporal variations in angular velocity Omega profiles both within the convection zone and in the deeper radiative interior (e.g. Howe et al 2000a,b; Toomre et al. 2000), have led to a series of fascinating discoveries. These should be pursued further as the solar cycle continues. The physical deductions being made from these studies have been greatly strengthened by utilizing both SOI-MDI and GONG data in order to have two independent observational realizations of Doppler images spanning a five-year interval, using two separate procedures to determine global mode splittings, and then analyzing those splitting data sets using both RLS and SOLA inversion procedures. There are considerable subtleties in the effects of instrumental response functions and calibrations, sensitivity of peak finding algorithms and their mode leakage estimates, and stochastic variations in mode amplitudes that can all contribute to apparent changes in the Omega profiles being inferred from sequences of helioseismic data. We have come to understand the implications of many of these calibration and analysis steps, greatly aided by frequent multi-week collaborative working sessions in our Helioseismic Analysis Facility (HAF) at JILA involving many members of the SO1 dynamics and inversion team, including most of our Co-Is during the summer months when we hold intensive working sessions. Considerable further focused attention is required in a collaborative setting on such global mode issues as we continue studying the changing sun.

InSight Atlas V Boattail Halves Arrival, Offload, Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-19

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the boattail adaptor interface that will connect the Centaur upper stage to the payload fairing is offloaded for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight will liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the spacecraft on the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Centaur Stage Prep for Transport

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-27

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a cover is installed on a Centaur upper stage in preparation for its transport to Space Launch Complex 3. The Centaur will be mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to boost NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Fairing Rotate to Vertical

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-07

In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers inspect the payload fairing for the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars after it was lifted to the vertical position. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Atlas V Boattail Halves Arrival, Offload, Mate

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-19

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the boattail adaptor interface that will connect the Centaur upper stage to the payload fairing arrives for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight will liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the spacecraft on the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-01

Inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers use a crane to move the heatshield for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft for further testing. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

Effects of solar radiation, terrestrial radiation and lunar interior heat flow on surface temperature at the nearside of the Moon: Based on numerical calculation and data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yutian; Wang, Xueqiang; Bi, Shengshan; Wu, Jiangtao; Huang, Shaopeng

2017-09-01

Surface temperature at the nearside of the Moon (Ts,n) embraces an abundance of valuable information to be explored, and its measurement contributes to studying Earth's energy budget. On a basis of a one-dimensional unsteady heat-transfer model, this paper ran a quantitative calculation that how much the Ts,n varies with the changes of different heat sources, including solar radiation, terrestrial radiation, and lunar interior heat flow. The results reveal that solar radiation always has the most important influence on Ts,n not only during lunar daytime (by means of radiation balance) but also during lunar nighttime (by means of lunar regolith heat conduction). Besides, the effect of terrestrial radiation is also unavoidable, and measuring the variation of lunar nighttime low temperature is exactly helpful in observing Earth outgoing radiation. Accordingly, it is practical to establish a Moon-base observatory on the Moon. For verification, the Apollo 15 mission temperature data was used and analyzed as well. Moreover, other 9 typical lunar areas were selected and the simulation was run one after another in these areas after proper model amendation. It is shown that the polar regions on the Moon are the best areas for establishing Moon-base observatory.

The magnetic tides of Honolulu

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Jeffrey J.; Rigler, Erin Joshua

2013-01-01

We review the phenomenon of time-stationary, periodic quiet-time geomagnetic tides. These are generated by the ionospheric and oceanic dynamos, and, to a lesser-extent, by the quiet-time magnetosphere, and they are affected by currents induced in the Earth's electrically conducting interior. We examine historical time series of hourly magnetic-vector measurements made at the Honolulu observatory. We construct high-resolution, frequency-domain Lomb-periodogram and maximum-entropy power spectra that reveal a panorama of stationary harmonics across periods from 0.1 to 10000.0-d, including harmonics that result from amplitude and phase modulation. We identify solar-diurnal tides and their annual and solar-cycle sideband modulations, lunar semi-diurnal tides and their solar-diurnal sidebands, and tides due to precession of lunar eccentricity and nodes. We provide evidence that a method intended for separating the ionospheric and oceanic dynamo signals by midnight subsampling of observatory data time series is prone to frequency-domain aliasing. The tidal signals we summarize in this review can be used to test our fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the quiet-time ionosphere and magnetosphere, induction in the ocean and in the electrically conducting interior of the Earth, and they are useful for defining a quiet-time baseline against which magnetospheric-storm intensity is measured.

Measuring flows in the solar interior: current developments, results, and outstanding problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schad, Ariane

2016-10-01

I will present an overview of the current developments to determine flows in the solar interior and recent results from helioseismology. I will lay special focus on the inference of the deep structure of the meridional flow, which is one of the most challenging problems in helioseismology. In recent times, promising approaches have been developed for solving this problem. The time-distance analysis made large improvements in this after becoming aware of and compensating for a systematic effect in the analysis, the origin of which is not clear yet. In addition to this, a different approach is now available, which directly exploits the distortion of mode eigenfunctions by the meridional flow as well as rotation. These methods have presented us partly surprisingly complex meridional flow patterns, which, however, do not provide a consistent picture of the flow. Resolving this puzzle is part of current research since this has important consequences on our understanding of the solar dynamo. Another interesting discrepancy was found in recent studies between the amplitudes of the large- and small-scale dynamics in the convection zone estimated from helioseismology and those predicted from theoretical models. This raises fundamental questions how the Sun, and in general a star, maintains its heat transport and redistributes its angular momentum that lead, e.g., to the observed differential rotation.

The early evolution of Jupiter in the absence of solar tidal forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schofield, N.; Woolfson, M. M.

1982-03-01

The early evolution of a Jupiter-like protoplanet is simulated by constructing a physically detailed computer-based model which solves the equations of hydrodynamics and radiative energy transfer for the spherically symmetric case. The model is specifically developed to study the initial and boundary conditions relevant to the capture theory for the origin of the solar system. It is found that the absence of an external medium promotes the rapid expansion of surface material which is enhanced by solar irradiation. Only when the Jeans criterion is less than 0.8 does a spontaneous hydrodynamic collapse of the interior allow a substantial proportion of the protoplanet to condense to planetary densities.

Accretion of Cometary Nuclei in the Solar Nebula: Boulders, Not Pebbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weissman, Paul R.; A'Hearn, Michael

2015-11-01

Comets are the most primitive bodies in the solar system. They retain a largely unprocessed record of conditions in the primordial solar nebula 4.56 Gyr ago, including the initial accretion of dust and ice particles into macroscopic bodies. Current accretion theory suggests that ice and dust aggregates grew to pebble (cm) sizes before streaming instabilities and gravitational collapse brought these pebble swarms together as km-sized (or larger) bodies. Recent imaging of the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the Rosetta OSIRIS camera team has revealed the existence of “goose bump” terrain on the nucleus surface and lining the interior walls of large, ~200 m diameter and 180 m deep cylindrical pits. These pits are believed to be sinkholes, formed when near-surface materials collapse into voids within the nucleus, revealing the fresh comet interior on the walls of the pits. The goose bump terrain consists of 3-4 m diameter “boulders” randomly stacked one on top of another. We propose that these boulders, likely with an icy-conglomerate composition, are the basic building blocks of cometary nuclei. This is the first observational confirmation of current accretion theories, with the caveat that rather than pebbles, the preferred size range is 3-4 m boulders for objects formed in the giant planets region of the solar system. The presence of icy grains beyond the solar nebula snow-line and the large heliocentric range of the giant planets region likely contribute to the formation of these larger boulders, before they are incorporated into cometary nuclei. This work was supported by NASA through the U.S. Rosetta Project.

Far side Helioseismology with Solar Orbiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appourchaux, T.; Birch, A.; Gizon, L. C.; Löptien, B.; Schou, J.; Solanki, S. K.; del Toro Iniesta, J. C.; Gandorfer, A.; Hirzberger, J.; Alvarez-Herrero, A.; Woch, J. G.; Schmidt, W.

2016-12-01

The Solar Orbiter mission, to be launched in October 2018, will carry a suite of remote sensing and in-situ instruments, including the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI). PHI will deliver high-cadence images of the Sun in intensity and Doppler velocity suitable for carrying out novel helioseismic studies. The orbit of the Solar Orbiter spacecraft will reach a solar latitude up to 34 degrees by the end of the extended mission and thus will enable the first local helioseismology studies of the polar regions. The full range of Earth-Sun-spacecraft angles provided by the orbit will enable helioseismology from two vantage points by combining PHI with another instrument: stereoscopic helioseismology will allow the study of the deep solar interior and a better understanding of the physics of solar oscillations in both quiet Sun and sunspots. In this paper we will review the helioseismic objectives achievable with PHI, and will also give a short status report of the development of the Flight Model of PHI.

Helioseismic Observations of Two Solar Cycles and Constraints on Dynamo Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosovichev, Alexander

2018-01-01

Helioseismology data from the SOHO and SDO, obtained in 1996-2017 for almost two solar cycles, provide a unique opportunity to investigate variations of the solar interior structure and dynamics, and link these variations to the current dynamo models and simulations. The solar oscillation frequencies and frequency splitting of medium-degree p- and f-modes, as well as helioseismic inversions have been used to analyze variations of the differential rotation (“torsional oscillations”) and the global asphericity. By comparing the helioseismology results with the synoptic surface magnetic fields we identify characteristic changes associated the initiation and evolution of the solar cycles, 23 and 24. The observational results are compared with the current mean-field dynamo models and 3D MHD dynamo simulations. It is shown that the helioseismology inferences provide important constraints on the dynamics of the tachocline and near-surface shear layer, and also may explain the fundamental difference between the two solar cycles and detect the onset of the next cycle.

The Effect of Ionic Correlations on Radiative Properties in the Solar Interior and Terrestrial Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krief, Menahem; Kurzweil, Yair; Feigel, Alexander; Gazit, Doron

2018-04-01

With the aim of solving the decade-old problem of solar opacity, we report substantial photoabsorption uncertainty due to the effect of ion–ion correlations. By performing detailed opacity calculations of the solar mixture, we find that taking into account the ionic structure changes the Rosseland opacity near the convection zone by ∼10%. We also report a ∼15% difference in the Rosseland opacity for iron, which was recently measured at the Sandia Z facility, where the temperature reached that prevailing in the convection zone boundary while the density was 2.5 times lower. Finally, we propose a method to measure opacities at solar temperatures and densities that have never been reached in the past via laboratory radiation flow experiments, by using plastic foams doped with permilles of dominant photon absorbers in the Sun. The method is advantageous for an experimental study of solar opacities that may lead to a resolution of the solar abundance problem.

The solar dynamo and prediction of sunspot cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dikpati, Mausumi

2012-07-01

Much progress has been made in understanding the solar dynamo since Parker first developed the concepts of dynamo waves and magnetic buoyancy around 1955, and the German school first formulated the solar dynamo using the mean-field formalism. The essential ingredients of these mean-field dynamos are turbulent magnetic diffusivity, a source of lifting of flux, or 'alpha-effect', and differential rotation. With the advent of helioseismic and other observations at the Sun's photosphere and interior, as well as theoretical understanding of solar interior dynamics, solar dynamo models have evolved both in the realm of mean-field and beyond mean-field models. After briefly discussing the status of these models, I will focus on a class of mean-field model, called flux-transport dynamos, which include meridional circulation as an essential additional ingredient. Flux-transport dynamos have been successful in simulating many global solar cycle features, and have reached the stage that they can be used for making solar cycle predictions. Meridional circulation works in these models like a conveyor-belt, carrying a memory of the magnetic fields from 5 to 20 years back in past. The lower is the magnetic diffusivity, the longer is the model's memory. In the terrestrial system, the great-ocean conveyor-belt in oceanic models and Hadley, polar and Ferrel circulation cells in the troposphere, carry signatures from the past climatological events and influence the determination of future events. Analogously, the memory provided by the Sun's meridional circulation creates the potential for flux-transport dynamos to predict future solar cycle properties. Various groups in the world have built flux-transport dynamo-based predictive tools, which nudge the Sun's surface magnetic data and integrated forward in time to forecast the amplitude of the currently ascending cycle 24. Due to different initial conditions and different choices of unknown model-ingredients, predictions can vary; so it is for their cycle 24 forecasts. We all await the peak of cycle 24. I will close by discussing the prospects of improving dynamo-based predictive tools using more sophisticated data-assimilation techniques, such as the Ensemble Kalman Filter method and variational approaches.

Management implications of recent changes in spatial patterns of interior northwest forests.

Treesearch

Paul. F. Hessburg; Bradley G. Smith

1999-01-01

Declining health of forest ecosystems in the interior West has been the subject of much study, concern and controversy in recent years (e.g., Everett et al. 1994, Harvey et al. 1995, Lehmkuhl et al. 1994, O'Laughlin et al. 1993, Wickman 1992). Land-use practices of this century have altered disturbance regimes and spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation, and...

In-situ Planetary Subsurface Imaging System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, W.; Weber, R. C.; Dimech, J. L.; Kedar, S.; Neal, C. R.; Siegler, M.

2017-12-01

Geophysical and seismic instruments are considered the most effective tools for studying the detailed global structures of planetary interiors. A planet's interior bears the geochemical markers of its evolutionary history, as well as its present state of activity, which has direct implications to habitability. On Earth, subsurface imaging often involves massive data collection from hundreds to thousands of geophysical sensors (seismic, acoustic, etc) followed by transfer by hard links or wirelessly to a central location for post processing and computing, which will not be possible in planetary environments due to imposed mission constraints on mass, power, and bandwidth. Emerging opportunities for geophysical exploration of the solar system from Venus to the icy Ocean Worlds of Jupiter and Saturn dictate that subsurface imaging of the deep interior will require substantial data reduction and processing in-situ. The Real-time In-situ Subsurface Imaging (RISI) technology is a mesh network that senses and processes geophysical signals. Instead of data collection then post processing, the mesh network performs the distributed data processing and computing in-situ, and generates an evolving 3D subsurface image in real-time that can be transmitted under bandwidth and resource constraints. Seismic imaging algorithms (including traveltime tomography, ambient noise imaging, and microseismic imaging) have been successfully developed and validated using both synthetic and real-world terrestrial seismic data sets. The prototype hardware system has been implemented and can be extended as a general field instrumentation platform tailored specifically for a wide variety of planetary uses, including crustal mapping, ice and ocean structure, and geothermal systems. The team is applying the RISI technology to real off-world seismic datasets. For example, the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment (LSPE) deployed during the Apollo 17 Moon mission consisted of four geophone instruments spaced up to 100 meters apart, which in essence forms a small aperture seismic network. A pattern recognition technique based on Hidden Markov Models was able to characterize this dataset, and we are exploring how the RISI technology can be adapted for this dataset.

25 CFR 162.593 - Will late payment charges or special fees apply to delinquent payments due under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease... fees to cover administrative costs incurred by the United States in the collection of the debt, if...

25 CFR 162.593 - Will late payment charges or special fees apply to delinquent payments due under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease... fees to cover administrative costs incurred by the United States in the collection of the debt, if...

Concentrating photovoltaic solar panel

DOEpatents

Cashion, Steven A; Bowser, Michael R; Farrelly, Mark B; Hines, Braden E; Holmes, Howard C; Johnson, Jr., Richard L; Russell, Richard J; Turk, Michael F

2014-04-15

The present invention relates to photovoltaic power systems, photovoltaic concentrator modules, and related methods. In particular, the present invention features concentrator modules having interior points of attachment for an articulating mechanism and/or an articulating mechanism that has a unique arrangement of chassis members so as to isolate bending, etc. from being transferred among the chassis members. The present invention also features adjustable solar panel mounting features and/or mounting features with two or more degrees of freedom. The present invention also features a mechanical fastener for secondary optics in a concentrator module.

Zvezda Launch Coverage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Footage shows the Proton Rocket (containing the Zvezda module) ready for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russia. The interior and exterior of Zvezda are seen during construction. Computerized simulations show the solar arrays deploying on Zvezda in space, the maneuvers of the module as it approaches and connects with the International Space Station (ISS), the installation of the Z1 truss on the ISS and its solar arrays deploying, and the installations of the Destiny Laboratory, Remote Manipulator System, and Kibo Experiment Module. Live footage then shows the successful launch of the Proton Rocket.

Photon scattering in the solar ultraviolet lines of HeI and HeII

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, C.; Smith, G. R.; Houdebine, E. R.

2005-09-01

Observations made with the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) are used to investigate the behaviour of the intensities of the emission lines of HeI, HeII and OIII at the quiet Sun-centre and at θ= 60° towards the equatorial limb. The aim is to examine the possible effects of photon scattering on the spatial variation of the optically thick helium lines. At the quiet Sun-centre, we find that, in agreement with previous work, the ratios of the intensities of the HeI 584-Åand HeII 304-Ålines to those of the OIII 600-Åline decrease systematically as the intensity of the OIII line increases. However, we find that the dependence of these ratios on the OIII intensity is not unique, but differs between the individual regions studied. Similar results are found at θ= 60°. We have also used line intensities and intensity ratios to investigate limb-to-disc effects and variations across a sample of supergranulation cell boundaries and adjacent cell interiors at both locations. The results do not exclude photon scattering as the cause of the larger observed ratios in cell interiors. The differences between the apparent widths of boundaries in OIII at Sun-centre and 60° show that the emitting material is extended in height, which will aid the process of scattering into cell interiors. Photon scattering could also account for the lack of oscillations in the HeI intensities in a cell interior studied by Pietarila & Judge. Three-dimensional radiative transfer calculations in chosen geometries are now needed to account for the observations in detail.

Integrated Solar Concentrator and Shielded Radiator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, David Larry

2010-01-01

A shielded radiator is integrated within a solar concentrator for applications that require protection from high ambient temperatures with little convective heat transfer. This innovation uses a reflective surface to deflect ambient thermal radiation, shielding the radiator. The interior of the shield is also reflective to provide a view factor to deep space. A key feature of the shield is the parabolic shape that focuses incoming solar radiation to a line above the radiator along the length of the trough. This keeps the solar energy from adding to the radiator load. By placing solar cells along this focal line, the concentration of solar energy reduces the number and mass of required cells. By shielding the radiator, the effective reject temperature is much lower, allowing lower radiator temperatures. This is particularly important for lower-temperature processes, like habitat heat rejection and fuel cell operations where a high radiator temperature is not feasible. Adding the solar cells in the focal line uses the concentrating effect of the shield to advantage to accomplish two processes with a single device. This shield can be a deployable, lightweight Mylar structure for compact transport.

Considering Planetary Constraints and Dynamic Screening in Solar Evolution Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Suzannah R.; Mussack, Katie; Guzik, Joyce A.

2018-01-01

The ‘faint early sun problem’ remains unsolved. This problem consists of the apparent contradiction between the standard solar model prediction of lower luminosity (70% of current luminosity) and the observations of liquid water on early Earth and Mars. The presence of liquid water on early Earth and Mars should not be neglected and should be used as a constraint for solar evolution modeling. In addition, modifications to standard solar models are needed to address the discrepancy with solar structure inferred from helioseismology given the latest solar abundance determinations. Here, we will utilize the three different solar abundances: GN93 (Grevesse & Noels, 1993), AGS05 (Asplund et al., 2005), AGSS09 (Asplund et al., 2009). Here, we propose an early mass loss model with an initial solar mass between 1.07 and 1.15 solar masses and an exponentially decreasing mass-loss rate to meet conditions in the early solar system (Wood et al, submitted). Additionally, we investigate the effects of dynamic screening and the new OPLIB opacities from Los Alamos (Colgan et al., 2016). We show the effects of these modifications to the standard solar evolution models on the interior structure, neutrino fluxes, sound speed, p-mode frequencies, convection zone depth, and envelope helium and element abundance of the model sun at the present day.

78 FR 25204 - Segregation of Lands-Renewable Energy

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-30

....L13400000] RIN 1004-AE19 Segregation of Lands--Renewable Energy AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior... pending solar or wind renewable energy generation project, or for public lands identified by the BLM under... consideration of renewable energy ROWs. As explained below, the BLM seeks to avoid the delays and uncertainty...

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Topics discussed include: Characterization of Non-Organized Soils at Gusev Crater with the Spirit Rover Data; Searching for Life with Rovers: Exploration Methods & Science Results from the 2004 Field Campaign of the "Life in the Atacama" Project and Applications to Future Mars Missions; Analysis of the Lunar Surface with Global Mineral and Mg-Number Maps ALH77005: The Magmatic History from Rehomogenized Melt Inclusions; New 70-cm Radar Mapping of the Moon; Cryptomare Deposits Revealed by 70-cm Radar; Construction of a PZT Sensor Network for Low and Hypervelocity Impact Detection; Palmer Quest: A Feasible Nuclear Fission "Vision Mission" to the Mars Polar Caps; Physical Properties of Volcanic Deposits on Venus from Radar Polarimetry; Science Alert Demonstration with a Rover Traverse Science Data Analysis System; Earth and Mars, Similar Features and Parallel Lives? Didactic Activities; Expected Constraints on Rhea s Interior from Cassini; Microbially Induced Precipitates: Examples from CO3, Si-, Mn- and Fe-rich Deposits; Li, B - Behavior in Lunar Basalts During Shock and Thermal Metamorphism: Implications for H2O in Martian Magmas; Evaluation of CO Self-Shielding as a Possible Mechanism for Anomalous Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Early Solar System Materials; Effect of Ground Ice on Apparent Thermal Inertia on Mars; Utah Marbles and Mars Blueberries: Comparative Terrestrial Analogs for Hematite Concretions on Mars; Newly Discovered Meteor Crater Metallic Impact Spherules: Report and Implications; and Evidence of Very Young Glacial Processes in Central Candor Chasma, Mars.

Source habitats for terrestrial vertebrates of focus in the interior Columbia basin: broadscale trends and management implications. Volume 1—Overview.

Treesearch

Michael J. Wisdom; Richard S. Holthausen; Barbara C. Wales; Christina D. Hargis; Victoria A. Saab; Danny C. Lee; Wendel J. Hann; Terrell D. Rich; Mary M. Rowland; Wally J. Murphy; Michelle R. Eames

2000-01-01

We defined habitat requirements (source habitats) and assessed trends in these habitats for 91 species of terrestrial vertebrates on 58 million ha (145 million acres) of public and private lands within the interior Columbia basin (hereafter referred to as the basin). We also summarized knowledge about species-road relations for each species and mapped source habitats...

Radioactivites in returned lunar materials and in meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fireman, E. L.

1983-01-01

The cosmic-ray, solar-flare, and solar-wind bombardments of lunar rocks and soils and meteorites were studied by measurements of tritium, carbon-14 and argon radioactivity. The radioactivity integrates the bombardment for a time period equal to several half-lines. H-3, Ar-37, Ar-39, C-14. For the interior samples of lunar rocks and for deep lunar soil samples, the amounts of the radioactivities were equal to those calculated for galactic cosmic-ray interactions. The top near-surface samples of lunar rocks and the shallow lunar soil samples show excess amounts of the radioactivities attributable to solar flares. Lunar soil fines contain a large amount of hydrogen due to implanted solar wind. Studies of the H-3 in lunar soils and in recovered Surveyor-3 materials gave an upper limit for the H-3/H ratio in the solar wind of 10 to the -11th power. Solar wind carbon is also implanted on lunar soil fines. Lunar soils collected on the surface contained a 0.14 component attributable to implanted solar wind C-14. The C-14/H ratio attributed to the solar wind from this C-14 excess is approximately 4 x 10 to the -11th power.

Solar Spectral Irradiance at 782 nm as Measured by the SES Sensor Onboard Picard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meftah, M.; Hauchecorne, A.; Irbah, A.; Cessateur, G.; Bekki, S.; Damé, L.; Bolsée, D.; Pereira, N.

2016-04-01

Picard is a satellite dedicated to the simultaneous measurement of the total and solar spectral irradiance, the solar diameter, the solar shape, and to the Sun's interior through the methods of helioseismology. The satellite was launched on June 15, 2010, and pursued its data acquisitions until March 2014. A Sun Ecartometry Sensor (SES) was developed to provide the stringent pointing requirements of the satellite. The SES sensor produced an image of the Sun at 782 ± 2.5 nm. From the SES data, we obtained a new time series of the solar spectral irradiance at 782 nm from 2010 to 2014. During this period of Solar Cycle 24, the amplitude of the changes has been of the order of ± 0.08 %, corresponding to a range of about 2× 10^{-3} W m^{-2} nm^{-1}. SES observations provided a qualitatively consistent evolution of the solar spectral irradiance variability at 782 nm. SES data show similar amplitude variations with the semi-empirical model Spectral And Total Irradiance REconstruction for the Satellite era (SATIRE-S), whereas the Spectral Irradiance Monitor instrument (SIM) onboard the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment satellite (SORCE) highlights higher amplitudes.

Isotope Geochemistry for Comparative Planetology of Exoplanets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandt, K. E.; Atreya, S.; Luspay-Kuti, A.; Mousis, O.; Simon, A.; Hofstadter, M. D.

2017-01-01

Isotope geochemistry has played a critical role in understanding processes at work in and the history of solar system bodies. Application of these techniques to exoplanets would be revolutionary and would allow comparative planetology with the formation and evolution of exoplanet systems. The roadmap for comparative planetology of the origins and workings of exoplanets involves isotopic geochemistry efforts in three areas: (1) technology development to expand observations of the isotopic composition of solar system bodies and expand observations to isotopic composition of exoplanet atmospheres; (2) theoretical modeling of how isotopes fractionate and the role they play in evolution of exoplanetary systems, atmospheres, surfaces and interiors; and (3) laboratory studies to constrain isotopic fractionation due to processes at work throughout the solar system.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunini, A.

Se presenta una revisión de los conocimientos actuales sobre el proceso de acreción del sistema solar exterior. En base a nuevas y más realistas simulaciones numéricas, se analiza el impacto que tuvo dicho proceso en otras regiones del sistema solar tales como la nube de Oort, el cinturón de Kuiper y el sistema solar interior. Se presentan entonces, las principales limitaciones de los modelos numéricos actuales, los principales puntos aún oscuros en el problema, y algunos de los posibles caminos a seguir para mejorar nuestro conocimiento en el tema. Se discute a continuación la posible utilidad de este tipo de estudios para el diseño de estrategias de búsqueda de otros sistemas planetarios.

Semi-transparent solar energy thermal storage device

DOEpatents

McClelland, John F.

1986-04-08

A visually transmitting solar energy absorbing thermal storage module includes a thermal storage liquid containment chamber defined by an interior solar absorber panel, an exterior transparent panel having a heat mirror surface substantially covering the exterior surface thereof and associated top, bottom and side walls. Evaporation of the thermal storage liquid is controlled by a low vapor pressure liquid layer that floats on and seals the top surface of the liquid. Porous filter plugs are placed in filler holes of the module. An algicide and a chelating compound are added to the liquid to control biological and chemical activity while retaining visual clarity. A plurality of modules may be supported in stacked relation by a support frame to form a thermal storage wall structure.

Semi-transparent solar energy thermal storage device

DOEpatents

McClelland, John F.

1985-06-18

A visually transmitting solar energy absorbing thermal storage module includes a thermal storage liquid containment chamber defined by an interior solar absorber panel, an exterior transparent panel having a heat mirror surface substantially covering the exterior surface thereof and associated top, bottom and side walls, Evaporation of the thermal storage liquid is controlled by a low vapor pressure liquid layer that floats on and seals the top surface of the liquid. Porous filter plugs are placed in filler holes of the module. An algicide and a chelating compound are added to the liquid to control biological and chemical activity while retaining visual clarity. A plurality of modules may be supported in stacked relation by a support frame to form a thermal storage wall structure.

Frequencies of solar p-mode oscillations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duvall, T. L., Jr.; Harvey, J. W.; Libbrecht, K. G.; Popp, B. D.; Pomerantz, M. A.

1988-01-01

A list is presented of frequencies that can be used as a basis for helioseismic investigations of the average structure of the solar interior as a function of depth. The list includes measurements of frequencies of p-mode multiplets covering the l range from 4 to 99. Two different data sets are employed: one based on Doppler shift measurements made in 1985 at the Big Bear Solar Observatory and another based on intensity measurements made in 1981 at the geographic South Pole. Frequencies from the two data sets are compared, and systematic frequency differences are found that range from less than 0.1 microHz at low values of l to about 0.6 microHz at l = 99; the uncertainty is + or - 0.1 microHz.

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

Vernazza, P.; Barge, P.; Zanda, B.

Although petrologic, chemical, and isotopic studies of ordinary chondrites and meteorites in general have largely helped establish a chronology of the earliest events of planetesimal formation and their evolution, there are several questions that cannot be resolved via laboratory measurements and/or experiments alone. Here, we propose the rationale for several new constraints on the formation and evolution of ordinary chondrite parent bodies (and, by extension, most planetesimals) from newly available spectral measurements and mineralogical analysis of main-belt S-type asteroids (83 objects) and unequilibrated ordinary chondrite meteorites (53 samples). Based on the latter, we suggest that spectral data may be usedmore » to distinguish whether an ordinary chondrite was formed near the surface or in the interior of its parent body. If these constraints are correct, the suggested implications include that: (1) large groups of compositionally similar asteroids are a natural outcome of planetesimal formation and, consequently, meteorites within a given class can originate from multiple parent bodies; (2) the surfaces of large (up to ∼200 km) S-type main-belt asteroids mostly expose the interiors of the primordial bodies, a likely consequence of impacts by small asteroids (D < 10 km) in the early solar system; (3) the duration of accretion of the H chondrite parent bodies was likely short (instantaneous or in less than ∼10{sup 5} yr, but certainly not as long as 1 Myr); (4) LL-like bodies formed closer to the Sun than H-like bodies, a possible consequence of the radial mixing and size sorting of chondrules in the protoplanetary disk prior to accretion.« less

Longevity of Compositionally Stratified Layers in Ice Giants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedson, A. J.

2017-12-01

In the hydrogen-rich atmospheres of gas giants, a decrease with radius in the mixing ratio of a heavy species (e.g. He, CH4, H2O) has the potential to produce a density stratification that is convectively stable if the heavy species is sufficiently abundant. Formation of stable layers in the interiors of these planets has important implications for their internal structure, chemical mixing, dynamics, and thermal evolution, since vertical transport of heat and constituents in such layers is greatly reduced in comparison to that in convecting layers. Various processes have been suggested for creating compositionally stratified layers. In the interiors of Jupiter and Saturn, these include phase separation of He from metallic hydrogen and dissolution of dense core material into the surrounding metallic-H envelope. Condensation of methane and water has been proposed as a mechanism for producing stable zones in the atmospheres of Saturn and the ice giants. However, if a stably stratified layer is formed adjacent to an active region of convection, it may be susceptible to progressive erosion as the convection intrudes and entrains fluid into the unstable envelope. We discuss the principal factors that control the rate of entrainment and associated erosion and present a specific example concerning the longevity of stable layers formed by condensation of methane and water in Uranus and Neptune. We also consider whether the temporal variability of such layers may engender episodic behavior in the release of the internal heat of these planets. This research is supported by a grant from the NASA Solar System Workings Program.

Dynamics of Chromospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, S. S.

2002-05-01

This review focuses on dynamics of the solar chromosphere, which serves as a good proxy for understanding processes in stellar chromospheres. In the quiet chromosphere we distinguish between the magnetic network on the boundary of supergranulation cells, where strong magnetic fields are organized in mainly vertical magnetic flux tubes, and internetwork regions in the cell interior, where magnetic fields are weak and dynamically unimportant. Observations have firmly established the presence of oscillations in the solar chromosphere. The internetwork medium is dominated with oscillations having power in the 5-7 mHz range, which can essentially be regarded as acoustic waves. Significant progress has been made recently in modeling wave propagation in the non-magnetic medium and applying these calculations to interpreting the properties of K2V grains. Nevertheless, there are still several open questions which need to be addressed, specifically the departure from 1-D geometry and the inclusion of oblique propagation: these can have important consequences. The dynamics of the magnetic network, on the other hand, is dominated by low frequency waves with periods in the 4-15 min. range, which can be interpreted as transverse MHD waves, generated in thin flux tubes by granular buffeting. Through nonlinear effects, these modes generate longitudinal MHD waves, that form shocks and dissipate in the low to middle chromosphere. Alternative theoretical scenarios for interpreting network oscillations will also be discussed as well as their observational consequences. Finally, we consider some implications of the above models to stellar chromospheres.

Asteroid impacts on terrestrial planets: the effects of super-Earths and the role of the ν6 resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smallwood, Jeremy L.; Martin, Rebecca G.; Lepp, Stephen; Livio, Mario

2018-01-01

With N-body simulations of a planetary system with an asteroid belt, we investigate how the asteroid impact rate on the Earth is affected by the architecture of the planetary system. We find that the ν6 secular resonance plays an important role in the asteroid collision rate with the Earth. Compared to exoplanetary systems, the Solar system is somewhat special in its lack of a super-Earth mass planet in the inner Solar system. We therefore first consider the effects of the presence of a super-Earth in the terrestrial planet region. We find a significant effect for super-Earths with a mass of around 10 M⊕ and a separation greater than about 0.7 au. For a super-Earth which is interior to the Earth's orbit, the number of asteroids colliding with Earth increases the closer the super-Earth is to the Earth's orbit. This is the result of multiple secular resonance locations causing more asteroids to be perturbed on to Earth-crossing orbits. When the super-Earth is placed exterior to Earth's orbit, the collision rate decreases substantially because the ν6 resonance no longer exists in the asteroid belt region. We also find that changing the semimajor axis of Saturn leads to a significant decrease in the asteroid collision rate, though increasing its mass increases the collision rate. These results may have implications for the habitability of exoplanetary systems.

Incorporation of Solar Noble Gases from a Nebula-Derived Atmosphere During Magma Ocean Cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woolum, D. S.; Cassen, P.; Wasserburg, G. J.; Porcelli, D.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The presence of solar noble gases in the deep interior of the Earth is inferred from the Ne isotopic compositions of MORB (Mid-ocean Ridge Basalts) and OIB (Oceanic Island Basalt); Ar data may also consistent with a solar component in the deep mantle. Models of the transport and distribution of noble gases in the earth's mantle allow for the presence of solar Ar/Ne and Xe/Ne ratios and permit the calculation of lower mantle noble gas concentrations. These mantle data and models also indicate that the Earth suffered early (0.7 to 2 x 10(exp 8) yr) and large (greater than 99 percent) losses of noble gases from the interior, a result previously concluded for atmospheric Xe. We have pursued the suggestion that solar noble gases were incorporated in the forming Earth from a massive, nebula-derived atmosphere which promoted large-scale melting, so that gases from this atmosphere dissolved in the magma ocean and were mixed downward. Models of a primitive atmosphere captured from the solar nebula and supported by accretion luminosity indicate that pressures at the Earth's surface were adequate (and largely more than the required 100 Atm) to dissolve sufficient gases. We have calculated the coupled evolution of the magma ocean and the overlying atmosphere under conditions corresponding to the cessation (or severe attenuation) of the sustaining accretion luminosity, prior to the complete removal of the solar nebula. Such a condition was likely to obtain, for instance, when most of the unaccumulated mass resided in large bodies which were only sporadically accreted. The luminosity supporting the atmosphere is then that provided by the cooling Earth, consideration of which sets a lower limit to the time required to solidify the mantle and terminate the incorporation of atmospheric gases within it. In our initial calculations, we have fixed the nebula temperature at To = 300K, a value likely to be appropriate for nebular temperatures at lAU in the early planet-building epoch. We treated the background (nebula) pressure as an adjustable, time-dependent parameter. Additional information is contained within the original extended abstract.

Formation and composition of the moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, D. L.

1977-01-01

Many of the properties of the Moon, including the enrichment in Ca, Al, Ti, U, Th, Ba, Sr, and the REE and the depletion in Fe, Rb, K, Na, and other volatiles can be understood if the Moon represents a high-temperature condensate from the solar nebula. Thermodynamic calculations show that Ca-, Al-, and Ti-rich compounds condense first in a cooling nebula. The initial high temperature mineralogy is gehlenite, spinel, perovskite, Ca-Al-rich pyroxenes, and anorthite. Inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites such as the Allende meteorite are composed primarily of these minerals and, in addition, are highly enriched in refractories such as REE relative to carbonaceous chondrites. These inclusions can yield basalt and anorthosite in the proportions required to eliminate the europium anomaly, leaving a residual spinel-melilite interior. A deep interior high in Ca-Al does not imply an unacceptable mean density or moment of inertia for the Moon. The inferred high-U content of the lunar interior, both from the Allende analog and the high heat flow, indicates a high-temperature interior. The model is consistent with extensive early melting, with shallow melting at 3 AE, and with presently high deep internal temperatures. It is predicted that the outer 250 km is rich in plagioclase and FeO. The low iron content of the interior in this model raises the interior temperatures estimated from electrical conductivity by some 800 C.

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

Zeng, Li; Jacobsen, Stein B., E-mail: astrozeng@gmail.com, E-mail: jacobsen@neodymium.harvard.edu

In the past few years, the number of confirmed planets has grown above 2000. It is clear that they represent a diversity of structures not seen in our own solar system. In addition to very detailed interior modeling, it is valuable to have a simple analytical framework for describing planetary structures. The variational principle is a fundamental principle in physics, entailing that a physical system follows the trajectory, which minimizes its action. It is alternative to the differential equation formulation of a physical system. Applying the variational principle to the planetary interior can beautifully summarize the set of differential equationsmore » into one, which provides us some insight into the problem. From this principle, a universal mass–radius relation, an estimate of the error propagation from the equation of state to the mass–radius relation, and a form of the virial theorem applicable to planetary interiors are derived.« less

InSight Lander in Mars-Surface Configuration

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-05-27

The solar arrays on NASA's InSight lander are deployed in this test inside a clean room at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver. This configuration is how the spacecraft will look on the surface of Mars. The image was taken on April 30, 2015. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19664

Solar Seismology from Space. a Conference at Snowmass, Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulrich, R. K.; Harvey, J.; Rhodes, E. J., Jr.; Toomre, J.

1984-01-01

The quality of the ground based observing environment suffers from several degrading factors: diurnal interruptions and thermal variations, atmospheric seeing and transparency fluctuations and adverse weather interruptions are among the chief difficulties. The limited fraction of the solar surface observable from only one vantage point is also a potential limitation to the quality of the data available without going to space. Primary conference goals were to discuss in depth the scientific return from current observations and analyses of solar oscillations, to discuss the instrumental and site requirements for realizing the full potential of the seismic analysis method, and to help bring new workers into the field by collecting and summarizing the key background theory. At the conclusion of the conference there was a clear consensus that ground based observation would not be able to provide data of the quality required to permit a substantial analysis of the solar convection zone dynamics or to permit a full deduction of the solar interior structure.

Solar flare leaves sun quaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-05-01

Dr. Alexander G. Kosovichev, a senior research scientist from Stanford University, and Dr. Valentina V. Zharkova from Glasgow (United Kingdom) University found the tell-tale seismic signature in data on the Sun's surface collected by the Michelson Doppler Imager onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft immediately following a moderate-sized flare on July 9, 1996. "Although the flare was a moderate one, it still released an immense amount of energy," said Dr. Craig Deforest, a researcher with the SOHO project. "The energy released is equal to completely covering the Earth's continents with a yard of dynamite and detonating it all at once." SOHO is a joint project of the European Space Agency and NASA. The finding is reported in the May 28 issue of the journal Nature, and is the subject of a press conference at the spring meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Boston, Mass., May 27. The solar quake that the science team recorded looks much like ripples spreading from a rock dropped into a pool of water. But over the course of an hour, the solar waves traveled for a distance equal to 10 Earth diameters before fading into the fiery background of the Sun's photosphere. Unlike water ripples that travel outward at a constant velocity, the solar waves accelerated from an initial speed of 22,000 miles per hour to a maximum of 250,000 miles per hour before disappearing. "People have looked for evidence of seismic waves from flares before, but they didn't have a theory so they didn't know where to look," says Kosovichev. Several years ago Kosovichev and Zharkova developed a theory that can explain how a flare, which explodes in space above the Sun's surface, can generate a major seismic wave in the Sun's interior. According to the currently accepted model of solar flares, the primary explosion creates high-energy electrons (electrically charged subatomic particles). These are funneled down into a magnetic flux tube, an invisible tube of magnetic energy, and produce X-rays, microwaves and a shock wave that heats the solar surface. Kosovichev and Zharkova developed a theory that predicts the nature and magnitude of the shock waves that this beam of energetic electrons should create when they slam down into the solar atmosphere. Although their theory directed them to the right area to search for the seismic waves, the waves that they found were 10 times stronger than they had predicted. "They were so strong that you can see them in the raw data," Kosovichev says. The solar seismic waves appear to be compression waves like the "P" waves generated by an earthquake. They travel throughout the Sun's interior. In fact, the waves should recombine on the opposite side of the Sun from the location of the flare to create a faint duplicate of the original ripple pattern, Kosovichev predicts. Now that they know how to find them, the SOHO scientists say that the seismic waves generated by solar flares should allow them to verify independently some of the conditions in the solar interior that they have inferred from studying the pattern of waves that are continually ruffling the Sun's surface. SOHO is part of the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program, a global effort to observe and understand our star and its effects on our environment. The ISTP mission includes more than 20 satellites, coupled with with ground-based observatories and modeling centers, that allow scientists to study the Sun, the Earth, and the space between them in unprecedented detail. ISTP is a joint program of NASA, ESA, Japan's Institute for Astronautical Science, and Russia's Space Research Institute. Still images of the solar quake can be found at the following internet address: FTP://PAO.GSFC.NASA.GOV/newsmedia/QUAKE/ For further information, please contact : ESA Public Relations Division Tel:+33(0)1.53.69.71.55 Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.76.90 3

Observation of a reversal of rotation in a sunspot during a solar flare

PubMed Central

Bi, Yi; Jiang, Yunchun; Yang, Jiayan; Hong, Junchao; Li, Haidong; Yang, Bo; Xu, Zhe

2016-01-01

The abrupt motion of the photospheric flux during a solar flare is thought to be a back reaction caused by the coronal field reconfiguration. However, the type of motion pattern and the physical mechanism responsible for the back reaction has been uncertain. Here we show that the direction of a sunspot's rotation is reversed during an X1.6 flare using observations from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. A magnetic field extrapolation model shows that the corresponding coronal magnetic field shrinks with increasing magnetic twist density. This suggests that the abrupt reversal of rotation in the sunspot may be driven by a Lorentz torque that is produced by the gradient of twist density from the solar corona to the solar interior. These results support the view that the abrupt reversal in the rotation of the sunspot is a dynamic process responding to shrinkage of the coronal magnetic field during the flare. PMID:27958266

A tunable, solid, Fabry-Perot etalon for solar seismology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, David M.; Burton, Clive H.; Leistner, Achim J.

1986-01-01

A solid etalon has been designed and fabricated from a 50-mm diameter wafer of optical-quality lithium niobate. The finished etalon has a free spectral range of 0.325 nm at 588 nm. The parallel faces are coated with silver, and the central 15-mm aperture of the etalon has a finesse of 18.6. The reflective faces double as electrodes, and application of voltage will shift the passband. This feature was used in a servo circuit to stabilize the passband against temperature and tilt-induced drifts to better than three parts in one billion. Operated in the stabilized mode for day-long sessions, this filter alternately samples the wings of a narrow atomic absorption line in the solar spectrum and produces a signal proportional to velocity on the solar disk. The Fourier transform of this signal yields information on acoustic waves in the solar interior.

Reports of Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program, 1984

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, H. E. (Compiler); Watters, T. R. (Compiler)

1985-01-01

Topics include outer planets and satellites; asteroids and comets; Venus; lunar origin and solar dynamics; cratering process; planetary interiors, petrology, and geochemistry; volcanic processes; aeolian processes and landforms; fluvial processes; geomorphology; periglacial and permafrost processes; remote sensing and regolith studies; structure, tectonics, and stratigraphy; geological mapping, cartography, and geodesy; and radar applications.

25 CFR 162.553 - Must a WSR lease specify who receives monetary compensation payments?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Must a WSR lease specify who receives monetary compensation payments? 162.553 Section 162.553 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation...

25 CFR 162.535 - What effectiveness, compliance, and enforcement provisions apply to WEELs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What effectiveness, compliance, and enforcement provisions apply to WEELs? 162.535 Section 162.535 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Compliance and Enforcement...

25 CFR 162.553 - Must a WSR lease specify who receives monetary compensation payments?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Must a WSR lease specify who receives monetary compensation payments? 162.553 Section 162.553 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation...

25 CFR 162.535 - What effectiveness, compliance, and enforcement provisions apply to WEELs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What effectiveness, compliance, and enforcement provisions apply to WEELs? 162.535 Section 162.535 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Compliance and Enforcement...

75 FR 8105 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Staff Assessment for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-23

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CACA 47740, LLCAD07000, L51030000.FX0000, LVRAB109AA01] Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Staff Assessment for the Stirling Energy Systems Solar Two Project and Possible California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment...

25 CFR 162.599 - What happens if the lessee abandons the leased premises?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What happens if the lessee abandons the leased premises? 162.599 Section 162.599 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and Enforcement...

25 CFR 162.599 - What happens if the lessee abandons the leased premises?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What happens if the lessee abandons the leased premises? 162.599 Section 162.599 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and Enforcement...

Influence of Projection Operator on Oxygen Line Shapes and its effect on Rosseland-Mean Opacity in Stellar Interiors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez, Thomas; Nagayama, Taisukue; Kilcrease, David; Hansen, Stephanie; Montgomery, Mike; Winget, Don

2018-01-01

The Rosseland-Mean opacity (RMO) is an important quantity in determining radiation transport through stars. The solar-convection-zone boundary predicted by the standard solar model disagrees with helioseismology measurements by many sigma; a 14% increase in the RMO would resolve this discrepancy. Experiments at Sandia National Laboratories are now measuring iron opacity at solar-interior conditions, and significant discrepancies are already observed. Highly-ionized oxygen is one of the dominant contributions to the RMO. The strongest line, Lyman alpha, is at the peak of the Rosseland weighting function. The accuracy of line-broadening calculations has been called into question due to various experimental results and comparisons between theory. We have developed an ab-initio calculation to explore different physical effects, our current focus is treating penetrating collisions explicitly. The equation of motion used to calculate line shapes within the relaxation and unified theories includes a projection operator, which performs an average over plasma electron states; this is neglected due to past calculations approximate treatment of penetrations. We now include this projection term explicitly, which results in a significant broadening of spectral lines from highly-charged ions (low-Z elements are not much affected). The additional broadening raises the O Ly-alpha wing opacity by a factor of 5; we examine the consequences of this additional broadening on the Rosseland mean.

Sleuthing the Dynamo: the Final Frontier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayres, Thomas

1996-07-01

Innovative technologies are opening new windows into the Sun;from its hidden interior to the far reaches of its turbulentouter envelope: rare-earth detectors for solar neutrinos; theGONG project for helioseismology; SOHO for high-resolutionXUV spectroscopy, and YOHKOH for coronal X-ray imaging. Atthe same time, a fleet of space observatories--ROSAT, EUVE,ASCA, and HST itself--are providing unprecedented views ofthe vacuum-UV and X-ray emissions of stars in our Galacticneighborhood. These seemingly unrelated developments are infact deeply connected. A central issue of solar-stellarphysics is the nature and origin of magnetic activity: thelink between the interior dynamics of a late-type star and theviolent state of its outermost coronal layers. As solarphysicists are unlocking the secrets of the hydromagneticDynamo deep inside the Sun, we and others have beendocumenting the early evolution of the Dynamo and itsassociated external gas-dynamic activity. In particular, wehave obtained HST/FOS spectra of ten young solar-type starsin three nearby open clusters--the Hyades, Pleiades, andAlpha Persei--ranging in age from 50 Myr to 600 Myr. We havesupplemented the HST spectroscopy with deep ROSAT pointings, and ground-based studies. Here, we will continue the HSTside of our project by obtaining FUV spectra of two AlphaPerseids from our original program (but not yet observed),and high-S/N follow-up measurements of the hyperactive PleiadH II 314.

VIRGO: Experiment for helioseismology and solar irradiance monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Froehlich, Claus; Andersen, Bo N.

1995-01-01

The scientific objectives of the variability of solar irradiance and gravity oscillations (VIRGO) experiment are as follows: to determine the characteristics of pressure and internal gravity oscillations by observing irradiance and radiance variations; to measure the solar total and spectral irradiance, and to quantify their variability. Helioseismological methods can be applied to these data in order to probe the solar interior. Certain convection characteristics and their interaction with magnetic fields will be studied from the results of the irradiance monitoring and from the comparison of the amplitudes and phases of the oscillations as observed from the brightness by VIRGO and from velocity by the global oscillations at low frequency (GOLF) experiment. The VIRGO experiment contains two active-cavity radiometers that monitor the solar constant, two three-channel sunphotometers that measure the spectral irradiance, and a low resolution imager with 12 pixels that measures the radiance distribution over the solar disk at 500 nm. The scientific objectives of VIRGO are presented, the instruments and the data acquisition and control system are described, and their measured performances are given.

Effects Investigated of Ambient High-Temperature Exposure on Alumina-Titania High-Emittance Surfaces for Solar Dynamic Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

deGroh, Kim K.; Smith, Daniela C.

1999-01-01

Solar-dynamic space power systems require durable, high-emittance surfaces on a number of critical components, such as heat receiver interior surfaces and parasitic load radiator (PLR) elements. An alumina-titania coating, which has been evaluated for solar-dynamic heat receiver canister applications, has been chosen for a PLR application (an electrical sink for excess power from the turboalternator/compressor) because of its demonstrated high emittance and high-temperature durability in vacuum. Under high vacuum conditions (+/- 10(exp -6) torr), the alumina-titania coating was found to be durable at temperatures of 1520 F (827 C) for approx. 2700 hours with no degradation in optical properties. This coating has been successfully applied to the 2-kW solar-dynamic ground test demonstrator at the NASA Lewis Research Center, to the 500 thermal-energy-storage containment canisters inside the heat receiver and to the PLR radiator. The solar-dynamic demonstrator has successfully operated for over 800 hours in Lewis large thermal/vacuum space environment facility, demonstrating the feasibility of solar-dynamic power generation for space applications.

Venus as a laboratory for studying planetary surface, interior, and atmospheric evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smrekar, S. E.; Hensley, S.; Helbert, J.

2013-12-01

As Earth's twin, Venus offers a laboratory for understanding what makes our home planet unique in our solar system. The Decadal Survey points to the role of Venus in answering questions such as the supply of water and its role in atmospheric evolution, its availability to support life, and the role of geology and dynamics in controlling volatiles and climate. On Earth, the mechanism of plate tectonics drives the deformation and volcanism that allows volatiles to escape from the interior to the atmosphere and be recycled into the interior. Magellan revealed that Venus lacks plate tectonics. The number and distribution of impact craters lead to the idea Venus resurfaced very rapidly, and inspired numerous models of lithospheric foundering and episodic plate tectonics. However we have no evidence that Venus ever experienced a plate tectonic regime. How is surface deformation affected if no volatiles are recycled into the interior? Although Venus is considered a ';stagnant' lid planet (lacking plate motion) today, we have evidence for recent volcanism. The VIRTIS instrument on Venus Express mapped the southern hemisphere at 1.02 microns, revealing areas likely to be unweathered, recent volcanic flows. Additionally, numerous studies have shown that the crater population is consistent with ongoing, regional resurfacing. How does deformation and volcanism occur in the absence of plates? At what rate is the planet resurfacing and thus outgassing? Does lithospheric recycling occur with plate tectonics? In the 25 years since Magellan, the design of Synthetic Aperture Radar has advanced tremendously, allowing order of magnitude improvements in altimetry and imaging. With these advanced tools, we can explore Venus' past and current tectonic states. Tesserae are highly deformed plateaus, thought to be possible remnants of Venus' earlier tectonic state. How did they form? Are they low in silica, like Earth's continents, indicating the presence of abundant water? Does the plains volcanism cover an earlier tectonic surface, or perhaps cover ancient impact basins? Was there an abrupt transition in tectonic style, perhaps due to degassing of the crust or a more gradual shift? What is the nature of Venus' modern tectonics? Is the lithosphere still deforming? Is there recent or active volcanism? Is volcanism confined to hotspots, areas above mantle plumes? Has plains volcanism ceased? What are the implications for volatile history? These questions can be addressed via a combination of high resolution altimetry, imaging, and surface emissivity mapping.

Using Data Assimilation Methods of Prediction of Solar Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kitiashvili, Irina N.; Collins, Nancy S.

2017-01-01

The variable solar magnetic activity known as the 11-year solar cycle has the longest history of solar observations. These cycles dramatically affect conditions in the heliosphere and the Earth's space environment. Our current understanding of the physical processes that make up global solar dynamics and the dynamo that generates the magnetic fields is sketchy, resulting in unrealistic descriptions in theoretical and numerical models of the solar cycles. The absence of long-term observations of solar interior dynamics and photospheric magnetic fields hinders development of accurate dynamo models and their calibration. In such situations, mathematical data assimilation methods provide an optimal approach for combining the available observational data and their uncertainties with theoretical models in order to estimate the state of the solar dynamo and predict future cycles. In this presentation, we will discuss the implementation and performance of an Ensemble Kalman Filter data assimilation method based on the Parker migratory dynamo model, complemented by the equation of magnetic helicity conservation and long-term sunspot data series. This approach has allowed us to reproduce the general properties of solar cycles and has already demonstrated a good predictive capability for the current cycle, 24. We will discuss further development of this approach, which includes a more sophisticated dynamo model, synoptic magnetogram data, and employs the DART Data Assimilation Research Testbed.

Early Estimation of Solar Activity Cycle: Potential Capability and Limits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kitiashvili, Irina N.; Collins, Nancy S.

2017-01-01

The variable solar magnetic activity known as the 11-year solar cycle has the longest history of solar observations. These cycles dramatically affect conditions in the heliosphere and the Earth's space environment. Our current understanding of the physical processes that make up global solar dynamics and the dynamo that generates the magnetic fields is sketchy, resulting in unrealistic descriptions in theoretical and numerical models of the solar cycles. The absence of long-term observations of solar interior dynamics and photospheric magnetic fields hinders development of accurate dynamo models and their calibration. In such situations, mathematical data assimilation methods provide an optimal approach for combining the available observational data and their uncertainties with theoretical models in order to estimate the state of the solar dynamo and predict future cycles. In this presentation, we will discuss the implementation and performance of an Ensemble Kalman Filter data assimilation method based on the Parker migratory dynamo model, complemented by the equation of magnetic helicity conservation and longterm sunspot data series. This approach has allowed us to reproduce the general properties of solar cycles and has already demonstrated a good predictive capability for the current cycle, 24. We will discuss further development of this approach, which includes a more sophisticated dynamo model, synoptic magnetogram data, and employs the DART Data Assimilation Research Testbed.

Solar Activity Forecasting for use in Orbit Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schatten, Kenneth

2001-01-01

Orbital prediction for satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) or low planetary orbit depends strongly on exospheric densities. Solar activity forecasting is important in orbital prediction, as the solar UV and EUV inflate the upper atmospheric layers of the Earth and planets, forming the exosphere in which satellites orbit. Geomagnetic effects also relate to solar activity. Because of the complex and ephemeral nature of solar activity, with different cycles varying in strength by more than 100%, many different forecasting techniques have been utilized. The methods range from purely numerical techniques (essentially curve fitting) to numerous oddball schemes, as well as a small subset, called 'Precursor techniques.' The situation can be puzzling, owing to the numerous methodologies involved, somewhat akin to the numerous ether theories near the turn of the last century. Nevertheless, the Precursor techniques alone have a physical basis, namely dynamo theory, which provides a physical explanation for why this subset seems to work. I discuss this solar cycle's predictions, as well as the Sun's observed activity. I also discuss the SODA (Solar Dynamo Amplitude) index, which provides the user with the ability to track the Sun's hidden, interior dynamo magnetic fields. As a result, one may then update solar activity predictions continuously, by monitoring the solar magnetic fields as they change throughout the solar cycle. This paper ends by providing a glimpse into what the next solar cycle (#24) portends.

Children's Services Today.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Mary Manz

1988-01-01

Examines the implications for children's library services of changes in family life and structure over the past 10 years. Library clientele, materials, hours, location, interior design, and services offered are discussed. (MES)

FORWARD AND INVERSE MODELING OF THE EMISSION AND TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF GJ 436B: INVESTIGATING METAL ENRICHMENT, TIDAL HEATING, AND CLOUDS

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

Morley, Caroline V.; Knutson, Heather; Line, Michael

The Neptune-mass GJ 436b is one of the most studied transiting exoplanets with repeated measurements of its thermal emission and transmission spectra. We build on previous studies to answer outstanding questions about this planet, including its potentially high metallicity and tidal heating of its interior. We present new observations of GJ 436b’s thermal emission at 3.6 and 4.5 μ m, which reduce uncertainties in estimates of GJ 436b’s flux at those wavelengths and demonstrate consistency between Spitzer observations spanning more than 7 yr. We analyze the Spitzer thermal emission photometry and Hubble WFC3 transmission spectrum. We use a dual-pronged modelingmore » approach of both self-consistent and retrieval models. We vary the metallicity, intrinsic luminosity from tidal heating, disequilibrium chemistry, and heat redistribution. We also study clouds and photochemical hazes, but do not find strong evidence for either. The self-consistent and retrieval models combine to suggest that GJ 436b has a high atmospheric metallicity, with best fits at or above several hundred times solar metallicity, tidal heating warming its interior with best-fit intrinsic effective temperatures around 300–350 K, and disequilibrium chemistry. High metal enrichments (>600× solar) occur from the accretion of rocky, rather than icy, material. Assuming the interior temperature T {sub int} ∼ 300–350 K, we find a dissipation factor Q ′ ∼ 2 × 10{sup 5}–10{sup 6}, larger than Neptune’s Q ′, implying a long tidal circularization timescale for the orbit. We suggest that Neptune-mass planets may be more diverse than imagined, with metal enhancements spanning several orders of magnitude, to perhaps over 1000× solar metallicity. High-fidelity observations with instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope will be critical for characterizing this diversity.« less

Initial Results from Lunar Electromagnetic Sounding with ARTEMIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuqua, H.; Fatemi, S.; Poppe, A. R.; Delory, G. T.; Grimm, R. E.; De Pater, I.

2016-12-01

Electromagnetic Sounding constrains conducting layers of the lunar interior by observing variations in the Interplanetary Magnetic Field. Here, we focus our analysis on the time domain transfer function method locating transient events observed by two magnetometers near the Moon. We analyze ARTEMIS and Apollo magnetometer data. This analysis assumes the induced field responds undisturbed in a vacuum. In actuality, the dynamic plasma environment interacts with the induced field. Our models indicate distortion but not confinement occurs in the nightside wake cavity. Moreover, within the deep wake, near-vacuum region, distortion of the induced dipole fields due to the interaction with the wake is minimal depending on the magnitude of the induced field, the geometry of the upstream fields, and the upstream plasma parameters such as particle densities, solar wind velocity, and temperatures. Our results indicate the assumption of a vacuum dipolar response is reasonable within this minimally disturbed zone. We then interpret the ATEMIS magnetic field signal through a geophysical forward model capturing the induced response based on prescribed electrical conductivity models. We demonstrate our forward model passes benchmarking analyses and solves the magnetic induction response for any input signal as well as any 2 or 3 dimensional conductivity profile. We locate data windows according to the following criteria: (1) probe locations such that the wake probe is within 500km altitude within the wake cavity and minimally disturbed zone, and the second probe is in the free streaming solar wind; (2) a transient event consisting of an abrupt change in the magnetic field occurs enabling the observation of induction; (3) cross correlation analysis reveals the magnetic field signals are well correlated between the two probes and distances observed. Here we present initial ARTEMIS results providing further insight into the lunar interior structure. This method and modeling results are applicable to any airless body with a conducting interior, interacting directly with the solar wind in the absence of a parent body magnetic field as well as any two point magnetometer constellation.

Enceladus life finder: the search for life in a habitable moon.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunine, Jonathan; Waite, Hunter; Postberg, Frank; Spilker, Linda; Clark, Karla

2015-04-01

Is there life elsewhere in the solar system? Guided by the principle that we can most easily recognize life as we know it -- life that requires liquid water -- Enceladus is particularly attractive because liquid water from its deep interior is actively erupting into space, making sampling of the interior straightforward. The Cassini Saturn Orbiter has provided the motivation. In particular, at high resolution, spatial coincidences between individual geysers and small-scale hot spots revealed the liquid reservoir supplying the eruptions to be not in the near-surface but deeper within the moon [1], putting on a firm foundation the principle that sampling the plume allows us to know the composition of the ocean. Sensitive gravity and topography measurements established the location and dimensions of that reservoir: ~ 35 km beneath the SPT ice shell and extending out to at least 50 degrees latitude, implying an interior ocean large enough to have been stable over geologic time [2]. The Cassini ion neutral mass spectrometer (INMS) discovered organic and nitrogen-bearing molecules in the plume vapour, and the Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) detected salts in the plume icy grains, arguing strongly for ocean water being in con-tact with a rocky core [3], [4]. As much as Cassini has done, it cannot provide detailed information on the ocean environment that allow for a quantitative assessment of the potential for life. Acquiring such knowledge represents the essential first step in characterizing the nature of the subsurface ocean and its biological potential. Enceladus Life Finder, or ELF, is a solar-powered Saturn orbiter designed to fly multiple times through the plume of Enceladus.The goals of the mission are derived directly from the most recent decadal survey: first, to determine primordial sources of organics and the sites of organic synthesis today, and second, to determine if there are modern habitats in the solar system beyond Earth where the conditions for life exist today -- and if life exists there now. Enceladus is the ideal outer solar object to address these issues because of Cassini's discovery of an organic- and salt-rich water ocean, and the accessibility of its interior through the plume. ELF carries compositional instruments of far greater mass range, dynamic range, resolution and sensitivity than those on Cassini. The ELF payload consists of two time-of-flight instruments, the Mass Spectrometer for Planetary Exploration (MASPEX), and the Enceladus Icy Jet Analyser (ENIJA), optimized to analyse respectively the gas and grains. References: [1] Porco, C., diNino, D. and Nimmo, F. (2014). A.J. 148, 45. [2] Iess, L. et al. (2014), Sci-ence 344, 78. [3] Waite, J.H. (2009). Nature 460, 487. [4] Postberg, F. et. al. (2011). Nature 474, 620.

The persistence of the large volumes in black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Yen Chin

2015-08-01

Classically, black holes admit maximal interior volumes that grow asymptotically linearly in time. We show that such volumes remain large when Hawking evaporation is taken into account. Even if a charged black hole approaches the extremal limit during this evolution, its volume continues to grow; although an exactly extremal black hole does not have a "large interior". We clarify this point and discuss the implications of our results to the information loss and firewall paradoxes.

Meteoritic Stardust and the Presolar History of the Solar Neighborhood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nittler, Larry R.

Presolar stardust is present at low levels in meteorites and cometary dust and identified as ancient stellar matter by unusual isotopic compositions reflecting nuclear processes in stellar interiors and galactic chemical evolution. Most grains originated in winds from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and supernova and their isotopic compositions provide important constraints on models of evolution and nucleosynthesis in these environments. The presolar grains from AGB stars appear to have formed in a lower-mass population of stars than predicted by GCE models. A merger of the Milky Way with a dwarf galaxy some 1 Gyr before the birth of the Solar System may explain this and other grain observations and the data thus can provide a unique window into the presolar history of the solar neighborhood.

The photospheric magnetic flux budget

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schrijver, C. J.; Harvey, K. L.

1994-01-01

The ensemble of bipolar regions and the magnetic network both contain a substantial and strongly variable part of the photospheric magnetic flux at any phase in the solar cycle. The time-dependent distribution of the magnetic flux over and within these components reflects the action of the dynamo operating in the solar interior. We perform a quantitative comparison of the flux emerging in the ensemble of magnetic bipoles with the observed flux content of the solar photosphere. We discuss the photospheric flux budget in terms of flux appearance and disappearance, and argue that a nonlinear dependence exists between the flux present in the photosphere and the rate of flux appearance and disappearance. In this context, we discuss the problem of making quantitative statements about dynamos in cool stars other than the Sun.

Interior volume of (1 + D)-dimensional Schwarzschild black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaumik, Nilanjandev; Majhi, Bibhas Ranjan

2018-01-01

We calculate the maximum interior volume, enclosed by the event horizon, of a (1 + D)-dimensional Schwarzschild black hole. Taking into account the mass change due to Hawking radiation, we show that the volume increases towards the end of the evaporation. This fact is not new as it has been observed earlier for four-dimensional case. The interesting point we observe is that this increase rate decreases towards the higher value of space dimensions D; i.e. it is a decelerated expansion of volume with the increase of spatial dimensions. This implies that for a sufficiently large D, the maximum interior volume does not change. The possible implications of these results are also discussed.

Immigration Enforcement, Parent-Child Separations, and Intent to Remigrate by Central American Deportees.

PubMed

Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina; Pozo, Susan; Puttitanun, Thitima

2015-12-01

Given the unprecedented increase in the flow of migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to the United States, this article analyzes the impact of U.S. interior enforcement on parent-child separations among Central American deportees, along with its implications for deportees' intentions to remigrate to the United States. Using the EMIF sur survey data, we find that interior enforcement raises the likelihood of parent-child separations as well as the likelihood that parents forcedly separated from their young children report the intention to return to the United States, presumably without documents. By increasing parent-child separations, interior enforcement could prove counterproductive in deterring repetitive unauthorized crossings among Central American deportees.

Shallow moonquakes - Depth, distribution and implications as to the present state of the lunar interior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura, Y.; Latham, G. V.; Dorman, H. J.; Ibrahim, A.-B. K.; Koyama, J.; Horvath, P.

1979-01-01

The observed seismic amplitudes of HFT (high-frequency teleseismic) events do not vary with distance as expected for surface sources, but are consistent with sources in the upper mantle of the moon. Thus, the upper mantle of the moon is the only zone where tectonic stresses deriving from differential thermal contraction and expansion of the lunar interior are presently high enough to cause moonquakes. The distribution of shallow moonquake epicenters suggests a possible correlation with impact basins, implying a lasting tectonic influence of impact basins long after their formation. The finite depths now assigned to these shallow moonquakes necessitate further revision to the seismic structural model of the lunar interior.

The Potential of Heat Collection from Solar Radiation in Asphalt Solar Collectors in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beddu, Salmia; Talib, Siti Hidayah Abdul; Itam, Zarina

2016-03-01

The implementation of asphalt solar collectors as a means of an energy source is being widely studied in recent years. Asphalt pavements are exposed to daily solar radiation, and are capable of reaching up to 70°C in temperature. The potential of harvesting energy from solar pavements as an alternative energy source in replace of non-renewable energy sources prone to depletion such as fuel is promising. In Malaysia, the sun intensity is quite high and for this reason, absorbing the heat from sun radiation, and then utilizing it in many other applications such as generating electricity could definitely be impressive. Previous researches on the different methods of studying the effect of heat absorption caused by solar radiation prove to be quite old and inaffective. More recent findings, on the otherhand, prove to be more informative. This paper focuses on determining the potential of heat collection from solar radiation in asphalt solar collectors using steel piping. The asphalt solar collector model constructed for this research was prepared in the civil engineering laboratory. The hot mixed asphalt (HMA) contains 10% bitumen mixed with 90% aggregates of the total size of asphalt. Three stainless steel pipes were embedded into the interior region of the model according to the design criteria, and then put to test. Results show that harvesting energy from asphalt solar collectors proves highly potential in Malaysia due its the hot climate.

Structure of the lunar interior from magnetic field measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1976-01-01

A network of lunar surface and orbiting magnetometers was used to obtain measurements of electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability of the lunar interior. An exceptionally large solar transient event, when the moon was in a geomagnetic tail lobe, enabled the most accurate lunar electromagnetic sounding information to date to be obtained. A new analytical technique using a network of two surface magnetometers and a satellite magnetometer superimposes many time series measurements to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and uses both the amplitude and phase information of all three vector components of the magnetic field data. Size constraints on a hypothetical highly conducting lunar core are investigated with the aid of the permeability results.

The New Jupiter: Results from the Juno Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolton, Scott

2018-01-01

NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter launched in 2011 and arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. Juno's scientific objectives include the study of Jupiter's interior, atmosphere and magnetosphere with the goal of understanding Jupiter's origin, formation and evolution. An extensive campaign of Earth based observations of Jupiter and the solar wind were orchestrated to complement Juno measurements during Juno's approach to Jupiter and during its orbital mission around Jupiter. This presentation provides an overview of results from the Juno measurements during the early phases of Juno's prime mission. Scientific results include Jupiter's interior structure, magnetic field, deep atmospheric dynamics and composition, and the first in-situ exploration of Jupiter's polar magnetosphere and aurorae.

Planetary Evolution, Habitability and Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tilman, Spohn; Breuer, Doris; de Vera, Jean-Pierre; Jaumann, Ralf; Kuehrt, Ekkehard; Möhlmann, Diedrich; Rauer, Heike; Richter, Lutz

A Helmholtz Alliance has been established to study the interactions between life and the evo-lution of planets. The approach goes beyond current studies in Earth-System Sciences by including the entire planet from the atmosphere to the deep interior, going beyond Earth to include other Earth-like planets such as Mars and Venus and satellites in the solar system where ecosystems may exist underneath thick ice shells,considering other solar systems. The approach includes studies of the importance of plate tectonics and other tectonic regimes such as single plate tectonics for the development and for sustaining life and asks the question: If life can adapt to a planet, can a planet adapt to life? Can life be seen as a geological process and if so, can life shape the conditions on a planet such that life can flourish? The vision goes beyond the solar system by including the challenges that life would face in other solar systems. The Alliance uses theoretical modelling of feedback cycles and coupled planetary atmosphere and interior processes. These models are based on the results of remote sensing of planetary surfaces and atmospheres, laboratory studies on (meteorite) samples from other planets and on studies of life under extreme conditions. The Alliance uses its unique capabilities in remote sensing and in-situ exploration to prepare for empirical studies of the parameters affecting habitability. The Alliance aims to establish a network infrastructure in Germany to enable the most ad-vanced research in planetary evolution studies by including life as a planetary process. Finding extraterrestrial life is a task of fundamental importance to mankind, and its fulfilment will be philosophically profound. Evaluating the interactions between planetary evolution and life will help to put the evolution of our home planet (even anthropogenic effects) into perspective.

HOMOLOGOUS JET-DRIVEN CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS FROM SOLAR ACTIVE REGION 12192

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

Panesar, Navdeep K.; Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L., E-mail: navdeep.k.panesar@nasa.gov

We report observations of homologous coronal jets and their coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed by instruments onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. The homologous jets originated from a location with emerging and canceling magnetic field at the southeastern edge of the giant active region (AR) of 2014 October, NOAA 12192. This AR produced in its interior many non-jet major flare eruptions (X- and M- class) that made no CME. During October 20 to 27, in contrast to the major flare eruptions in the interior, six of the homologous jets from the edgemore » resulted in CMEs. Each jet-driven CME (∼200–300 km s{sup −1}) was slower-moving than most CMEs, with angular widths (20°–50°) comparable to that of the base of a coronal streamer straddling the AR and were of the “streamer-puff” variety, whereby the preexisting streamer was transiently inflated but not destroyed by the passage of the CME. Much of the transition-region-temperature plasma in the CME-producing jets escaped from the Sun, whereas relatively more of the transition-region plasma in non-CME-producing jets fell back to the solar surface. Also, the CME-producing jets tended to be faster and longer-lasting than the non-CME-producing jets. Our observations imply that each jet and CME resulted from reconnection opening of twisted field that erupted from the jet base and that the erupting field did not become a plasmoid as previously envisioned for streamer-puff CMEs, but instead the jet-guiding streamer-base loop was blown out by the loop’s twist from the reconnection.« less

The Saturn Probe Interior and aTmosphere Explorer (SPRITE) Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Amy; Banfield, Donald; Atkinson, David; SPRITE Science Team

2018-01-01

A key question in planetary science is how the planets formed in our Solar System, and, by extension, in exoplanet systems. The abundances of the noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe), heavy elements (C, N, O, S), and their isotopes provide important forensic clues as to location and time of formation in the early Solar System. Jupiter and Saturn contain most of the planetary mass in our solar system, and their chemical fingerprints will distinguish between competing models of the formation of all the planets. After the end of the Cassini mission, some of these elements have only ambiguous values above the cloud tops, while others (particularly the noble gases) have not been measured at all. Resolving this requires direct in situ measurements. The proposed NASA New Frontiers Saturn PRobe Interior and aTmosphere Explorer (SPRITE) mission delivers an instrumented entry probe from a carrier relay spacecraft that also provides context imaging. The powerful probe instrument suite is comprised of a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer, a Tunable Laser Spectrometer, and an Atmospheric Structure Instrument including a Doppler Wind Experiment and a simple backscatter nephelometer. These instruments measure the elemental and isotopic abundances of helium, the heavier noble gases, and the major elements, as well as constraining cloud properties, 3-D atmospheric dynamics, and disequilibrium chemistry to at least 10 bars in Saturn's troposphere. In situ measurements of Saturn's atmosphere by SPRITE will provide a significantly improved context for interpreting the results from the Galileo probe, Juno, and Cassini missions. SPRITE will revolutionize our understanding of the formation and evolution of the gas giant planets, and ultimately the present-day structure of the Solar System.

25 CFR 162.516 - How will BIA enforce removal requirements in a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will BIA enforce removal requirements in a WEEL? 162.516 Section 162.516 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weels § 162.516 How will BIA enforce removal requirements...

25 CFR 162.534 - May the parties amend, assign, sublease, or mortgage a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May the parties amend, assign, sublease, or mortgage a WEEL? 162.534 Section 162.534 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Administration § 162.534 May the parties...

25 CFR 162.532 - When will a WEEL be effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false When will a WEEL be effective? 162.532 Section 162.532 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Approval § 162.532 When will a WEEL be effective? (a) A WEEL will be...

25 CFR 162.536 - Under what circumstances may a WEEL be terminated?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Under what circumstances may a WEEL be terminated? 162.536 Section 162.536 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Compliance and Enforcement § 162.536 Under what...

25 CFR 162.557 - Must a WSR lease provide for compensation reviews or adjustments?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Must a WSR lease provide for compensation reviews or adjustments? 162.557 Section 162.557 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation Requirements...

Ambient-Light Simulator For Testing Cockpit Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batson, Vernon M.; Gupton, Lawrence E.

1995-01-01

Apparatus provides illumination from outside, through windows and into interior of simulated airplane cockpit. Simulates sunlight, darkness, or lightning on demand. Ambient-lighting simulator surrounds forward section of simulated airplane. Provides control over intensity, color, and diffuseness of solar illumination and of position of Sun relative to airplane. Used to evaluate aircraft-instrumentation display devices under realistic lighting conditions.

25 CFR 162.552 - When are monetary compensation payments due under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false When are monetary compensation payments due under a WSR lease? 162.552 Section 162.552 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation Requirements...

25 CFR 162.533 - Must a WEEL lease document be recorded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Must a WEEL lease document be recorded? 162.533 Section 162.533 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Approval § 162.533 Must a WEEL lease document be recorded? (a) Any...

25 CFR 162.543 - May permanent improvements be made under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May permanent improvements be made under a WSR lease? 162.543 Section 162.543 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.543 May permanent improvements be made...

25 CFR 162.523 - How much compensation must be paid under a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How much compensation must be paid under a WEEL? 162.523 Section 162.523 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Monetary Compensation Requirements § 162.523 How much...

25 CFR 162.524 - Will BIA require a valuation for a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Will BIA require a valuation for a WEEL? 162.524 Section 162.524 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Monetary Compensation Requirements § 162.524 Will BIA require a...

25 CFR 162.552 - When are monetary compensation payments due under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false When are monetary compensation payments due under a WSR lease? 162.552 Section 162.552 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation Requirements...

25 CFR 162.570 - May the parties amend a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May the parties amend a WSR lease? 162.570 Section 162.570 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Amendments § 162.570 May the parties amend a WSR lease? The...

25 CFR 162.524 - Will BIA require a valuation for a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Will BIA require a valuation for a WEEL? 162.524 Section 162.524 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Monetary Compensation Requirements § 162.524 Will BIA require a...

25 CFR 162.568 - Must a WSR lease document be recorded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Must a WSR lease document be recorded? 162.568 Section 162.568 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Approval § 162.568 Must a WSR lease document be recorded? (a...

25 CFR 162.516 - How will BIA enforce removal requirements in a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will BIA enforce removal requirements in a WEEL? 162.516 Section 162.516 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weels § 162.516 How will BIA enforce removal requirements...

25 CFR 162.534 - May the parties amend, assign, sublease, or mortgage a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May the parties amend, assign, sublease, or mortgage a WEEL? 162.534 Section 162.534 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Administration § 162.534 May the parties...

25 CFR 162.557 - Must a WSR lease provide for compensation reviews or adjustments?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Must a WSR lease provide for compensation reviews or adjustments? 162.557 Section 162.557 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation Requirements...

25 CFR 162.523 - How much compensation must be paid under a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How much compensation must be paid under a WEEL? 162.523 Section 162.523 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Monetary Compensation Requirements § 162.523 How much...

25 CFR 162.554 - What form of monetary compensation payment is acceptable under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What form of monetary compensation payment is acceptable under a WSR lease? 162.554 Section 162.554 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation...

25 CFR 162.515 - How must a WEEL address ownership of permanent improvements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How must a WEEL address ownership of permanent improvements? 162.515 Section 162.515 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weels § 162.515 How must a WEEL address...

25 CFR 162.515 - How must a WEEL address ownership of permanent improvements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How must a WEEL address ownership of permanent improvements? 162.515 Section 162.515 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weels § 162.515 How must a WEEL address...

25 CFR 162.532 - When will a WEEL be effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false When will a WEEL be effective? 162.532 Section 162.532 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Approval § 162.532 When will a WEEL be effective? (a) A WEEL will be...

25 CFR 162.536 - Under what circumstances may a WEEL be terminated?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Under what circumstances may a WEEL be terminated? 162.536 Section 162.536 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Compliance and Enforcement § 162.536 Under what...

25 CFR 162.570 - May the parties amend a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May the parties amend a WSR lease? 162.570 Section 162.570 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Amendments § 162.570 May the parties amend a WSR lease? The...

25 CFR 162.543 - May permanent improvements be made under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May permanent improvements be made under a WSR lease? 162.543 Section 162.543 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.543 May permanent improvements be made...

25 CFR 162.554 - What form of monetary compensation payment is acceptable under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What form of monetary compensation payment is acceptable under a WSR lease? 162.554 Section 162.554 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation...

25 CFR 162.533 - Must a WEEL lease document be recorded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Must a WEEL lease document be recorded? 162.533 Section 162.533 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Approval § 162.533 Must a WEEL lease document be recorded? (a) Any...

25 CFR 162.568 - Must a WSR lease document be recorded?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Must a WSR lease document be recorded? 162.568 Section 162.568 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Approval § 162.568 Must a WSR lease document be recorded? (a...

Design and operation of a solarheated dry kiln for tropical latitudes

Treesearch

Brian Bond; Omar Espinoza; Philip Araman

2011-01-01

Lumber is usually dried to a specific moisture content prior to further manufacturing or use. While lumber can be air-dried, the ambient humidity in most localities prevents the lumber from reaching the moisture content necessary for dimensional stability and use, especially for interior use. Solar kilns are an inexpensive alternative to conventional steam-heated kilns...

Reports of planetary geology program, 1976 - 1977. [abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvidson, R. (Compiler); Wahmann, R. (Compiler); Howard, J. H., III

1977-01-01

One hundred seventeen investigations undertaken in the NASA Planetary Geology Program in 1976-1977 are reported in abstract form. Topics discussed include solar system formation; planetary interiors; planetary evolution; asteroids, comets and moons; cratering; volcanic, eolian, fluvial and mass wasting processes; volatiles and the Martian regolith; mapping; and instrument development and techniques. An author index is provided.

25 CFR 162.594 - How will payment rights relating to WSR leases be allocated?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will payment rights relating to WSR leases be allocated? 162.594 Section 162.594 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and...

25 CFR 162.582 - May a lessee mortgage a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May a lessee mortgage a WSR lease? 162.582 Section 162.582 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leasehold Mortgages § 162.582 May a lessee mortgage a WSR lease? (a...

25 CFR 162.595 - When will a cancellation of a WSR lease be effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false When will a cancellation of a WSR lease be effective? 162.595 Section 162.595 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and Enforcement § 162...

25 CFR 162.595 - When will a cancellation of a WSR lease be effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false When will a cancellation of a WSR lease be effective? 162.595 Section 162.595 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and Enforcement § 162...

25 CFR 162.597 - Will BIA appeal bond regulations apply to cancellation decisions involving WSR leases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Will BIA appeal bond regulations apply to cancellation decisions involving WSR leases? 162.597 Section 162.597 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness...

25 CFR 162.589 - May BIA investigate compliance with a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May BIA investigate compliance with a WSR lease? 162.589 Section 162.589 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and Enforcement § 162.589 May...

25 CFR 162.582 - May a lessee mortgage a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May a lessee mortgage a WSR lease? 162.582 Section 162.582 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leasehold Mortgages § 162.582 May a lessee mortgage a WSR lease? (a...

25 CFR 162.597 - Will BIA appeal bond regulations apply to cancellation decisions involving WSR leases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Will BIA appeal bond regulations apply to cancellation decisions involving WSR leases? 162.597 Section 162.597 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness...

25 CFR 162.594 - How will payment rights relating to WSR leases be allocated?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will payment rights relating to WSR leases be allocated? 162.594 Section 162.594 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and...

25 CFR 162.589 - May BIA investigate compliance with a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May BIA investigate compliance with a WSR lease? 162.589 Section 162.589 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and Enforcement § 162.589 May...

Revisiting the Solar Oblateness: Is Relevant Astrophysics Possible?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozelot, J. P.; Fazel, Z.

2013-10-01

The measurement of solar oblateness has a rich history extending well back into the past. Until recently, its estimate has been actively disputed, as has its temporal dependence. Recent accurate observations of the solar shape gave cause for doubt, and so far only balloon flights or satellite experiments, such as those onboard SDO, seem to achieve the required sensitivity to measure the expected small deviations from sphericity. A shrinking or an expanding shape is ultimately linked to solar activity (likely not homologously with its change), as gravitational or magnetic fields, which are existing mechanisms for storing energy during a solar cycle, lead to distinct perturbations in the equilibrium solar-structure and changes in the diameter. It follows that a sensitive determination of the solar radius fluctuations might give information about the origin of the solar cycle. In periods of higher activity, the outer photospheric shape seems to become aspheric under the influence of higher-order multipole moments of the Sun, resulting both from the centrifugal force and the core rotation. An accurate determination of the shape of the Sun is thus one of the ways that we have now for peering into its interior, learning empirically about flows and motions there that would otherwise only be guessed at from theoretical considerations, developing more precise inferences, and ultimately building possible alternative gravitational theories.

Improved thermodynamics of the dense solar plasma and molecular-dynamics simulations of the nuclear-reaction rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Dan

The conditions in the solar interior are so extreme that it has so far been impossible to match them in a laboratory. However, for nearly 50 years solar oscillations have been precisely observed, and the wealth of their data has enabled us to study the interior of the Sun as if it were a laboratory. Helioseismology is the name of this branch of astrophysics. It allows a high- precision diagnostic of the thermodynamic quantities in the solar interior. High-quality thermodynamic quantities are crucial for successful solar modeling. If good solar models are desired, considerable theoretical effort is required. Good solar models, in turn, are fundamental tools for solar physics. The most prominent example of this link between solar physics and basic physics was the resolution of the solar neutrino problem in 2002. The equation of state is a key material property that describes the relation between pressure, density and temperature. If the equation of state is derived from a thermodynamic potential it will also determine all associated thermodynamic quantities. A second key material property is the nuclear-energy production rate, which plays a crucial role in the solar core. Both are important physical properties describing the structure of the Sun. Both derive from microphysical models. In the equation-of-state part, we have studied two models of the equation of state (EOS). One is the MHD EOS, which is widely used in solar models. In our research, we have incorporated new terms into the MHD EOS. These terms have been borrowed from the major competing formalism, the OPAL EOS. They were missing in the original MHD EOS. Not only do the upgrades bring MHD closer to the OPAL equation of state, which is well known for its better match with observations. Most importantly it will allow solar modelers to use the OPAL equation of state directly, without recourse to the OPAL tables distributed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Since the OPAL code is not publicly available, there is no alternative source. The official OPAL tables, however, have disadvantages. First, they are inflexible regarding the chemical mix, which is set once and for all by the producers of the tables. Our equation of state will allow the user to choose, in principle, an arbitrary mix. Second, the OPAL tables by their very nature are limited by the errors of interpolation within tables. The second equation of state model is a density expansion based on the Feynman-Kac path-integral formalism. By making use of the equivalence of quantum Hamiltonian matrix and the classical action of closed and open filaments (paths), an analytic formalism of equation of state. Although the character of density expansion limits its application, the formalism can still be valid in most region in the Sun. Our work provides the link between the abstract theoretical formalism that was developed in the 1990s and a numerically smooth realization that can be used in solar and stellar models. Since it is so far the most exact and systematic approach for an EOS, it provides another way to study the influence of different very fine physical effects, despite considerable limitations in its domain of applicability. In the nuclear-reaction part of the thesis, we have used a molecular-dynamics method to simulate the motion of protons in a hydrogen plasma (which is a good approximation for this purpose). Quantum tunneling explains why nuclear fusion can occur in the first place, considering the "low" temperature in the solar core. It is well known that this tunneling is enhanced (which leads to higher nuclear reaction rates) in the presence of Coulomb screening. In the 1950, Salpeter formulated a theory based on the static-screened Coulomb potential, as derived by Debye and H=FCckel in the 1920s. As expected, Salpeter obtained enhanced reaction rates. But from our simulation, we confirmed the results of a recent controversy about the existence of a dynamic effect. Since the bulk of fusion reactions happens at the high end of the Maxwell distribution, this is an relevant issue. Our work is the first independent confirmation of such a dynamic effect.

Orbits and Interiors of Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batygin, Konstantin

2012-05-01

The focus of this thesis is a collection of problems of timely interest in orbital dynamics and interior structure of planetary bodies. The first three chapters are dedicated to understanding the interior structure of close-in, gaseous extrasolar planets (hot Jupiters). In order to resolve a long-standing problem of anomalously large hot Jupiter radii, we proposed a novel magnetohydrodynamic mechanism responsible for inflation. The mechanism relies on the electro-magnetic interactions between fast atmospheric flows and the planetary magnetic field in a thermally ionized atmosphere, to induce electrical currents that flow throughout the planet. The resulting Ohmic dissipation acts to maintain the interior entropies, and by extension the radii of hot Jupiters at an enhanced level. Using self-consistent calculations of thermal evolution of hot Jupiters under Ohmic dissipation, we demonstrated a clear tendency towards inflated radii for effective temperatures that give rise to significant ionization of K and Na in the atmosphere, a trend fully consistent with the observational data. Furthermore, we found that in absence of massive cores, low-mass hot Jupiters can over-flow their Roche-lobes and evaporate on Gyr time-scales, possibly leaving behind small rocky cores. Chapters four through six focus on the improvement and implications of a model for orbital evolution of the solar system, driven by dynamical instability (termed the "Nice" model). Hydrodynamical studies of the orbital evolution of planets embedded in protoplanetary disks suggest that giant planets have a tendency to assemble into multi-resonant configurations. Following this argument, we used analytical methods as well as self-consistent numerical N-body simulations to identify fully-resonant primordial states of the outer solar system, whose dynamical evolutions give rise to orbital architectures that resemble the current solar system. We found a total of only eight such initial conditions, providing independent constraints for the solar system's birth environment. Next, we addressed a significant drawback of the original Nice model, namely its inability to create the physically unique, cold classical population of the Kuiper Belt. Specifically, we showed that a locally-formed cold belt can survive the transient instability, and its relatively calm dynamical structure can be reproduced. The last four chapters of this thesis address various aspects and consequences of dynamical relaxation of planetary orbits through dissipative effects as well as the formation of planets in binary stellar systems. Using octopole-order secular perturbation theory, we demonstrated that in multi-planet systems, tidal dissipation often drives orbits onto dynamical "fixed points," characterized by apsidal alignment and lack of periodic variations in eccentricities. We applied this formalism towards investigating the possibility that the large orbital eccentricity of the transiting Neptune-mass planet Gliese 436b is maintained in the face of tidal dissipation by a second planet in the system and computed a locus of possible orbits for the putative perturber. Following up along similar lines, we used various permutations of secular theory to show that when applied specifically to close-in low-mass planetary systems, various terms in the perturbation equations become separable, and the true masses of the planets can be solved for algebraically. In practice, this means that precise knowledge of the system's orbital state can resolve the sin( i) degeneracy inherent to non-transiting planets. Subsequently, we investigated the onset of chaotic motion in dissipative planetary systems. We worked in the context of classical secular perturbation theory, and showed that planetary systems approach chaos via the so-called period-doubling route. Furthermore, we demonstrated that chaotic strange attractors can exist in mildly damped systems, such as photo-evaporating nebulae that host multiple planets. Finally, we considered planetary formation in highly inclined binary systems, where orbital excitation due to the Kozai resonance apparently implies destructive collisions among planetesimals. Through a proper account of gravitational interactions within the protoplanetary disk, we showed that fast apsidal recession induced by disk self-gravity tends to erase the Kozai effect, and ensure that the disk's unwarped, rigid structure is maintained, resolving the difficulty in planet-formation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Probable influence of early Carboniferous (Tournaisian-early Visean) geography on the development of Waulsortian and Waulsortian-like mounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, David T., Jr.

1990-07-01

All of the known Tournaisian-early Visean (ca. 360-348 Ma) age carbonate mud mounds (Waulsortian and Waulsortian-like mounds) developed in low paleolatitudes on the southern shelf margin of Laurussia and in the Laurussian interior seaway. The Tournaisian-early Visean geography probably prevented hurricanes, tropical storms, and winter storms from crossing the shelf margin or interior seaway where these mounds developed. Implications of the lack of storm energy on mound development are discussed.

Russian Snap Military Exercise in March of 2015; What Implications did this Exercise Have

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

Russia can mobilize rapidly the nation for war, shift substantial forces in its interior to meet any threat, and that Russia is willing to use military...Further, it demonstrates to any observer that Russia can mobilize rapidly the nation for war, shift substantial forces in its interior to meet any...the steps of qualitative research method in a class on Advanced Research Methods, September 12, 2016. 65 Robert K. Yin, Case Study Research: Design

Fundamental (f) oscillations in a magnetically coupled solar interior-atmosphere system - An analytical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pintér, Balázs; Erdélyi, R.

2018-01-01

Solar fundamental (f) acoustic mode oscillations are investigated analytically in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. The model consists of three layers in planar geometry, representing the solar interior, the magnetic atmosphere, and a transitional layer sandwiched between them. Since we focus on the fundamental mode here, we assume the plasma is incompressible. A horizontal, canopy-like, magnetic field is introduced to the atmosphere, in which degenerated slow MHD waves can exist. The global (f-mode) oscillations can couple to local atmospheric Alfvén waves, resulting, e.g., in a frequency shift of the oscillations. The dispersion relation of the global oscillation mode is derived, and is solved analytically for the thin-transitional layer approximation and for the weak-field approximation. Analytical formulae are also provided for the frequency shifts due to the presence of a thin transitional layer and a weak atmospheric magnetic field. The analytical results generally indicate that, compared to the fundamental value (ω =√{ gk }), the mode frequency is reduced by the presence of an atmosphere by a few per cent. A thin transitional layer reduces the eigen-frequencies further by about an additional hundred microhertz. Finally, a weak atmospheric magnetic field can slightly, by a few percent, increase the frequency of the eigen-mode. Stronger magnetic fields, however, can increase the f-mode frequency by even up to ten per cent, which cannot be seen in observed data. The presence of a magnetic atmosphere in the three-layer model also introduces non-permitted propagation windows in the frequency spectrum; here, f-mode oscillations cannot exist with certain values of the harmonic degree. The eigen-frequencies can be sensitive to the background physical parameters, such as an atmospheric density scale-height or the rate of the plasma density drop at the photosphere. Such information, if ever observed with high-resolution instrumentation and inverted, could help to gain further insight into solar magnetic structures by means of solar magneto-seismology, and could provide further insight into the role of magnetism in solar oscillations.

Solar energy in buildings: Implications for California energy policy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirshberg, A. S.; Davis, E. S.

1977-01-01

An assessment of the potential of active solar energy systems for buildings in California is summarized. The technology used for solar heating, cooling, and water heating in buildings is discussed. The major California weather zones and the solar energy designs are described, as well as the sizing of solar energy systems and their performance. The cost of solar energy systems is given both at current prices and at prices consistent with optimistic estimates for the cost of collectors. The main institutional barriers to the wide spread use of solar energy are summarized.

Properties of Minor Ions in the Solar Wind and Implications for the Background Solar Wind Plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esser, Ruth; Ling, James (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Ion charge states measured in situ in interplanetary space carry information on the properties of the solar wind plasma in the inner corona where these ion charge states are formed. The goal of the proposed research was to determine solar wind models and coronal observations that are necessary tools for the interpretation of the ion charge state observations made in situ in the solar wind.

Significant achievements in the Planetary Geology Program. [geologic processes, comparative planetology, and solar system evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Head, J. W. (Editor)

1978-01-01

Developments reported at a meeting of principal investigators for NASA's planetology geology program are summarized. Topics covered include: constraints on solar system formation; asteriods, comets, and satellites; constraints on planetary interiors; volatiles and regoliths; instrument development techniques; planetary cartography; geological and geochemical constraints on planetary evolution; fluvial processes and channel formation; volcanic processes; Eolian processes; radar studies of planetary surfaces; cratering as a process, landform, and dating method; and the Tharsis region of Mars. Activities at a planetary geology field conference on Eolian processes are reported and techniques recommended for the presentation and analysis of crater size-frequency data are included.

Plutonium-fission xenon found in Earth's mantle

PubMed

Kunz; Staudacher; Allegre

1998-05-08

Data from mid-ocean ridge basalt glasses indicate that the short-lived radionuclide plutonium-244 that was present during an early stage of the development of the solar system is responsible for roughly 30 percent of the fissiogenic xenon excesses in the interior of Earth today. The rest of the fissiogenic xenon can be ascribed to the spontaneous fission of still live uranium-238. This result, in combination with the refined determination of xenon-129 excesses from extinct iodine-129, implies that the accretion of Earth was finished roughly 50 million to 70 million years after solar system formation and that the atmosphere was formed by mantle degassing.

Dynamic signatures of quiet sun magnetic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, S. F.

1983-01-01

The collision and disappearance of opposite polarity fields is observed most frequently at the borders of network cells. Due to observational limitations, the frequency, magnitude, and spatial distribution of magnetic flux loss have not yet been quantitatively determined at the borders or within the interiors of the cells. However, in agreement with published hypotheses of other authors, the disapperance of magnetic flux is speculated to be a consequence of either gradual or rapid magnetic reconnection which could be the means of converting magnetic energy into the kinetic, thermal, and nonthermal sources of energy for microflares, spicules, the solar wind, and the heating of the solar corona.

Organic matter in meteorites and comets - Possible origins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anders, Edward

1991-01-01

At least six extraterrestrial environments may have contributed organic compounds to meteorites and comets: solar nebula, giant-planet subnebulae, asteroid interiors containing liquid water, carbon star atmospheres, and diffuse or dark interstellar clouds. The record in meteorites is partly obscured by pervasive reheating that transformed much of the organic matter to kerogen; nonetheless, it seems that all six formation sites contributed. For comets, the large abundance of HCHO, HCN, and unsaturated hydrocarbons suggests an interstellar component of 50 percent or more, but the contributions of various interstellar processes, and of a solar-nebula component, are hard to quantify. A research program is outlined that may help reduce these uncertainties.

Solar magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hood, Alan W.; Hughes, David W.

2011-08-01

This review provides an introduction to the generation and evolution of the Sun's magnetic field, summarising both observational evidence and theoretical models. The eleven year solar cycle, which is well known from a variety of observed quantities, strongly supports the idea of a large-scale solar dynamo. Current theoretical ideas on the location and mechanism of this dynamo are presented. The solar cycle influences the behaviour of the global coronal magnetic field and it is the eruptions of this field that can impact on the Earth's environment. These global coronal variations can be modelled to a surprising degree of accuracy. Recent high resolution observations of the Sun's magnetic field in quiet regions, away from sunspots, show that there is a continual evolution of a small-scale magnetic field, presumably produced by small-scale dynamo action in the solar interior. Sunspots, a natural consequence of the large-scale dynamo, emerge, evolve and disperse over a period of several days. Numerical simulations can help to determine the physical processes governing the emergence of sunspots. We discuss the interaction of these emerging fields with the pre-existing coronal field, resulting in a variety of dynamic phenomena.

Solar Supergranulation Revealed as a Superposition of Traveling Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gizon, L.; Duvall, T. L., Jr.; Schou, J.; Oegerle, William (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

40 years ago two new solar phenomena were described: supergranulation and the five-minute solar oscillations. While the oscillations have since been explained and exploited to determine the properties of the solar interior, the supergranulation has remained unexplained. The supergranules, appearing as convective-like cellular patterns of horizontal outward flow with a characteristic diameter of 30 Mm and an apparent lifetime of 1 day, have puzzling properties, including their apparent superrotation and the minute temperature variations over the cells. Using a 60-day sequence of data from the MDI (Michelson-Doppler Imager) instrument onboard the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft, we show that the supergranulation pattern is formed by a superposition of traveling waves with periods of 5-10 days. The wave power is anisotropic with excess power in the direction of rotation and toward the equator, leading to spurious rotation rates and north-south flows as derived from correlation analyses. These newly discovered waves could play an important role in maintaining differential rotation in the upper convection zone by transporting angular momentum towards the equator.

A seven-month solar cycle observed with the Langmuir probe on Pioneer Venus Orbiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoegy, W. R.; Wolff, C. L.

1989-01-01

Data collected by the Langmuir probe aboard the Pioneer Venus orbiter (PVO) over the years 1979 though 1987 were normalized to remove the long-period 11-year solar maximum to minimum trend and were analyzed for periodicity. Results yield evidence for the existence of an approximately 7-month solar cycle, which was also observed from SME Lyman alpha and 2800-MHz radio flux measurements carried out from an earth-based platform. This coincidence suggests that the cycle is an intrinsic periodicity in the solar output. The cycle has a frequency independent of the orbital frequency of the PVO and is distinct from a 'rotating beacon' cycle whose period depends on the orbital motion of the PVO about the sun. The second most dominant cycle discovered was a 5-month period. Results of an oscillation model of solar periodicity indicate that the 7-month and 5-month cycles are caused by long-lived flux enhancements from nonlinear interactions of global oscillation modes in the sun's convective envelope (r modes) and radiative interior (g modes).

UNDERSTANDING SOLAR TORSIONAL OSCILLATIONS FROM GLOBAL DYNAMO MODELS

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

Guerrero, G.; Smolarkiewicz, P. K.; Pino, E. M. de Gouveia Dal

2016-09-01

The phenomenon of solar “torsional oscillations” (TO) represents migratory zonal flows associated with the solar cycle. These flows are observed on the solar surface and, according to helioseismology, extend through the convection zone. We study the origin of the TO using results from a global MHD simulation of the solar interior that reproduces several of the observed characteristics of the mean-flows and magnetic fields. Our results indicate that the magnetic tension (MT) in the tachocline region is a key factor for the periodic changes in the angular momentum transport that causes the TO. The torque induced by the MT atmore » the base of the convection zone is positive at the poles and negative at the equator. A rising MT torque at higher latitudes causes the poles to speed up, whereas a declining negative MT torque at the lower latitudes causes the equator to slow-down. These changes in the zonal flows propagate through the convection zone up to the surface. Additionally, our results suggest that it is the magnetic field at the tachocline that modulates the amplitude of the surface meridional flow rather than the opposite as assumed by flux-transport dynamo models of the solar cycle.« less

Production of sunspots and their effects on the corona and solar wind: Insights from a new 3D flux-transport dynamo model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Rohit; Jouve, Laurène; Pinto, Rui F.; Rouillard, Alexis P.

2018-01-01

We present a three-dimensional numerical model for the generation and evolution of the magnetic field in the solar convection zone, in which sunspots are produced and contribute to the cyclic reversal of the large-scale magnetic field. We then assess the impact of this dynamo-generated field on the structure of the solar corona and solar wind. This model solves the induction equation in which the velocity field is prescribed. This velocity field is a combination of a solar-like differential rotation and meridional circulation. We develop an algorithm that enables the magnetic flux produced in the interior to be buoyantly transported towards the surface to produce bipolar spots. We find that those tilted bipolar magnetic regions contain a sufficient amount of flux to periodically reverse the polar magnetic field and sustain dynamo action. We then track the evolution of these magnetic features at the surface during a few consecutive magnetic cycles and analyze their effects on the topology of the corona and on properties of the solar wind (distribution of streamers and coronal holes, and of slow and fast wind streams) in connection with current observations of the Sun.

Water in Nominally Anhydrous Minerals from Nakhlites and Shergottites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peslier, Anne H.

2013-01-01

Estimating the amount of water in the interior of terrestrial planets has tremendous implications on our understanding of solar nebula evolution, planet formation and geological history, and extraterrestrial volcanism. Mars has been a recent focus of such enquiry with complementary datasets from spacecrafts, rovers and martian meteorite studies. In planetary interiors, water can be dissolved in fluids or melts and hydrous phases, but can also be locked as protons attached to structural oxygen in lattice defects in nominally anhydrous minerals (NAM) such as olivine, pyroxene, or feldspar [1-3]. Measuring water in Martian meteorite NAM is challenging because the minerals are fragile and riddled with fractures from impact processes that makes them break apart during sample processing. Moreover, curing the sample in epoxy causes problems for the two main water analysis techniques, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS). Measurements to date have resulted in a heated debate on how much water the mantle of Mars contains. SIMS studies of NAM [4], amphiboles [5], and apatites [6-8] from Martian meteorites report finding enough water in these phases to infer that the martian mantle is as hydrous as that of the Earth. On the other hand, a SIMS study of glass in olivine melt inclusions from shergottites concludes that the Martian mantle is much drier [9]. The latter interpretation is also supported by the fact that most martian hydrous minerals generally have the relevant sites filled with Cl and F instead of H [10,11]. As for experimental results, martian basalt compositions can be reproduced using water as well as Cl in the parent melts [12,13]. Here FTIR is used to measure water in martian meteorite minerals in order to constrain the origin of the distribution of water in martian meteorite phases.

The Magnetic Properties Of Aggregate Polycrystalline Diamond: Implications For Carbonado Petrogenesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleteschka, Gunther; Taylor, Patrick T.; Wasilewski, Peter J.; Hill, Hugh G. M.

2000-01-01

Carbonados are a type of diamond, which are made up of many aggregrates of small crystalline diamonds or microdiamonds. The term "carbonado" comes from the Portuguese word carbonated. They are only found in sedimentary deposits in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Bahia Province of Brazil. They were once the source of the world's supply of industrial diamonds. Their origin is uncertain but several mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed. This theories are: (1) extraterrestrial, that is they formed from the dust cloud of original solar nebulae; (2) produced by the high temperatures and pressures of the Earth's mantle; (3) or as the result of an extra-terrestrial impact into a carbon rich layer of sediment. Our study was done to further the understanding of their origin. We measured the magnetic properties on some twenty samples from the CAR. An earlier study was done on whole samples of carbonados and the "common" or kimberlitic diamond. Our work differed in that we started at the surface and subsequently removed the surface layers (by days of acid immersion) into the interior; measuring the magnetic properties at each interval. This procedure permits us to monitor the distribution of magnetic substances within the samples. Our results showed that the magnetic carriers are distributed on the surface including the open pores and that the carbonado interior is essentially non-magnetic. This result suggests that the initial formation environment was deficient in magnetic particles. Such a situation could indicate that their formation was the result of an extra-terrestrial body impacting carbon-rich sediment. Obviously, more work will be required on isotopic and chemical analyses before a more detailed ori-in can be determined.

The vertical propagation of waves in the solar atmosphere. II Phase delays in the quiet chromosphere and cell-network distinctions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lites, B. W.; Chipman, E. G.; White, O. R.

1982-01-01

The differences in the phase of the velocity oscillations between a pair of chromospheric Ca II lines was measured using the Vacuum Tower Telescope at the Sacramento Peak Observatory. The observed phase differences indicate that the acoustic modes are trapped or envanescent, rather than propagating, in the chromosphere. Systematic distinctions are found in the phase delays between quiet network and cell interior regions for both intensity and velocity oscillations in photospheric and chromospheric lines. The theory of linear perturbations in an isothermal atmosphere is invoked to interpret these differences. From this analysis it is found that one or more of the following explanations is possible: (1) the radiative damping is more effective in the network than in the cell interior; (2) the network features exclude oscillations of large horizontal wavenumber; or (3) the scale height of the chromosphere is larger in the network than in the cell interior.

Solar Thermal Utility-Scale Joint Venture Program (USJVP) Final Report

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

MANCINI,THOMAS R.

2001-04-01

Several years ago Sandia National Laboratories developed a prototype interior robot [1] that could navigate autonomously inside a large complex building to aid and test interior intrusion detection systems. Recently the Department of Energy Office of Safeguards and Security has supported the development of a vehicle that will perform limited security functions autonomously in a structured exterior environment. The goal of the first phase of this project was to demonstrate the feasibility of an exterior robotic vehicle for security applications by using converted interior robot technology, if applicable. An existing teleoperational test bed vehicle with remote driving controls was modifiedmore » and integrated with a newly developed command driving station and navigation system hardware and software to form the Robotic Security Vehicle (RSV) system. The RSV, also called the Sandia Mobile Autonomous Navigator (SANDMAN), has been successfully used to demonstrate that teleoperated security vehicles which can perform limited autonomous functions are viable and have the potential to decrease security manpower requirements and improve system capabilities.« less

Improvements on the interior structure of Mercury expected from geodesy measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivoldini, A.; van Hoolst, T.; Verhoeven, O.

2008-09-01

ABSTRACT We assess the improvements on the interior structure of Mercury provided by expected data from geodesy experiments to be performed with the MESSENGER and BepiColombo orbiters. The observation of obliquity will allow estimating the moment of inertia, whereas measurements of libration will determine the moment of inertia of the silicate shell (mantle and crust). Tidal measurements will constrain the Love numbers that characterize the response of Mercury to the solar tidal forcing. Here, we construct depth-dependent interior structure models of Mercury for several plausible chemical compositions of the core and of the mantle using recent data on core and mantle materials. In particular we study the core structure for different mantle mineralogies and two different temperature profiles. We investigate the influence of the core light element concentration, temperature, and melting law on core state and inner core size. We compute libration amplitude, obliquity, tidal deformation, and tidal changes in the external potential for our models.

Preliminary Results on Lunar Interior Properties from the GRAIL Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, James G.; Konopliv, Alexander S.; Asmar, Sami W.; Lemoine, H. Jay; Melosh, H. Jay; Neumann, Gregory A.; Phillips, Roger J.; Smith, David E.; Solomon, Sean C.; Watkins, Michael M.;

Limb shape observations at the Pic du Midi Observatory. Determination of the solar gravitational moments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozelot, J. P.; Lefebvre, S.

The accurate shape of the Sun has been actively debated since 1974. So far, balloon and satellite experiments achieved the required sensibility to measure the expected small asphericities of the solar limb shape. However, exceptional good meteorological conditions encountered during several missions at the Pic du Midi Observatory have permitted to measure the coefficients shape of the solar limb on the two first Legendre polynomials expansion. In theory, this photospheric outer shape is sensitive to the interior rate, and asphericities can be explained both in terms of gravitational moments and thermal wind. We present observations made at the Pic du Midi Observatory and we compare results with these obtained by SDS (Sofia et al., 1994, 1996) and SOHO/MDI (Kuhn, 1999). The accepted and dedicated PICARD space mission on this subject is briefly presented.

Experiences in solar cooling systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, D. S.

The results of performance evaluations for nine solar cooling systems are presented, and reasons fow low or high net energy balances are discussed. Six of the nine systems are noted to have performed unfavorably compared to standard cooling systems due to thermal storage losses, excessive system electrical demands, inappropriate control strategies, poor system-to-load matching, and poor chiller performance. A reduction in heat losses in one residential unit increased the total system efficiency by 2.5%, while eliminating heat losses to the building interior increased the efficiency by 3.3%. The best system incorporated a lithium bromide absorption chiller and a Rankine cycle compression unit for a commercial application. Improvements in the cooling tower and fan configurations to increase the solar cooling system efficiency are indicated. Best performances are expected to occur in climates inducing high annual cooling loads.

The negligible chondritic contribution in the lunar soils water.

PubMed

Stephant, Alice; Robert, François

2014-10-21

Recent data from Apollo samples demonstrate the presence of water in the lunar interior and at the surface, challenging previous assumption that the Moon was free of water. However, the source(s) of this water remains enigmatic. The external flux of particles and solid materials that reach the surface of the airless Moon constitute a hydrogen (H) surface reservoir that can be converted to water (or OH) during proton implantation in rocks or remobilization during magmatic events. Our original goal was thus to quantify the relative contributions to this H surface reservoir. To this end, we report NanoSIMS measurements of D/H and (7)Li/(6)Li ratios on agglutinates, volcanic glasses, and plagioclase grains from the Apollo sample collection. Clear correlations emerge between cosmogenic D and (6)Li revealing that almost all D is produced by spallation reactions both on the surface and in the interior of the grains. In grain interiors, no evidence of chondritic water has been found. This observation allows us to constrain the H isotopic ratio of hypothetical juvenile lunar water to δD ≤ -550‰. On the grain surface, the hydroxyl concentrations are significant and the D/H ratios indicate that they originate from solar wind implantation. The scattering distribution of the data around the theoretical D vs. (6)Li spallation correlation is compatible with a chondritic contribution <15%. In conclusion, (i) solar wind implantation is the major mechanism responsible for hydroxyls on the lunar surface, and (ii) the postulated chondritic lunar water is not retained in the regolith.

Terrestrial planet formation in a protoplanetary disk with a local mass depletion: A successful scenario for the formation of Mars

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

Izidoro, A.; Winter, O. C.; Haghighipour, N.

Models of terrestrial planet formation for our solar system have been successful in producing planets with masses and orbits similar to those of Venus and Earth. However, these models have generally failed to produce Mars-sized objects around 1.5 AU. The body that is usually formed around Mars' semimajor axis is, in general, much more massive than Mars. Only when Jupiter and Saturn are assumed to have initially very eccentric orbits (e ∼ 0.1), which seems fairly unlikely for the solar system, or alternately, if the protoplanetary disk is truncated at 1.0 AU, simulations have been able to produce Mars-like bodiesmore » in the correct location. In this paper, we examine an alternative scenario for the formation of Mars in which a local depletion in the density of the protosolar nebula results in a non-uniform formation of planetary embryos and ultimately the formation of Mars-sized planets around 1.5 AU. We have carried out extensive numerical simulations of the formation of terrestrial planets in such a disk for different scales of the local density depletion, and for different orbital configurations of the giant planets. Our simulations point to the possibility of the formation of Mars-sized bodies around 1.5 AU, specifically when the scale of the disk local mass-depletion is moderately high (50%-75%) and Jupiter and Saturn are initially in their current orbits. In these systems, Mars-analogs are formed from the protoplanetary materials that originate in the regions of disk interior or exterior to the local mass-depletion. Results also indicate that Earth-sized planets can form around 1 AU with a substantial amount of water accreted via primitive water-rich planetesimals and planetary embryos. We present the results of our study and discuss their implications for the formation of terrestrial planets in our solar system.« less

Pyramidal-Reflector Solar Heater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Motor-driven reflector compensates for seasonal changes in Sun's altitude. System has flat-plate absorbers mounted on north side of attic interior. Skylight window on south-facing roof admits Sunlight into attic, lined with mirrors that reflect light to absorbers. Reflectors are inner surfaces of a pyramid lying on its side with window at its base and absorber plates in a cross-sectional plane near its apex.

25 CFR 162.545 - How will BIA enforce removal requirements in a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will BIA enforce removal requirements in a WSR lease? 162.545 Section 162.545 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.545 How will BIA enforce removal...

25 CFR 162.525 - Must a lessee provide a performance bond for a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Must a lessee provide a performance bond for a WEEL? 162.525 Section 162.525 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Bonding and Insurance § 162.525 Must a lessee provide...

25 CFR 162.574 - May a lessee assign a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May a lessee assign a WSR lease? 162.574 Section 162.574 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Assignments § 162.574 May a lessee assign a WSR lease? (a) A lessee may...

25 CFR 162.567 - When will a WSR lease be effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false When will a WSR lease be effective? 162.567 Section 162.567 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Approval § 162.567 When will a WSR lease be effective? (a) A...

25 CFR 162.555 - May a WSR lease provide for non-monetary or varying types of compensation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May a WSR lease provide for non-monetary or varying types of compensation? 162.555 Section 162.555 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation...

25 CFR 162.575 - What are the consent requirements for an assignment of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What are the consent requirements for an assignment of a WSR lease? 162.575 Section 162.575 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Assignments § 162.575 What are...

25 CFR 162.529 - Will BIA review a proposed WEEL before or during preparation of the NEPA review documentation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Will BIA review a proposed WEEL before or during preparation of the NEPA review documentation? 162.529 Section 162.529 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Approval...

25 CFR 162.544 - How must a WSR lease address ownership of permanent improvements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How must a WSR lease address ownership of permanent improvements? 162.544 Section 162.544 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.544 How must a WSR lease...

25 CFR 162.566 - How will BIA decide whether to approve a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve a WSR lease? 162.566 Section 162.566 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Approval § 162.566 How will BIA decide whether to...

25 CFR 162.566 - How will BIA decide whether to approve a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve a WSR lease? 162.566 Section 162.566 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Approval § 162.566 How will BIA decide whether to...

25 CFR 162.562 - Must a lessee provide insurance for a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Must a lessee provide insurance for a WSR lease? 162.562 Section 162.562 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Bonding and Insurance § 162.562 Must a lessee provide...

25 CFR 162.578 - May a lessee sublease a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May a lessee sublease a WSR lease? 162.578 Section 162.578 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Subleases § 162.578 May a lessee sublease a WSR lease? (a) A...

25 CFR 162.560 - What forms of security are acceptable under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What forms of security are acceptable under a WSR lease? 162.560 Section 162.560 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Bonding and Insurance § 162.560 What forms of...

25 CFR 162.529 - Will BIA review a proposed WEEL before or during preparation of the NEPA review documentation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Will BIA review a proposed WEEL before or during preparation of the NEPA review documentation? 162.529 Section 162.529 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Approval...

25 CFR 162.575 - What are the consent requirements for an assignment of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What are the consent requirements for an assignment of a WSR lease? 162.575 Section 162.575 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Assignments § 162.575 What are...

25 CFR 162.578 - May a lessee sublease a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May a lessee sublease a WSR lease? 162.578 Section 162.578 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Subleases § 162.578 May a lessee sublease a WSR lease? (a) A...

25 CFR 162.567 - When will a WSR lease be effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false When will a WSR lease be effective? 162.567 Section 162.567 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Approval § 162.567 When will a WSR lease be effective? (a) A...

25 CFR 162.562 - Must a lessee provide insurance for a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Must a lessee provide insurance for a WSR lease? 162.562 Section 162.562 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Bonding and Insurance § 162.562 Must a lessee provide...

25 CFR 162.545 - How will BIA enforce removal requirements in a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will BIA enforce removal requirements in a WSR lease? 162.545 Section 162.545 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.545 How will BIA enforce removal...

25 CFR 162.531 - How will BIA decide whether to approve a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve a WEEL? 162.531 Section 162.531 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Approval § 162.531 How will BIA decide whether to approve a...

25 CFR 162.555 - May a WSR lease provide for non-monetary or varying types of compensation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false May a WSR lease provide for non-monetary or varying types of compensation? 162.555 Section 162.555 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation...

25 CFR 162.525 - Must a lessee provide a performance bond for a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Must a lessee provide a performance bond for a WEEL? 162.525 Section 162.525 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Bonding and Insurance § 162.525 Must a lessee provide...

25 CFR 162.556 - Will BIA notify a lessee when a payment is due under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Will BIA notify a lessee when a payment is due under a WSR lease? 162.556 Section 162.556 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation...

25 CFR 162.544 - How must a WSR lease address ownership of permanent improvements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How must a WSR lease address ownership of permanent improvements? 162.544 Section 162.544 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.544 How must a WSR lease...

25 CFR 162.574 - May a lessee assign a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false May a lessee assign a WSR lease? 162.574 Section 162.574 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Assignments § 162.574 May a lessee assign a WSR lease? (a) A lessee may...

25 CFR 162.560 - What forms of security are acceptable under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What forms of security are acceptable under a WSR lease? 162.560 Section 162.560 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Bonding and Insurance § 162.560 What forms of...

25 CFR 162.531 - How will BIA decide whether to approve a WEEL?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve a WEEL? 162.531 Section 162.531 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weel Approval § 162.531 How will BIA decide whether to approve a...

25 CFR 162.556 - Will BIA notify a lessee when a payment is due under a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Will BIA notify a lessee when a payment is due under a WSR lease? 162.556 Section 162.556 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Monetary Compensation...

25 CFR 162.550 - How much monetary compensation must be paid under a WSR lease of individually owned Indian land?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...) 100 percent of the landowners submit to us a written request to waive the valuation requirement; or (2... Indian landowners submit an economic analysis that is approved by the Office of Indian Energy & Economic...

76 FR 17668 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Possible Land Use Plan Amendment in Conjunction With the Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-30

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [L51010000-FX0000-LVRWA09A2590-LLAZC02000; AZA34666] Notice of Intent To Prepare a Possible Land Use Plan Amendment in Conjunction With the Proposed...), in conjunction with the Quartzsite Solar Energy Project (QSEP), and by this notice is announcing the...

Demand illumination control apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Carl (Inventor); Arline, Jimmie (Inventor); LaPalme, Julius (Inventor)

1981-01-01

Solar illuminating compensating apparatus is disclosed whereby the interior of a building is illuminated to a substantially constant, predetermined level of light intensity by a combination of natural illumination from the sun and artificial illumination from electricity wherein the intensity of said artificial illumination is controlled by fully electronic means which increases the level of artificial illumination when the natural illumination is inadequate and vice versa.

25 CFR 162.503 - Is there a model WEEL or WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Is there a model WEEL or WSR lease? 162.503 Section 162.503 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases General Provisions Applicable to Weels and Wsr Leases § 162.503 Is there...

25 CFR 162.591 - What will BIA do about a violation of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What will BIA do about a violation of a WSR lease? 162.591 Section 162.591 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and Enforcement § 162...

25 CFR 162.591 - What will BIA do about a violation of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What will BIA do about a violation of a WSR lease? 162.591 Section 162.591 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Effectiveness, Compliance, and Enforcement § 162...

25 CFR 162.587 - What happens if BIA disapproves an amendment, assignment, sublease, or leasehold mortgage of a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What happens if BIA disapproves an amendment, assignment, sublease, or leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease? 162.587 Section 162.587 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...

25 CFR 162.583 - What are the consent requirements for a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What are the consent requirements for a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease? 162.583 Section 162.583 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leasehold Mortgages § 162.583...

25 CFR 162.586 - When will an amendment, assignment, sublease, or leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease be effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false When will an amendment, assignment, sublease, or leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease be effective? 162.586 Section 162.586 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...

25 CFR 162.587 - What happens if BIA disapproves an amendment, assignment, sublease, or leasehold mortgage of a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What happens if BIA disapproves an amendment, assignment, sublease, or leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease? 162.587 Section 162.587 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...

25 CFR 162.503 - Is there a model WEEL or WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Is there a model WEEL or WSR lease? 162.503 Section 162.503 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases General Provisions Applicable to Weels and Wsr Leases § 162.503 Is there...

25 CFR 162.586 - When will an amendment, assignment, sublease, or leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease be effective?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false When will an amendment, assignment, sublease, or leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease be effective? 162.586 Section 162.586 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...

25 CFR 162.583 - What are the consent requirements for a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What are the consent requirements for a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease? 162.583 Section 162.583 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leasehold Mortgages § 162.583...

Analysis of wallboard containing a phase change material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomlinson, J. J.; Heberle, D. P.

Phase change materials (PCMs) used on the interior of buildings hold the promise for improved thermal performance by reducing the energy requirements for space conditioning and by improving thermal comfort by reducing temperature swings inside the building. Efforts are underway to develop a gypsum wallboard containing a hydrocarbon PCM. With a phase change temperature in the room temperature range, the PCM wallboard adds substantially to the thermal mass of the building while serving the same architectural function as conventional wallboard. To determine the thermal and economic performance of this PCM wallboard, the Transient Systems Simulation Program (TRNSYS) was modified to accommodate walls that are covered with PCM plasterboard, and to apportion the direct beam solar radiation to interior surfaces of a building. The modified code was used to simulate the performance of conventional and direct-gain passive solar residential-sized buildings with and without PCM wallboard. Space heating energy savings were determined as a function of PCM wallboard characteristics. Thermal comfort improvements in buildings containing the PCM were qualified in terms of energy savings. The report concludes with a present worth economic analysis of these energy savings and arrives at system costs and economic payback based on current costs of PCMs under study for the wallboard application.

Phase Curves of Nix and Hydra from the New Horizons Imaging Cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verbiscer, Anne J.; Porter, Simon B.; Buratti, Bonnie J.; Weaver, Harold A.; Spencer, John R.; Showalter, Mark R.; Buie, Marc W.; Hofgartner, Jason D.; Hicks, Michael D.; Ennico-Smith, Kimberly; Olkin, Catherine B.; Stern, S. Alan; Young, Leslie A.; Cheng, Andrew; (The New Horizons Team

2018-01-01

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft’s voyage through the Pluto system centered on 2015 July 14 provided images of Pluto’s small satellites Nix and Hydra at viewing angles unattainable from Earth. Here, we present solar phase curves of the two largest of Pluto’s small moons, Nix and Hydra, observed by the New Horizons LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager and Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera, which reveal the scattering properties of their icy surfaces in visible light. Construction of these solar phase curves enables comparisons between the photometric properties of Pluto’s small moons and those of other icy satellites in the outer solar system. Nix and Hydra have higher visible albedos than those of other resonant Kuiper Belt objects and irregular satellites of the giant planets, but not as high as small satellites of Saturn interior to Titan. Both Nix and Hydra appear to scatter visible light preferentially in the forward direction, unlike most icy satellites in the outer solar system, which are typically backscattering.

Separating grain-boundary and bulk recombination with time-resolved photoluminescence microscopy

DOE PAGES

Kuciauskas, Darius; Lu, Dingyuan; Grover, Sachit; ...

2017-12-04

Two-photon excitation (2PE) microscopy allows contactless and non-destructive cross-sectional analysis of grain-boundary (GB) and grain-interior (GI) properties in polycrystalline solar cells, with measurements of doping uniformity, space-charge field distribution, and carrier dynamics in different regions of the device. Using 2PE time-resolved microscopy, we analyzed charge-carrier lifetimes near the GBs and in the GI of polycrystalline thin-film CdTe solar cells doped with As. When the grain radius is larger than the minority-carrier diffusion length, GI lifetimes are interpreted as the bulk lifetimes ..tau..B, and GB recombination velocity SGB is extracted by comparing recombination rates in the GI and near GBs. Inmore » As-doped CdTe solar cells, we find ..tau..B = 1.0-2.4 ns and S GB = (1-4) x 10 5 cm/s. The results imply the potential to improve solar cell voltage via GB passivation and reduced recombination center concentration in the GI.« less

Separating grain-boundary and bulk recombination with time-resolved photoluminescence microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuciauskas, Darius; Lu, Dingyuan; Grover, Sachit; Xiong, Gang; Gloeckler, Markus

2017-12-01

Two-photon excitation (2PE) microscopy allows contactless and non-destructive cross-sectional analysis of grain-boundary (GB) and grain-interior (GI) properties in polycrystalline solar cells, with measurements of doping uniformity, space-charge field distribution, and carrier dynamics in different regions of the device. Using 2PE time-resolved microscopy, we analyzed charge-carrier lifetimes near the GBs and in the GI of polycrystalline thin-film CdTe solar cells doped with As. When the grain radius is larger than the minority-carrier diffusion length, GI lifetimes are interpreted as the bulk lifetimes τB, and GB recombination velocity SGB is extracted by comparing recombination rates in the GI and near GBs. In As-doped CdTe solar cells, we find τB = 1.0-2.4 ns and SGB = (1-4) × 105 cm/s. The results imply the potential to improve solar cell voltage via GB passivation and reduced recombination center concentration in the GI.

Driving the Heliospheric Jellyfish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leamon, R. J.; Mcintosh, S. W.

2016-12-01

Recent observational work has demonstrated that the enigmatic sunspotcycle and global magnetic environment of the Sun which source theeruptive events and modulate the solar wind, respectively, can beexplained in terms of the intra- and extra-hemispheric interaction ofmagnetic activity bands that belong to the 22-year magnetic polaritycycle. Those activity bands appear to be anchored deep in the Sun'sconvective interior and governed by the rotation of our star's radiativezone. We have also observed that those magnetic bands exhibit strongquasi-annual variability in the rotating convecting system which resultsin a significant local modulation of solar surface magnetism, forcingthe production of large eruptive events in each hemisphere that mouldsthe global-scale solar magnetic field and the solar-wind-inflatedheliosphere. Together with significant changes in the Sun's ultraviolet(UV), extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and X-Ray irradiance, these eruptivefluctuations ensnare all the Heliosphere (all of Heliophysics) like thetentacles of a jellyfish, and can be inferred in variations of suchwide-ranging phenomena as the South Atlantic Anomaly, the thermosphere,the radiation belts, and the can address ``Has Voyager left theHeliosphere?''

Separating grain-boundary and bulk recombination with time-resolved photoluminescence microscopy

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

Kuciauskas, Darius; Lu, Dingyuan; Grover, Sachit

Two-photon excitation (2PE) microscopy allows contactless and non-destructive cross-sectional analysis of grain-boundary (GB) and grain-interior (GI) properties in polycrystalline solar cells, with measurements of doping uniformity, space-charge field distribution, and carrier dynamics in different regions of the device. Using 2PE time-resolved microscopy, we analyzed charge-carrier lifetimes near the GBs and in the GI of polycrystalline thin-film CdTe solar cells doped with As. When the grain radius is larger than the minority-carrier diffusion length, GI lifetimes are interpreted as the bulk lifetimes ..tau..B, and GB recombination velocity SGB is extracted by comparing recombination rates in the GI and near GBs. Inmore » As-doped CdTe solar cells, we find ..tau..B = 1.0-2.4 ns and S GB = (1-4) x 10 5 cm/s. The results imply the potential to improve solar cell voltage via GB passivation and reduced recombination center concentration in the GI.« less

Application of solar energy to air conditioning systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nash, J. M.; Harstad, A. J.

1976-01-01

The results of a survey of solar energy system applications of air conditioning are summarized. Techniques discussed are both solar powered (absorption cycle and the heat engine/Rankine cycle) and solar related (heat pump). Brief descriptions of the physical implications of various air conditioning techniques, discussions of status, proposed technological improvements, methods of utilization and simulation models are presented, along with an extensive bibliography of related literature.

Deep Interior Mission: Imaging the Interior of Near-Earth Asteroids Using Radio Reflection Tomography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Safaeinili, A.; Asphaug, E.; Rodriquez, E.; Gurrola, E.; Belton, M.; Klaasen, K.; Ostro, S.; Plaut, J.; Yeomans, D.

2005-01-01

Near-Earth asteroids are important exploration targets since they provide clues to the evolution of the solar system. They are also of interest since they present a clear danger to Earth. Our mission objective is to image the internal structure of two NEOs using radio reflection tomography (RRT) in order to explore the record of asteroid origin and impact evolution, and to test the fundamental hypothesis that some NEOs are rubble piles rather than consolidated bodies. Our mission s RRT technique is analogous to doing a CAT scan of the asteroid from orbit. Closely sampled radar echoes are processed to yield volumetric maps of mechanical and compositional boundaries, and to measure interior material dielectric properties. The RRT instrument is a radar that operates at 5 and 15 MHz with two 30-m (tip-to-tip) dipole antennas that are used in a cross-dipole configuration. The radar transmitter and receiver electronics have heritage from JPL's MARSIS contribution to Mars Express, and the antenna is similar to systems used in IMAGE and LACE missions. The 5-MHz channel is designed to penetrate greater than 1 km of basaltic rock, and 15-MHz penetrates a few hundred meters or more. In addition to RRT volumetric imaging, we use redundant color cameras to explore the surface expressions of unit boundaries, in order to relate interior radar imaging to what is observable from spacecraft imaging and from Earth. The camera also yields stereo color imaging for geology and RRT-related compositional analysis. Gravity and high fidelity geodesy are used to explore how interior structure is expressed in shape, density, mass distribution and spin. Ion thruster propulsion is utilized by Deep Interior to enable tomographic radar mapping of multiple asteroids. Within the Discovery AO scheduling parameters we identify two targets, S-type 1999 ND43 (approximately 500 m diameter) and V-type 3908 Nyx (approximately 1 km), asteroids whose compositions bracket the diversity of solar system materials that we are likely to encounter, from undifferentiated to highly evolved. The 5-15 MHz radar is capable of probing more primitive bodies (e.g. comets or C-types) that may be available given other launch schedules. 5 MHz radar easily penetrates, with the required SNR , greater than 1 km of basalt (a good analog for Nyx). Basalt has a greater loss tangent than expected for most asteroids, although iron-rich M-types are probably not appropriate targets. 15 MHz radar penetrates the outer approximately 100 m of rocky 1 km asteroids and the deep interiors of comets. Laboratory studies of the most common NE0 materials expected (S-, C- and V-type meteorite analogs) will commence in 2005.

Calcium signals in planetary embryos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morbidelli, Alessandro

2018-03-01

The calcium-isotope composition of planetary bodies in the inner Solar System correlates with the masses of such objects. This finding could have implications for our understanding of how the Solar System formed.

MESSENGER: Exploring Mercury's Magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slavin, James A.; Krimigis, Stamatios M.; Acuna, Mario H.; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Koehn, Patrick L.; Korth, Haje; Levi, Stefano; Mauk, Barry H.; Solomon, Sean C.;

Post-Deposition (and Ongoing?) Modification of Caloris Ejecta Blocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, J.; Conway, S. J.; Balme, M. R.; Rothery, D. A.

2018-05-01

Caloris ejecta blocks have been modified by mass-wasting that has persisted long after their formation. Volatiles may be involved in this process. Block geomorphology therefore has implications for Mercury's interior volatile content.

Bench Checkout of InSight's Seismometer Instrument

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-28

The Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument for NASA's InSight mission to Mars undergoes a checkout for the spacecraft's assembly, test and launch operations (ATLO) in this photo taken July 20, 2017, in a Lockheed Martin clean room facility in Littleton, Colorado. The SEIS was provided by France's national space agency (CNES) with collaboration from the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany. The InSight mission (for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is scheduled to launch in May 2018 and land on Mars Nov. 26, 2018. It will investigate processes that formed and shaped Mars and will help scientists better understand the evolution of our inner solar system's rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21846

Thermal Structure and Mantle Dynamics of Rocky Exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, F. W.; Tosi, N.; Hussmann, H.; Sohl, F.

2011-12-01

The confirmed detections of CoRoT-7b and Kepler-10b reveal that rocky exoplanets exist. Moreover, recent theoretical studies suggest that small planets beyond the Solar System are indeed common and many of them will be discovered by increasingly precise observational surveys in the years ahead. The knowledge about the interior structure and thermal state of exoplanet interiors provides crucial theoretical input not only for classification and characterization of individual planetary bodies, but also to better understand the origin and evolution of the Solar System and the Earth in general. These developments and considerations have motivated us to address several questions concerning thermal structure and interior dynamics of terrestrial exoplanets. In the present study, depth-dependent structural models of solid exoplanet interiors have been constructed in conjunction with a mixing length approach to calculate self-consistently the radial distribution of temperature and heat flux. Furthermore, 2-D convection simulations using the compressible anelastic approximation have been carried through to examine the effect of thermodynamic quantities (e.g., thermal expansivity) on mantle convection pattern within rocky planets more massive than the Earth. In comparison to parameterized convection models, our calculated results predict generally hotter planetary interiors, which are mainly attributed to a viscosity-regulating feedback mechanism involving temperature and pressure. We find that density and thermal conductivity increase with depth by a factor of two to three, however, thermal expansivity decreases by more than an order of magnitude across the mantle for planets as massive as CoRoT-7b or Kepler-10b. The specific heat capacity is observed to stay almost constant over an extended region of the lower mantle. The planform of mantle convection is strongly modified in the presence of depth-dependent thermodynamic quantities with hot upwellings (plumes) rising across the whole mantle and cold downwellings (slabs) disperse in the mid-mantle. This may have a significant effect on thermal evolution, magnetic field generation, and the propensity of plate tectonics on rocky super-Earths. Model calculations also indicate that modest radiogenic heating through the decay of long-lived radioactive elements such as U, Th, and K has a negligible effect on the interior structure of rocky exoplanets. However, the calculated body tide Love numbers strongly scale with planetary mass suggesting that in resonant and sufficiently eccentric orbits the dissipation of tidal energy would substantially affect present thermal state and orbital evolution. Therefore, tidal heating provides a viable present-day heat source for close-in exoplanets such as CoRoT-7b and Kepler-10b.

Large-Scale Dynamics of the Solar Convection Zone: Puzzles, Challenges, and Insights from a Modeler's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Featherstone, Nicholas A.; Miesch, Mark S.

2013-03-01

Meridional circulations and rotational shear serve as a key ingredient in many models of the solar dynamo, likely playing an important role in the maintenance and timing of the solar cycle. These global-scale flows must themselves be driven by the large-scale overturning convection thought to pervade the outer layers of the Sun. As these deep interior motions are inaccessible to local helioseismic analyses in virtually all respects, global-scale numerical models have become a widely-used tool for probing their dynamics. Such models must confront a number of challenges, however, if they are to yield an accurate description of the convection zone. These difficulties stem in part from the Sun's location in parameter space being far removed from anything accessible to modern supercomputers, but also from questions concerning how to best capture the salient, but generally unresolvable, physics of the tachocline and near-photospheric layers. In recent years, global-scale models have made good contact with observations in spite of these challenges, presumably owing to their ability to accurately reflect the large-scale balances established throughout the convection zone. Due to their success in reproducing many aspects of the solar differential rotation and the solar cycle in particular, we might be encouraged to ask what insights numerical models can provide into phenomena that are much more difficult to observe directly. Of particular interest is the possibility that deep modeling efforts might provide some glimpses into the nature of the Sun's deep meridional circulation. I will describe the essential elements common amongst many global-scale models of the solar convection zone, with some discussion of the strengths and weaknesses associated with the assumptions inherent in a typical model setup. I will then present a class of solar convection models that demonstrate the existence of two distinct regimes of meridional circulation. These two regimes depend predominantly on the the vigor of the convective driving and possess, in one instance, a single monolithic cell of circulation in each hemisphere, and in the other instance, a single cell at high latitudes with multiple cells at low latitudes. The transition between these two regimes in the context of solar simulations serves to motivate the need for careful treatment of heat transport in the upper and lower convection zone. After discussing the nature of this transition, I will examine how thermal perturbations associated with the inclusion of a tachocline might alter this phenomenon. Finally, I will compare various strategies employed by different authors to address the nature of heat transport in the upper boundary layer, focusing on the implications of each approach for the resulting velocity amplitudes and the convective heat flux established throughout the bulk of the convection zone. Convective amplitudes associated with those regimes that produce a nearly solar-like differential rotation are in generally good agreement with those based on theoretical predictions, but are somewhat higher than those inferred through helioseismic analysis.

Determination of variations of the solar radius from solar eclipse observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sofia, S.; Dunham, D. W.; Fiala, A. D.

1980-01-01

This paper describes the method to determine the solar radius and its variations from observations made during total solar eclipses. In particular, the procedure to correct the spherical moon predictions for the effects of lunar mountains and valleys on the width and location of the path of totality is addressed in detail. The errors affecting this technique are addressed, a summary of the results of its application to three solar eclipses are presented, and the implications of the results on the constancy of the solar constant are described.

A REVISED SOLAR TRANSFORMITY FOR TIDAL ENERGY RECEIVED BY THE EARTH AND DISSIPATED GLOBALLY: IMPLICATIONS FOR EMERGY ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

Solar transformities for the tidal energy received by the earth and the tidal energy dissipated globally can be calculated because both solar energy and the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon drive independent processes that produce an annual flux of geopotential energy...

Properties of Minor Ions In the Solar Wind and Implications for the Background Solar Wind Plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esser, Ruth; Wagner, William (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Ion charge states measured in situ in interplanetary space carry information on the properties of the solar wind plasma in the inner corona. The goal of the proposal is to determine coronal plasma conditions that produce the in situ observed charge states. This study is carried out using solar wind models, coronal observations, ion fraction calculations and in situ observations.

The nuclear lamina and heterochromatin: a complex relationship.

PubMed

Bank, Erin M; Gruenbaum, Yosef

2011-12-01

In metazoan cells, the heterochromatin is generally localized at the nuclear periphery, whereas active genes are preferentially found in the nuclear interior. In the present paper, we review current evidence showing that components of the nuclear lamina interact directly with heterochromatin, which implicates the nuclear lamina in a mechanism of specific gene retention at the nuclear periphery and release to the nuclear interior upon gene activation. We also discuss recent data showing that mutations in lamin proteins affect gene positioning and expression, providing a potential mechanism for how these mutations lead to tissue-specific diseases.

The Internal Structure of Jupiter Family Comet Nuclei: The Talps or Layered Pile Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belton, Michael J.; Members of theDeep Impact Science Team

2006-09-01

The characteristics of layered structures seen on the nucleus of Tempel 1 in the Deep Impact images, and also seen on Wild 2 and Borrelly are noted. We consider the implications of the hypothesis that such structures are ubiquitous on Jupiter Family Comets and is an essential element of their internal stucture. If correct this hypothesis implies that the internal structure of JFCs are primordial remnants of the early agglomeration phase and that the physical structure of their interiors, except for possible compositional changes, is essentially as it was when they were formed. This hypothesis has implications for their place of origin and their subsequent collisional evolution. Current models of the latter are in conflict with this hypothesis. Possible resolutions of this conflict are noted. A new conceptual model of the interior of a typical JFC called the Talps or "layered pile" model is presented.

Properties of the Lunar Interior: Preliminary Results from the GRAIL Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, James G.; Konopliv, Alexander S.; Asmar, Sami W.; Lemoine, Frank G.; Melosh, H. Jay; Neumann, Gregory A.; Phillips, Roger J.; Smith, David E.; Solomon, Sean C.; Watkins, Michael M.;

25 CFR 162.541 - What must the lease include if it contains an option to renew?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What must the lease include if it contains an option to renew? 162.541 Section 162.541 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.541 What must the lease include...

25 CFR 162.573 - How will BIA decide whether to approve an amendment to a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve an amendment to a WSR lease? 162.573 Section 162.573 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Amendments § 162.573 How will...

25 CFR 162.512 - How long may the term of a WEEL run?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How long may the term of a WEEL run? 162.512 Section 162.512 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weels § 162.512 How long may the term of a WEEL run? (a) A WEEL must...

25 CFR 162.579 - What are the consent requirements for a sublease of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What are the consent requirements for a sublease of a WSR lease? 162.579 Section 162.579 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Subleases § 162.579 What are the...

25 CFR 162.577 - How will BIA decide whether to approve an assignment of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve an assignment of a WSR lease? 162.577 Section 162.577 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Assignments § 162.577 How will...

25 CFR 162.580 - What is the approval process for a sublease of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What is the approval process for a sublease of a WSR lease? 162.580 Section 162.580 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Subleases § 162.580 What is the...

25 CFR 162.564 - Will BIA review a proposed WSR lease before or during preparation of the NEPA review documentation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Will BIA review a proposed WSR lease before or during preparation of the NEPA review documentation? 162.564 Section 162.564 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...

25 CFR 162.573 - How will BIA decide whether to approve an amendment to a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve an amendment to a WSR lease? 162.573 Section 162.573 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Amendments § 162.573 How will...

25 CFR 162.564 - Will BIA review a proposed WSR lease before or during preparation of the NEPA review documentation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Will BIA review a proposed WSR lease before or during preparation of the NEPA review documentation? 162.564 Section 162.564 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...

25 CFR 162.577 - How will BIA decide whether to approve an assignment of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve an assignment of a WSR lease? 162.577 Section 162.577 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Assignments § 162.577 How will...

25 CFR 162.541 - What must the lease include if it contains an option to renew?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What must the lease include if it contains an option to renew? 162.541 Section 162.541 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leases § 162.541 What must the lease include...

25 CFR 162.572 - What is the approval process for an amendment to a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What is the approval process for an amendment to a WSR lease? 162.572 Section 162.572 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Amendments § 162.572 What is the...

25 CFR 162.579 - What are the consent requirements for a sublease of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What are the consent requirements for a sublease of a WSR lease? 162.579 Section 162.579 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Subleases § 162.579 What are the...

25 CFR 162.512 - How long may the term of a WEEL run?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How long may the term of a WEEL run? 162.512 Section 162.512 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Weels § 162.512 How long may the term of a WEEL run? (a) A WEEL must...

25 CFR 162.576 - What is the approval process for an assignment of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What is the approval process for an assignment of a WSR lease? 162.576 Section 162.576 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Assignments § 162.576 What is the...

25 CFR 162.581 - How will BIA decide whether to approve a sublease of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve a sublease of a WSR lease? 162.581 Section 162.581 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Subleases § 162.581 How will BIA...

25 CFR 162.576 - What is the approval process for an assignment of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What is the approval process for an assignment of a WSR lease? 162.576 Section 162.576 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Assignments § 162.576 What is the...

25 CFR 162.572 - What is the approval process for an amendment to a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What is the approval process for an amendment to a WSR lease? 162.572 Section 162.572 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Amendments § 162.572 What is the...

America's Energy Potential: A Summary and Explanation; Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, Ninety-Third Congress, First Session. [Committee Print].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Udall, Morris K.

This report reviews America's current energy position. The energy sources studied include oil and gas, coal, nuclear energy, solar energy, and geothermal energy. Each source is analyzed in terms of current use, technology for extracting and developing the energy, research and development funding, and projections for future consumption and…

25 CFR 162.588 - What happens if BIA does not meet a deadline for issuing a decision on a lease document?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What happens if BIA does not meet a deadline for issuing a decision on a lease document? 162.588 Section 162.588 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...

25 CFR 162.584 - What is the approval process for a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What is the approval process for a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease? 162.584 Section 162.584 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leasehold Mortgages § 162.584 What...

25 CFR 162.584 - What is the approval process for a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What is the approval process for a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease? 162.584 Section 162.584 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leasehold Mortgages § 162.584 What...

25 CFR 162.580 - What is the approval process for a sublease of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What is the approval process for a sublease of a WSR lease? 162.580 Section 162.580 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Subleases § 162.580 What is the...

25 CFR 162.585 - How will BIA decide whether to approve a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease? 162.585 Section 162.585 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leasehold Mortgages § 162.585...

25 CFR 162.588 - What happens if BIA does not meet a deadline for issuing a decision on a lease document?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What happens if BIA does not meet a deadline for issuing a decision on a lease document? 162.588 Section 162.588 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease...

25 CFR 162.581 - How will BIA decide whether to approve a sublease of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve a sublease of a WSR lease? 162.581 Section 162.581 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Lease Subleases § 162.581 How will BIA...

25 CFR 162.585 - How will BIA decide whether to approve a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How will BIA decide whether to approve a leasehold mortgage of a WSR lease? 162.585 Section 162.585 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER LEASES AND PERMITS Wind and Solar Resource Leases Wsr Leasehold Mortgages § 162.585...

Simulations of Convection Zone Flows and Measurements from Multiple Viewing Angles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duvall, Thomas L.; Hanasoge, Shravan

2011-01-01

A deep-focusing time-distance measurement technique has been applied to linear acoustic simulations of a solar interior perturbed by convective flows. The simulations are for the full sphere for r/R greater than 0.2. From these it is straightforward to simulate the observations from different viewing angles and to test how multiple viewing angles enhance detectibility. Some initial results will be presented.

IRIS++ database: Merging of IRIS + Mark-1 + LOWL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salabert, D.; Fossat, E.; Gelly, B.; Tomczyk, S.; Pallé, P.; Jiménez-Reyes, S. J.; Cacciani, A.; Corbard, T.; Ehgamberdiev, S.; Grec, G.; Hoeksema, J. T.; Kholikov, S.; Lazrek, M.; Schmider, F. X.

2002-08-01

The IRIS network has been operated continuously since July 1st 1989. To date, it has acquired more than a complete solar cycle of full-disk helioseismic data which has been used to constrain the structure and rotation of the deep solar interior. However, the duty cycle of the network data has never reached initial expectations. To improve this situation, several cooperations have been developed with teams collecting observations with similar instruments. This paper demonstrates that we are able to merge data from these different instruments in a consistent manner resulting in a very significant improvement in network duty cycle over more than one solar cycle initiating what we call the IRIS++ network. The integrated radial velocities from the IRIS++ database (1989 to 1999) are available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/390/717

The solar magnetic activity band interaction and instabilities that shape quasi-periodic variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntosh, Scott W.; Leamon, Robert J.; Krista, Larisza D.; Title, Alan M.; Hudson, Hugh S.; Riley, Pete; Harder, Jerald W.; Kopp, Greg; Snow, Martin; Woods, Thomas N.; Kasper, Justin C.; Stevens, Michael L.; Ulrich, Roger K.

2015-04-01

Solar magnetism displays a host of variational timescales of which the enigmatic 11-year sunspot cycle is most prominent. Recent work has demonstrated that the sunspot cycle can be explained in terms of the intra- and extra-hemispheric interaction between the overlapping activity bands of the 22-year magnetic polarity cycle. Those activity bands appear to be driven by the rotation of the Sun's deep interior. Here we deduce that activity band interaction can qualitatively explain the `Gnevyshev Gap'--a well-established feature of flare and sunspot occurrence. Strong quasi-annual variability in the number of flares, coronal mass ejections, the radiative and particulate environment of the heliosphere is also observed. We infer that this secondary variability is driven by surges of magnetism from the activity bands. Understanding the formation, interaction and instability of these activity bands will considerably improve forecast capability in space weather and solar activity over a range of timescales.

Reversing Flows and Heat Spike: Caused by Solar g-Modes?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayr, Hans G.; Wolff, Charles L.

2003-01-01

The Quasi Biennial Oscillation in the Earth s upper atmosphere has an analog deep inside the Sun. As on Earth, the flow is east or west, it is at low latitude, and it reverses direction in a roughly periodic manner. The period in the solar case is 1.3 years. It was detected using solar oscillations similar to the way earthquakes are used to study the Earth's interior. But its cause was not known. We showed that global oscillations (g-modes) can supply enough angular momentum to drive zonal flows with the observed reversal period. This required a calculation of wave dissipation rates inside each flow and in the turbulent layer that separates any two flows of opposite sign. Heat that this process leaves behind causes a thermal spike inside the Sun at the same depth. This may explain an anomaly in observed sound speed that has had no sure explanation.

Stochastic Modelling, Analysis, and Simulations of the Solar Cycle Dynamic Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Douglas C.; Ladde, Gangaram S.

2018-03-01

Analytical solutions, discretization schemes and simulation results are presented for the time delay deterministic differential equation model of the solar dynamo presented by Wilmot-Smith et al. In addition, this model is extended under stochastic Gaussian white noise parametric fluctuations. The introduction of stochastic fluctuations incorporates variables affecting the dynamo process in the solar interior, estimation error of parameters, and uncertainty of the α-effect mechanism. Simulation results are presented and analyzed to exhibit the effects of stochastic parametric volatility-dependent perturbations. The results generalize and extend the work of Hazra et al. In fact, some of these results exhibit the oscillatory dynamic behavior generated by the stochastic parametric additative perturbations in the absence of time delay. In addition, the simulation results of the modified stochastic models influence the change in behavior of the very recently developed stochastic model of Hazra et al.

The deformation of flux tubes in the solar wind with applications to the structure of magnetic clouds and CMEs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cargill, Peter J.; Chen, James; Spicer, D. S.; Zalesak, S. T.

1994-01-01

Two dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the distortion of a magnetic flux tube, accelerated through ambient solar wind plasma, are presented. Vortices form on the trailing edge of the flux tube, and couple strongly to its interior. If the flux tube azimuthal field is weak, it deforms into an elongated banana-like shape after a few Alfven transit times. A significant azimuthal field component inhibits this distortion. In the case of magnetic clouds in the solar wind, it is suggested that the shape observed at 1 AU was determined by distortion of the cloud in the inner heliosphere. Distortion of the cloud beyond 1 AU takes many days. It is estimated that effective drag coefficients slightly greater than unity are appropriate for modeling flux tube propagation. Synthetic magnetic field profiles as would be seen by a spacecraft traversing the cloud are presented.

Space exploration and the history of solar-system volatiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fanale, F. P.

1976-01-01

The thermochemical history of volatile substances in all solar-system planets, satellites, and planetoids is discussed extensively. The volatiles are viewed as an interface between the abiotic and biotic worlds and as a key to the history of bodies of the solar system. A flowsheet of processes and states is exhibited. Differences in bulk volatiles distribution between the planetary bodies and between the interior, surface, and atmosphere of each body are considered, as well as sinks for volatiles in degassing. The volatiles-rich Jovian and Saturnian satellites, the effect of large-planet magnetosphere sweeps on nearby satellites, volatiles of asteroids and comets, and the crucial importance of seismic, gravity, and libration data are treated. A research program encompassing analysis of the elemental and isotopic composition of rare gas in atmospheres, assay of volatiles-containing phases in regoliths, and examination of present or past atmospheric escape/accretion processes is recommended.

The Rapidly Rotating Sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanasoge, Shravan M.; Duvall, Thomas L., Jr.; Sreenivasan, Katepalli R.

2012-01-01

Convection in the solar interior is thought to comprise structures at a continuum of scales, from large to small. This conclusion emerges from phenomenological studies and numerical simulations though neither covers the proper range of dynamical parameters of solar convection. In the present work, imaging techniques of time-distance helioseismology applied to observational data reveal no long-range order in the convective motion. We conservatively bound the associated velocity magnitudes, as a function of depth and the spherical-harmonic degree l to be 20-100 times weaker than prevailing estimates within the wavenumber band l < 60. The observationally constrained kinetic energy is approximately a thousandth of the theoretical prediction, suggesting the prevalence of an intrinsically different paradigm of turbulence. A fundamental question arises: what mechanism of turbulence transports the heat ux of a solar luminosity outwards? The Sun is seemingly a much faster rotator than previously thought, with advection dominated by Coriolis forces at scales l < 60.

Solar heat collection with suspended metal roofing and whole house ventilation

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

Maynard, T.

1996-10-01

A south pitched roof is employed for solar collection directly onto a roofing with chocolate brown color. The roofing is structural and is suspended over plywood decking so as to create an air space which receives input from the coolest and lowest basement air of the house interior. Air heated beneath the metal roofing is returned to a basement storage wall. Full length plenum cavities are formed into the ordinary rafter truss framing--at the knee wall and collar tie spaces. Preliminary testing of BTU gain at known air flows is acquired with a microprocessor system continuously collecting input and outputmore » temperatures at the roof collector into disk data files.« less

Optical system for determining physical characteristics of a solar cell

DOEpatents

Sopori, Bhushan L.

2001-01-01

The invention provides an improved optical system for determining the physical characteristics of a solar cell. The system comprises a lamp means for projecting light in a wide solid-angle onto the surface of the cell; a chamber for receiving the light through an entrance port, the chamber having an interior light absorbing spherical surface, an exit port for receiving a beam of light reflected substantially normal to the cell, a cell support, and an lower aperture for releasing light into a light absorbing baffle; a means for dispersing the reflection into monochromatic components; a means for detecting an intensity of the components; and a means for reporting the determination.

Implications of the S-Web Model for Impulsive SEPs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antiochos, Spiro K.; Higginson, Aleida K.; DeVore, C. Richard

2017-08-01

One of the most important discoveries of the STEREO mission is that impulsive Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events frequently exhibit large longitudinal spread in the heliosphere, up to 100 degrees or more. This result is especially puzzling given the long-standing observations that impulsive SEPs originate in highly localized regions in the corona, angular extent less than one degree, and that the SEPs frequently show so-called drop-outs, effectively ruling out diffusion as a mechanism for the observed spread. We discuss the implications of the S-Web slow solar wind model for the propagation of SEPs and their distribution in the heliosphere. We present results from 3D MHD simulations demonstrating that for commonly-observed coronal magnetic topologies, the connectivity of the corona to heliosphere will be quasi-singular, with small regions near the Sun dynamically connecting to giant arcs in the heliosphere that span tens of degrees in both latitude and longitude. We show that the S-Web model can account for both SEP longitudinal spread and dropouts, and discuss implications for observations from the upcoming Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus missions.This research was supported, in part, by the NASA LWS Program.

Surges and Si IV Bursts in the Solar Atmosphere: Understanding IRIS and SST Observations through RMHD Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nóbrega-Siverio, D.; Martínez-Sykora, J.; Moreno-Insertis, F.; Rouppe van der Voort, L.

2017-12-01

Surges often appear as a result of the emergence of magnetized plasma from the solar interior. Traditionally, they are observed in chromospheric lines such as Hα 6563 \\mathringA and Ca II 8542 \\mathringA . However, whether there is a response to the surge appearance and evolution in the Si IV lines or, in fact, in many other transition region lines has not been studied. In this paper, we analyze a simultaneous episode of an Hα surge and a Si IV burst that occurred on 2016 September 03 in active region AR 12585. To that end, we use coordinated observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope. For the first time, we report emission of Si IV within the surge, finding profiles that are brighter and broader than the average. Furthermore, the brightest Si IV patches within the domain of the surge are located mainly near its footpoints. To understand the relation between the surges and the emission in transition region lines like Si IV, we have carried out 2.5D radiative MHD (RMHD) experiments of magnetic flux emergence episodes using the Bifrost code and including the nonequilibrium ionization of silicon. Through spectral synthesis, we explain several features of the observations. We show that the presence of Si IV emission patches within the surge, their location near the surge footpoints and various observed spectral features are a natural consequence of the emergence of magnetized plasma from the interior to the atmosphere and the ensuing reconnection processes.

The New Solar System: China’s Evolving Solar Industry and Its Implications for Competitive Solar Power in the United States and the World

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

Ball, Jeffrey; Reicher, Dan; Sun, Xiaojing

Solar power is undergoing a revolution. Over the past decade, an energy source as old as the planet and theoretically all but limitless has plummeted in cost and begun in some places to be harnessed in large volume. This dynamic is disrupting the modern energy system and, as energy disruptions always do, rattling the geopolitical order. In the process, the industry that produces the equipment to convert sunlight into electricity is simultaneously reeling, consolidating, and surging. These twin transformations—one of the global energy system, one of the global solar industry—carry profound implications for national economies and for the planet. Atmore » the center of both transformations sits China. The New Solar System illuminates key and little- understood changes that are remaking the solar enterprise—in China and thus in the world. Based on this analysis, it recommends changes in U.S. solar policy—particularly timely with a new U.S. administration and Congress—that would put solar power on a more economically sensible path toward environmentally significant growth. The New Solar System does not seek to enable any country to beat another in the global solar industry. It seeks instead to help all countries find their most effective places. By better understanding and playing to their comparative strengths in the solar business, countries would achieve two key objectives. They would reduce the cost for the world of scaling up solar power. And they would be better positioned to fashion policies that maximized the long-term benefit to their own economies from solar’s global growth.« less

Solar system: Sandcastles in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheeres, Daniel J.

2014-08-01

Analysis of a kilometre-sized, near-Earth asteroid shows that forces weaker than the weight of a penny can keep it from falling apart. This has implications for understanding the evolution of the Solar System. See Letter p.174

Mars Solar Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Kerslake, Thomas W.; Jenkins, Phillip P.; Scheiman, David A.

2004-01-01

NASA missions to Mars, both robotic and human, rely on solar arrays for the primary power system. Mars presents a number of challenges for solar power system operation, including a dusty atmosphere which modifies the spectrum and intensity of the incident solar illumination as a function of time of day, degradation of the array performance by dust deposition, and low temperature operation. The environmental challenges to Mars solar array operation will be discussed and test results of solar cell technology operating under Mars conditions will be presented, along with modeling of solar cell performance under Mars conditions. The design implications for advanced solar arrays for future Mars missions is discussed, and an example case, a Martian polar rover, are analyzed.

Post-Gondwana geomorphic evolution of southwestern Africa: Implications for hte controls on landscape development from observations and numerical experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilchrist, Alan R.; Kooi, Henk; Beaumont, Christopher

1994-01-01

The relationship between morphology and surficial geology is used to quantify the denudation that has occurred across southwestern Africa sicne the fragmentation of Gondwana during the Early Mesozoic. Two main points emerge. Signficant denudation, of the order of kilometers, is widespread except in the Kalahari region of the continental interior. The denudation is systematically distributed so that the continental exterior catchment, draining directly to the Cape basin, is denuded to a greater depth than the interior catchment inland of the Great Escarpment. The analysis also implies tha the majority of the denudation occurred before the beginning of the Cenozoic for both teh exerior and interior catchments. Existing models of landscape development are reviewed, and implications of the denudation chronology are incorporated into a revised conceptual model. This revision implies tha thte primary effect of rifting on the subsequent landscape evolution is that it generates two distinct drainage regimes. A marginal upwarp, or rift flank uplift, separates rejuvenated rivers that drain into the subsiding rift from rivers in the continetal interior that are deflected but not rejuvenated. The two catchments evolve independently unless they are integrated by breaching of hte marginal upwarp. If this occurs, the exterior baselevel is communicated to the interior catchment that is denuded accordingly. Denudation rates generally decrease as the margin evolves, and this decrease is reinforced by the exposure of substrate that is resistant to denudation and/or a change to a more arid climate. The observations do not reveal a particular style of smaller-scale landscape evolution, sucha s escarpment retreat, that is responsible for the differential denudation across the region. It is proposed that numerical model experiments, which reflect the observational insights at the large scale, may identify the smaller-scale controls on escarpment development if the model and natural systems are analogous. Four numerical experiments are presented in which the roles of antecedent topography, resistant substrate, climte change, and lowering the baselevel of the interior catchment are investigated for an initially high elevation margin bordered by an escarpment. The model results suggest several styles of landscape evolution that are compatible with the observations. Escarpments may retreat in a regular manner, but they also degrade and are destroyed, only to reform at the drainage divide between exterior and interior catchments.

Land-use efficiency of big solar.

PubMed

Hernandez, Rebecca R; Hoffacker, Madison K; Field, Christopher B

2014-01-21

As utility-scale solar energy (USSE) systems increase in size and numbers globally, there is a growing interest in understanding environmental interactions between solar energy development and land-use decisions. Maximizing the efficient use of land for USSE is one of the major challenges in realizing the full potential of solar energy; however, the land-use efficiency (LUE; Wm(-2)) of USSE remains ambiguous. We quantified the capacity-based LUE of 183 USSE installations (>20 MW; planned, under construction, and operating) using California as a case study. In California, USSE installations are concentrated in the Central Valley and interior regions of southern California and have a LUE of 35.0 Wm(-2). The installations occupy approximately 86,000 ha and more land is allocated for photovoltaic schemes (72 294 ha) than for concentrating solar power (13,604 ha). Photovoltaic installations are greater in abundance (93%) than concentrating solar power, but technology type and nameplate capacity has no impact on capacity-based LUE. More USSE installations are on private land (80%) and have a significantly greater LUE (35.8 Wm(-2)) than installations on public land (25.4 Wm(-2)). Our findings can be used to better understand and improve the LUE of USSE, thereby maximizing economic, energetic, and environmental returns on investments.

Harnessing solar pressure to slew and point large infrared space telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Errico, Simona; Angel, Roger P.; Calvert, Paul D.; Woof, Neville

2003-03-01

Large astronomical Gossamer telescopes in space will need to employ large solar shields to safeguard the optics from solar radiation. These types of telescopes demand accurate controls to maintain telescope pointing over long integration periods. We propose an active solar shield system that harnesses radiation pressure to accurately slew and acquire new targets without the need for reaction wheels or thrusters. To provide the required torques, the solar shield is configured as an inverted, 4-sided pyramidal roof. The sloped roof interior surfaces are covered with hinged “tiles” made from piezoelectric film bimorphs with specular metallized surfaces. Nominally, the tiles lie flat against the roof and the sunlight is reflected outward equally from all sloped surfaces. However, when the tiles on one roof pitch are raised, the pressure balance is upset and the sunshade is pushed to one side. By judicious selection of the tiles and control of their lift angle, the solar pressure can be harvested to stabilize the spacecraft orientation or to change its angular momentum. A first order conceptual design performance analysis and the results from the experimental design, fabrication and testing of piezoelectric bimorph hinge elements will be presented. Next phase challenges in engineering design, materials technology, and systems testing will be discussed.

Hot-start Giant Planets Form with Radiative Interiors

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

Berardo, David; Cumming, Andrew, E-mail: david.berardo@mcgill.ca, E-mail: andrew.cumming@mcgill.ca

In the hot-start core accretion formation model for gas giants, the interior of a planet is usually assumed to be fully convective. By calculating the detailed internal evolution of a planet assuming hot-start outer boundary conditions, we show that such a planet will in fact form with a radially increasing internal entropy profile, so that its interior will be radiative instead of convective. For a hot outer boundary, there is a minimum value for the entropy of the internal adiabat S {sub min} below which the accreting envelope does not match smoothly onto the interior, but instead deposits high entropymore » material onto the growing interior. One implication of this would be to at least temporarily halt the mixing of heavy elements within the planet, which are deposited by planetesimals accreted during formation. The compositional gradient this would impose could subsequently disrupt convection during post-accretion cooling, which would alter the observed cooling curve of the planet. However, even with a homogeneous composition, for which convection develops as the planet cools, the difference in cooling timescale will change the inferred mass of directly imaged gas giants.« less

Magnetic Field Observations near Mercury: Preliminary Results from Mariner 10.

PubMed

Ness, N F; Behannon, K W; Lepping, R P; Whang, Y C; Schatten, K H

1974-07-12

Results are presented from a preliminary analysis of data obtained near Mercury on 29 March 1974 by the NASA-GSFC magnetic field experiment on Mariner 10. Rather unexpectedly, a very well-developed, detached bow shock wave, which develops as the super-Alfvénic solar wind interacts with the planet, has been observed. In addition, a magnetosphere-like region, with maximum field strength of 98 gammas at closest approach (704 kilometers altitude), has been observed, contained within boundaries similar to the terrestrial magnetopause. The obstacle deflecting the solar wind flow is global in size, but the origin of the enhanced magnetic field has not yet been uniquely established. The field may be intrinsic to the planet and distorted by interaction with the solar wind. It may also be associated with a complex induction process whereby the planetary interior-atmosphere-ionosphere interacts with the solar wind flow to generate the observed field by a dynamo action. The complete body of data favors the preliminary conclusion that Mercury has an intrinsic magnetic field. If this is correct, it represents a major scientific discovery in planetary magnetism and will have considerable impact on studies of the origin of the solar system.

The Origin of the "Seasons" in Space Weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dikpati, Mausumi; Cally, Paul S.; McIntosh, Scott W.; Heifetz, Eyal

2017-11-01

Powerful `space weather' events caused by solar activity pose serious risks to human health, safety, economic activity and national security. Spikes in deaths due to heart attacks, strokes and other diseases occurred during prolonged power outages. Currently it is hard to prepare for and mitigate the impact of space weather because it is impossible to forecast the solar eruptions that can cause these terrestrial events until they are seen on the Sun. However, as recently reported in Nature, eruptive events like coronal mass ejections and solar flares, are organized into quasi-periodic "seasons", which include enhanced bursts of eruptions for several months, followed by quiet periods. We explored the dynamics of sunspot-producing magnetic fields and discovered for the first time that bursty and quiet seasons, manifested in surface magnetic structures, can be caused by quasi-periodic energy-exchange among magnetic fields, Rossby waves and differential rotation of the solar interior shear-layer (called tachocline). Our results for the first time provide a quantitative physical mechanism for forecasting the strength and duration of bursty seasons several months in advance, which can greatly enhance our ability to warn humans about dangerous solar bursts and prevent damage to satellites and power stations from space weather events.

The Origin of the "Seasons" in Space Weather.

PubMed

Dikpati, Mausumi; Cally, Paul S; McIntosh, Scott W; Heifetz, Eyal

2017-11-07

Powerful 'space weather' events caused by solar activity pose serious risks to human health, safety, economic activity and national security. Spikes in deaths due to heart attacks, strokes and other diseases occurred during prolonged power outages. Currently it is hard to prepare for and mitigate the impact of space weather because it is impossible to forecast the solar eruptions that can cause these terrestrial events until they are seen on the Sun. However, as recently reported in Nature, eruptive events like coronal mass ejections and solar flares, are organized into quasi-periodic "seasons", which include enhanced bursts of eruptions for several months, followed by quiet periods. We explored the dynamics of sunspot-producing magnetic fields and discovered for the first time that bursty and quiet seasons, manifested in surface magnetic structures, can be caused by quasi-periodic energy-exchange among magnetic fields, Rossby waves and differential rotation of the solar interior shear-layer (called tachocline). Our results for the first time provide a quantitative physical mechanism for forecasting the strength and duration of bursty seasons several months in advance, which can greatly enhance our ability to warn humans about dangerous solar bursts and prevent damage to satellites and power stations from space weather events.