24,523 research outputs found
Super-Nyquist asteroseismology of solar-like oscillators with Kepler and K2 - expanding the asteroseismic cohort at the base of the red-giant branch
We consider the prospects for detecting solar-like oscillations in the
"super-Nyquist" regime of long-cadence (LC) Kepler photometry, i.e., above the
associated Nyquist frequency of approximately 283 {\mu}Hz. Targets of interest
are cool, evolved subgiants and stars lying at the base of the red-giant
branch. These stars would ordinarily be studied using the short-cadence (SC)
data, since the associated SC Nyquist frequency lies well above the frequencies
of the detectable oscillations. However, the number of available SC target
slots is quite limited. This imposes a severe restriction on the size of the
ensemble available for SC asteroseismic study.We find that archival Kepler LC
data from the nominal Mission may be utilized for asteroseismic studies of
targets whose dominant oscillation frequencies lie as high as approximately 500
{\mu}Hz, i.e., about 1.75- times the LC Nyquist frequency. The frequency
detection threshold for the shorter-duration science campaigns of the
re-purposed Kepler Mission, K2, is lower. The maximum threshold will probably
lie somewhere between approximately 400 and 450 {\mu}Hz. The potential to
exploit the archival Kepler and K2 LC data in this manner opens the door to
increasing significantly the number of subgiant and low-luminosity red-giant
targets amenable to asteroseismic analysis, overcoming target limitations
imposed by the small number of SC slots.We estimate that around 400 such
targets are now available for study in the Kepler LC archive. That number could
potentially be a lot higher for K2, since there will be a new target list for
each of its campaigns.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 11 pages, 7 figures; reference
list update
Meteorological regimes for the classification of aerospace air quality predictions for NASA-Kennedy Space Center
A method is described for developing a statistical air quality assessment for the launch of an aerospace vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center in terms of existing climatological data sets. The procedure can be refined as developing meteorological conditions are identified for use with the NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center Rocket Exhaust Effluent Diffusion (REED) description. Classical climatological regimes for the long range analysis can be narrowed as the synoptic and mesoscale structure is identified. Only broad synoptic regimes are identified at this stage of analysis. As the statistical data matrix is developed, synoptic regimes will be refined in terms of the resulting eigenvectors as applicable to aerospace air quality predictions
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Three-dimensional distribution of nonmenthane hydrocarbons and halocarbons over the northwestern Pacific during the 1991 Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM-West A)
A total of 1667 whole air samples were collected onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the 6-week Pacific Exploratory Mission over the western Pacific (PEM-West A) in September and October 1991. The samples were assayed for 15 C2-C7 hydrocarbons and six halocarbons. Latitudinal (0.5°S to 59.5°N) and longitudinal (114°E to 122°W) profiles were obtained from samples collected between ground level and 12.7 km. Thirteen of the 18 missions exhibited at least one vertical profile where the hydrocarbon mixing ratios increased with altitude. Longitude-latitude color patch plots at three altitude levels and three-dimensional color latitudealtitude and longitude-altitude contour plots exhibit a significant number of middle-upper tropospheric pollution events. These and several lower tropospheric pollution plumes were characterized by comparison with urban data from Tokyo and Hong Kong, as well as with natural gas and the products from incomplete combustion. Elevated levels of nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC) and other trace gases in the upper-middle free troposphere were attributed to deep convection over the Asian continent and to typhoon-driven convection near the western Pacific coast of Asia. In addition, NMHCs and CH3CCI3 were found to be useful tracers with which to distinguish hydrocarbon and halocarbon augmented plumes emitted from coastal Asian cities into the northwestern Pacific
Research study on high energy radiation effect and environment solar cell degradation methods
The most detailed and comprehensively verified analytical model was used to evaluate the effects of simplifying assumptions on the accuracy of predictions made by the external damage coefficient method. It was found that the most serious discrepancies were present in heavily damaged cells, particularly proton damaged cells, in which a gradient in damage across the cell existed. In general, it was found that the current damage coefficient method tends to underestimate damage at high fluences. An exception to this rule was thick cover-slipped cells experiencing heavy degradation due to omnidirectional electrons. In such cases, the damage coefficient method overestimates the damage. Comparisons of degradation predictions made by the two methods and measured flight data confirmed the above findings
Lifetime predictions for the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and San Marco spacecraft
Lifetime prediction techniques developed by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) are described. These techniques were developed to predict the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft orbit, which is decaying due to atmospheric drag, with reentry predicted to occur before the end of 1989. Lifetime predictions were also performed for the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), which was deployed on the 1984 SMM repair mission and is scheduled for retrieval on another Space Transportation System (STS) mission later this year. Concepts used in the lifetime predictions were tested on the San Marco spacecraft, which reentered the Earth's atmosphere on December 6, 1988. Ephemerides predicting the orbit evolution of the San Marco spacecraft until reentry were generated over the final 90 days of the mission when the altitude was less than 380 kilometers. The errors in the predicted ephemerides are due to errors in the prediction of atmospheric density variations over the lifetime of the satellite. To model the time dependence of the atmospheric densities, predictions of the solar flux at the 10.7-centimeter wavelength were used in conjunction with Harris-Priester (HP) atmospheric density tables. Orbital state vectors, together with the spacecraft mass and area, are used as input to the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS). Propagations proceed in monthly segments, with the nominal atmospheric drag model scaled for each month according to the predicted monthly average value of F10.7. Calibration propagations are performed over a period of known orbital decay to obtain the effective ballistic coefficient. Progagations using plus or minus 2 sigma solar flux predictions are also generated to estimate the despersion in expected reentry dates. Definitive orbits are compared with these predictions as time expases. As updated vectors are received, these are also propagated to reentryto continually update the lifetime predictions
Sounding stellar cycles with Kepler - I. Strategy for selecting targets
The long-term monitoring and high photometric precision of the Kepler
satellite will provide a unique opportunity to sound the stellar cycles of many
solar-type stars using asteroseismology. This can be achieved by studying
periodic changes in the amplitudes and frequencies of the oscillation modes
observed in these stars. By comparing these measurements with conventional
ground-based chromospheric activity indices, we can improve our understanding
of the relationship between chromospheric changes and those taking place deep
in the interior throughout the stellar activity cycle. In addition,
asteroseismic measurements of the convection zone depth and differential
rotation may help us determine whether stellar cycles are driven at the top or
at the base of the convection zone. In this paper, we analyze the precision
that will be possible using Kepler to measure stellar cycles, convection zone
depths, and differential rotation. Based on this analysis, we describe a
strategy for selecting specific targets to be observed by the Kepler
Asteroseismic Investigation for the full length of the mission, to optimize
their suitability for probing stellar cycles in a wide variety of solar-type
stars.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA
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