Application of remote sensing data to surveys of the Alaskan environment

Coupling of satellite data to resource management problems in Alaska is implemented through feasibility studies of applicability of Landsat data to specific environmental surveys in ecology, agriculture, hydrology, wildlife management, oceanography, geology, etc.; and using the results of these studies to extend the benefits of satellite data applications to the operational needs of mission-oriented agencies of federal, state, and regional governments, as well as private industry. Activities designed to encourage the participation of users in the Landsat program at levels most appropriate to the users' interests are described and include: observation, coordination, and information exchange; training courses and workshops; data exchange; consulting services; data processing services; user participation in University research projects; and university participation in the operational projects of user agencies. Progress in these areas is reported. The effectiveness of this broad-based approach in overcoming the initial apprehensiveness of users is demonstrated

STS-3 Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM): Quick-look report

The STS-3/Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM) mission is described. The IECM system performance is discussed, and IECM mission time events are briefly described. Quick look analyses are presented for each of the 10 instruments comprising the IECM on the flight of STS-3. Finally, a short summary is presented and plans are discussed for future IECM flights, and opportunities for direct mapping of Orbiter effluents using the Remote manipulator System

Application of remote sensing data to surveys of the Alaskan environment

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Simulating Astro-H Observations of Sloshing Gas Motions in the Cores of Galaxy Clusters

Astro-H will be the first X-ray observatory to employ a high-resolution microcalorimeter, capable of measuring the shift and width of individual spectral lines to the precision necessary for estimating the velocity of the diffuse plasma in galaxy clusters. This new capability is expected to bring significant progress in understanding the dynamics, and therefore the physics, of the intracluster medium. However, because this plasma is optically thin, projection effects will be an important complicating factor in interpreting future Astro-H measurements. To study these effects in detail, we performed an analysis of the velocity field from simulations of a galaxy cluster experiencing gas sloshing, and generated synthetic X-ray spectra, convolved with model Astro-H Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) responses. We find that the sloshing motions produce velocity signatures that will be observable by Astro-H in nearby clusters: the shifting of the line centroid produced by the fast-moving cold gas underneath the front surface, and line broadening produced by the smooth variation of this motion along the line of sight. The line shapes arising from inviscid or strongly viscous simulations are very similar, indicating that placing constraints on the gas viscosity from these measurements will be difficult. Our spectroscopic analysis demonstrates that, for adequate exposures, Astro-H will be able to recover the first two moments of the velocity distribution of these motions accurately, and in some cases multiple velocity components may be discerned. The simulations also confirm the importance of accurate treatment of PSF scattering in the interpretation of Astro-H/SXS spectra of cluster plasmas.Comment: 27 pages, 20 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journa

An analysis of bi-directional use of frequencies for satellite communications

The bi-directional use of frequencies allocated for space communications has the potential to double the orbit/spectrum capacity available. The technical feasibility of reverse band use (RBU) at C-band (4 GHz uplinks and 6 GHz downlinks) is studied. The analysis identifies the constraints under which both forward and reverse band use satellite systems can share the same frequencies with terrestrial, line of sight transmission systems. The results of the analysis show that RBU satellite systems can be similarly sized to forward band use (FBU) satellite systems. In addition, the orbital separation requirements between RBU and FBU satellite systems are examined. The analysis shows that a carrier to interference ratio of 45 dB can be maintianed between RBU and FBU satellites separated by less than 0.5 deg., and that a carrier to interference ratio of 42 dB can be maintained in the antipodal case. Rain scatter propagation analysis shows that RBU and FBU Earth stations require separation distances fo less than 10 km at a rain rate of 13.5 mm/hr escalating to less than 100 km at a rain rate of 178 mm/hr for Earth station antennas in the 3 to 10 m range

Arkansas Wheat Cultivar Performance Tests 2013-2014

Wheat cultivar performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences. The tests provide information to companies developing cultivars and/or marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating cultivar recommendations for small-grain producers

Homogeneous CO Hydrogenation: Ligand Effects on the Lewis Acid-Assisted Reductive Coupling of Carbon Monoxide

Structure-function studies on the role of pendent Lewis acids in the reductive coupling of CO are reported. Cationic rhenium carbonyl complexes containing zero, one, or two phosphinoborane ligands (Ph_2P(CH_2)_nB(C_8H_(14)), n=1-3) react with the nucleophilic hydride [HPt(dmpe)_2]^+ to reduce [M-CO]^+ to M-CHO; this step is relatively insensitive to the Lewis acid, as both pendent (internal) and external boranes of appropriate acid strength can be used. In contrast, whether a second hydride transfer and C-C bond forming steps occur depends strongly on the number of carbon atoms between P and B in the phosphinoborane ligands, as well as the number of pendent acids in the complex: shorter linker chain lengths favor such reductive coupling, whereas longer chains and external boranes are ineffective. A number of different species containing partially reduced CO groups, whose exact structures vary considerably with the nature and number of phosphinoborane ligands, have been crystallographically characterized. The reaction of [(Ph -2P(CH_2)_2B(C_8H_(14)))_2Re(CO)4]^+ with [HPt(dmpe)_2]^+ takes place via a “hydride shuttle” mechanism, in which hydride is transferred from Pt to a pendent borane and thence to CO, rather than by direct hydride attack at CO. Addition of a second hydride in C_6D_5Cl at -40 ºC affords an unusual anionic bis(carbene) complex, which converts to a C-C bonded product on warming. These results support a working model for Lewis acid-assisted reductive coupling of CO, in which B (pendent or external) shuttles hydride from Pt to coordinated CO, followed by formation of an intramolecular B-O bond, which facilitates reductive coupling

Arkansas Wheat Cultivar Performance Tests 2011-2012

Wheat cultivar performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences. The tests provide information to companies developing cultivars and/or marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating cultivar recommendations for small-grain producers