NASA propeller noise research

The research in propeller noise prediction, noise/performance optimization, and interior reduction is described. Selected results are presented to illustrate the status of the technology and the direction of future research

Measured and calculated characteristics of wind turbine noise

The results of an analytical and experimental investigation of wind turbine noise are presented. Noise calculations indicate that for configurations with the rotor downwind of the support tower, the primary source of noise is the rapid change in rotor loadings which occurs as the rotor passes through the tower wake. Noise measurements are presented for solid and truss type tower models with both upwind and downwind rotors. Upwind rotor configurations are shown to be significantly quieter than downwind configurations. The model data suggest that averaged noise measurements and noise calculations based on averaged tower wake characteristics may not accurately represent the impulsive noise characteristics of downwind rotor configurations

Comparison of measured and calculated velocity profiles of a laminar incompressible free jet at low Reynolds numbers

A comparison of the measured and calculated velocity profiles of a laminar, incompressible, low Reynolds number jet is presented. The experimental jet was produced by a nozzle which consists of a porous metal plate covering the end of a pipe. This nozzle produces a uniform exit velocity profile at Reynolds numbers well below those at which conventional contoured nozzles are completely filled by the boundary layer. A jet mixing analysis based on the boundary-layer equations accurately predicted the velocity field for each test condition. The Reynolds number based on nozzle diameter ranged from 50 to 1000 with jet exit velocity either 30 or 61 m/s (100 or 200 ft/sec)

Observation of wave-packet propagation in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies in a tokamak plasma

Experimental observation of wave-packet propagation in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies in a tokamak plasma is reported. Studies were carried out in the Caltech Research Tokamak [Phys. Fluids 23, 614 (1980)] in a pure hydrogen plasma and in a regime where fast-wave damping was sufficiently small to permit multiple toroidal transits of the wave packet. Waves were launched by exciting a small loop antenna with a short burst of radio-frequency current and were detected with shielded magnetic probes. Probe scans revealed a large increase in wave-packet amplitude at smaller minor radii, and the packet velocity was found to be independent of radial position. Measurement of the packet transit time yielded direct information about the wave group velocity. Packet velocity was investigated as a function of the fundamental excitation frequency, plasma density, and toroidal magnetic field. Results are compared with the predictions of a cold plasma model that includes a vacuum layer at the edge

Exact treatment of ℓ≠0\ell \neq 0 states

Using the basic ingredient of supersymmetry, a general procedure for the treatment of quantum states having nonzero angular momenta is presented.Comment: 7 pages article in LaTEX (uses standard article.sty). No Figures. Accepted by Chinese Physics Letters (2004, vol 21. No.9

Experiences with a preliminary NICE/SPAR structural analysis system

Development of a new structural analysis system based on the original SPAR finite element code and the NICE system is described. The system is denoted NICE/SPAR. NICE was designed at Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory and contains data management utilities, a command language interpreter, and a command language definition for integrating engineering computational modules. SPAR is a system of programs used for finite element structural analysis developed for NASA by Engineering Information Systems, Inc. It includes many complementary structural analysis and utility functions which communicate through a common database. The work on NICE/SPAR was motivated by requirements for a highly modular and flexible structural analysis system to use as a tool in carrying out research in computational methods and exploring new computer hardware. Analysis examples are presented which demonstrate the benefits gained from a combination of the NICE command language with the SPAR computational modules

Sources, control, and effects of noise from aircraft propellers and rotors

Source noise predictions are compared with measurements for conventional low-speed propellers, for new high speed propellers (propfans), and for a helicopter. Results from a light aircraft demonstration program are described, indicating that about 5-dB reduction of flyover noise can be obtained without significant performance penalty. Sidewall design studies are described for interior noise control in light general aviation aircraft and in large transports using propfan propulsion. The weight of the added acoustic treatment is estimated and tradeoffs between weight and noise reduction are discussed. A laboratory study of passenger response to combined broadband and tonal propeller like noise is described. Subject discomfort ratings of combined tone broadband noises are compared with ratings of broadband (boundary layer) noise alone, and the relative importance of the propeller tones is examined

Low energy electron scattering from DNA and RNA bases: shape resonances and radiation damage

Calculations are carried out to determine elastic scattering cross sections and resonance energies for low energy electron impact on uracil and on each of the DNA bases (thymine, cytosine, adenine, guanine), for isolated molecules in their equilibrium geometry. Our calculations are compared with available theory and experiment. We also attempt to correlate this information with experimental dissociation patterns through an analysis of the temporary anion structures that are formed by electron capture in shape resonances.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, submitted to J. Chem. Phy

Estimating Black Hole Masses in Active Galaxies Using the Halpha Emission Line

It has been established that virial masses for black holes in low-redshift active galaxies can be estimated from measurements of the optical continuum strength and the width of the broad Hbeta line. Under various circumstances, however, both of these quantities can be challenging to measure or can be subject to large systematic uncertainties. To mitigate these difficulties, we present a new method for estimating black hole masses. From analysis of a new sample of broad-line active galactic nuclei, we find that Halpha luminosity scales almost linearly with optical continuum luminosity and that a strong correlation exists between Halpha and Hbeta line widths. These two empirical correlations allow us to translate the standard virial mass system to a new one based solely on observations of the broad Halpha emission line.Comment: to appear in Apj; 8 pages; 5 figures; uses emulateapj5.st