A photometric investigation of Comet P/Encke

A photometric investigation of Comet P/Encke was undertaken using the 2.2 m telescope and the 0.6 m telescope. The two primary scientific objectives were: (1) measurement of the production rates of OH, CN, C3, and C2 as a function of heliocentric distance; and (2) determination of the comet's rotational period by searching for periodic brightness variations in the inner coma. Synoptic observation in the Canary Islands; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Flagstaff, Arizona; and Mauna Kea were planned for the study of the comet's rotation

UBV photometry of asteroid 433 Eros

UBV observations of asteroid 433 Eros were conducted on 17 nights during the winter of 1974/75. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the light curve varied from about 0.3 mag to nearly 1.4 mag. The absolute V magnitude, extrapolated to zero phase, is 10.85. Phase coefficients of 0.0245 mag/degree, 0.0009 mag/degree, and 0.0004 mag/degree were derived for V, B-V, and U-B, respectively. The zero-phase color of Eros (B-V = 0.88, U-B = 0.50) is representative of an S (silicaceous) compositional type asteroid. The color does not vary with rotation. The photometric behavior of Eros can be modeled by a cylinder with rounded ends having an axial ratio of about 2.3:1

Asteroid observations and planetary atmospheres analysis

Photoelectric observations of Eros and 30 other asteroids providing information on their surface characteristics, shape, and rotation axes are reported. Photographs of 18 asteroids and 4 comets yielding accurate position information on various dates were obtained. Photometric observations were made of the Saturn satellite lapetus, and electronographic images of the Uranus and Neptune satellites were obtained experimentally with a Spectracon tube to assess photometry by that method. Planetary patrol photographs of Venus and deconvolved area scans of Uranus were taken. UBV photometry of the Galilean satellites for the period 1973-1974 was completely analyzed and accepted for publication. An improved magnitude and color index for Minas were derived from 1974 area scans. A special photomultiplier tube with a suppressor grid was incorporated into a pulse-counting photometer with special added circuitry for carrying out the observations concerning the constancy of solar system dimensions over cosmic time

Studies in planetology, including the collection and interpretation of planetary information

The value of synoptic imaging of the planets is reported. The advantage of the Large Space Telescope, as compared with ground-based telescopes and planetary orbiters and flybys, is discussed. Desirable LST camera parameters and observing strategies are considered from the standpoint of synoptic imaging

Planetary Research Center

Extensive Earth-based photography of Mars, Jupiter, and Venus is presented which monitors the atmospheric and/or surface changes that take place day to day. Color pictures are included of the 1973 dust storm on Mars, showing the daily cycle of the storm's regeneration. Martian topography, and the progress of the storm is examined. Areas most affected by the storm are summarized

OTV bearing deflection investigation

The primary goal of the Bearing Deflectometer Investigation was to gain experience in the use of fiber optic displacement probe technology for bearing health monitoring in a liquid hydrogen turbo pump. The work specified in this Task Order was conducted in conjunction with Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory Contract F04611-86-C-0010. APD conducted the analysis and design coordination to provide a displacement probe design compatible with the XLR-134 liquid hydrogen turbo pump assembly (TPA). Specifications and requirements of the bearing deflectometer were established working with Mechanical Technology Instruments, Inc. (MTI). The TPA design accommodated positioning of the probe to measure outer race cyclic deflections of the pump inlet bearing. The fiber optic sensor was installed as required in the TPA and sensor output was recorded during the TPA testing. Data review indicated that no bearing deflection signature could be differentiated from the inherent system noise. Alternate sensor installations were not investigated, but might yield different results

Semiannual Status Report, 1 July 1975 Through 31 December 1975

No abstract availabl

On the Bilayer Coupling in the Yttrium-Barium Family of High Temperature Superconductors

We present and solve a model for the susceptibility of two CuO2 planes coupled by an interplane coupling J_perp and use the results to analyze a recent "cross-relaxation" NMR experiment on Y2Ba4Cu7O15. We deduce that in this material the product of J_perp and the maximum value of the in-plane susceptibility chi_max varies from approximately 0.2 at T = 200 K to 0.4 at T = 120 K and that this implies the existence of a temperature dependent in-plane spin correlation length. Using estimates of chi_max from the literature we find 5 meV < J_perp < 20 meV. We discuss the relation of the NMR results to neutron scattering results which have been claimed to imply that in YBa2Cu3O_{6+x} the two planes of a bilayer are perfectly anticorrelated. We also propose that the recently observed 41 meV excitation in YBa2Cu3O7 is an exciton pulled down below the superconducting gap by J_perp.Comment: 11 pages, 3 postscript figures (uuencoded and compressed

Kepler and the Kuiper Belt

The proposed field-of-view of the Kepler mission is at an ecliptic latitude of ~55 degrees, where the surface density of scattered Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) is a few percent that in the ecliptic plane. The rate of occultations of Kepler target stars by scattered KBOs with radii r>10km is ~10^-6 to 10^-4 per star per year, where the uncertainty reflects the current ignorance of the thickness of the scattered KBO disk and the faint-end slope of their magnitude distribution. These occultation events will last only ~0.1% of the planned t_exp=15 minute integration time, and thus will appear as single data points that deviate by tiny amounts. However, given the target photometric accuracy of Kepler, these deviations will nevertheless be highly significant, with typical signal-to-noise ratios of ~10. I estimate that 1-20 of the 10^5 main-sequence stars in Kepler's field-of-view will exhibit detectable occultations during its four-year mission. For unresolved events, the signal-to-noise of individual occultations scales as t_exp^{-1/2}, and the minimum detectable radius could be decreased by an order of magnitude to ~1 km by searching the individual 3-second readouts for occultations. I propose a number of methods by which occultation events may be differentiated from systematic effects. Kepler should measure or significantly constrain the frequency of highly-inclined, ~10 km-sized KBOs.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. No changes. Accepted to ApJ, to appear in the August 1, 2004 issue (v610

Resistive Anomalies at Ferromagnetic Transitions Revisited: the case of SrRuO_3

We show that recent resistivity data on SrRuO_3 for T->T_c are consistent with conventional theory when corrections to scaling are included and a small shift in T_c is allowed.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure; revte