17,139 research outputs found
Advanced space system concepts and their orbital support needs (1980 - 2000). Volume 1: Executive summary
The likely system concepts which might be representative of NASA and DoD space programs in the 1980-2000 time period were studied along with the programs' likely needs for major space transportation vehicles, orbital support vehicles, and technology developments which could be shared by the military and civilian space establishments in that time period. Such needs could then be used by NASA as an input in determining the nature of its long-range development plan. The approach used was to develop a list of possible space system concepts (initiatives) in parallel with a list of needs based on consideration of the likely environments and goals of the future. The two lists thus obtained represented what could be done, regardless of need; and what should be done, regardless of capability, respectively. A set of development program plans for space application concepts was then assembled, matching needs against capabilities, and the requirements of the space concepts for support vehicles, transportation, and technology were extracted. The process was pursued in parallel for likely military and civilian programs, and the common support needs thus identified
Advanced space system concepts and their orbital support needs (1980 - 2000). Volume 2: Final report
The results are presented of a study which identifies over 100 new and highly capable space systems for the 1980-2000 time period: civilian systems which could bring benefits to large numbers of average citizens in everyday life, much enhance the kinds and levels of public services, increase the economic motivation for industrial investment in space, expand scientific horizons; and, in the military area, systems which could materially alter current concepts of tactical and strategic engagements. The requirements for space transportation, orbital support, and technology for these systems are derived, and those requirements likely to be shared between NASA and the DoD in the time period identified. The high leverage technologies for the time period are identified as very large microwave antennas and optics, high energy power subsystems, high precision and high power lasers, microelectronic circuit complexes and data processors, mosaic solid state sensing devices, and long-life cryogenic refrigerators
Advanced space system concepts and their orbital support needs (1980 - 2000). Volume 3: Detailed data. Part 1: Catalog of initiatives, functional options, and future environments and goals
The following areas were discussed in relation to a study of the commonality of space vehicle applications to future national needs: (1) index of initiatives (civilian observation, communication, support), brief illustrated description of each initiative, time periods (from 1980 to 2000+) for implementation of these initiatives; (2) data bank of functional system options, presented in the form of data sheets, one for each of the major functions, with the system option for near-term, midterm, and far-term space projects applicable to each subcategory of functions to be fulfilled; (3) table relating initiatives and desired goals (public service and humanistic, materialistic, scientific and intellectual); and (4) data on size, weight and cost estimations
Advanced space power requirements and techniques. Task 1: Mission projections and requirements. Volume 1: Technical report
The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop projections of the NASA, DoD, and civil space power requirements for the 1980-1995 time period; (2) identify specific areas of application and space power subsystem type needs for each prospective user; (3) document the supporting and historical base, including relevant cost related measures of performance; and (4) quantify the benefits of specific technology projection advancements. The initial scope of the study included: (1) construction of likely models for NASA, DoD, and civil space systems; (2) generation of a number of future scenarios; (3) extraction of time phased technology requirements based on the scenarios; and (4) cost/benefit analyses of some of the technologies identified
Advanced space program studies. Overall executive summary
NASA and DoD requirements and planning data were used in multidiscipline advanced planning investigations of space operations and associated elements (including man), identification of potential low cost approaches, vehicle design, cost synthesis techniques, technology forecasting and opportunities for DoD technology transfer, and the development near-, mid-, and far-term space initiatives and development plans with emphasis on domestic and military commonality. An overview of objectives and results are presented for the following studies: advanced space planning and conceptual analysis, shuttle users, technology assessment and new opportunities, standardization and program practice, integrated STS operations planning, solid spinning upper stage, and integrated planning support functions
Advanced space power requirements and techniques. Task 1: Mission projections and requirements. Volume 3: Appendices
Contents: (1) general study guidelines and assumptions; (2) launch vehicle performance and cost assumptions; (3) satellite programs 1959 to 1979; (4) initiative mission and design characteristics; (5) satellite listing; (6) spacecraft design model; (7) spacecraft cost model; (8) mission cost model; and (9) nominal and optimistic budget program cost summaries
The SDSS Damped Lya Survey: Data Release 1
We present the results from an automated search for damped Lya (DLA) systems
in the quasar spectra of Data Release 1 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS-DR1). At z~2.5, this homogeneous dataset has greater statistical
significance than the previous two decades of research. We derive a statistical
sample of 71 damped Lya systems (>50 previously unpublished) at z>2.1 and
measure HI column densities directly from the SDSS spectra. The number of DLA
systems per unit redshift is consistent with previous measurements and we
expect our survey has >95% completeness. We examine the cosmological baryonic
mass density of neutral gas Omega_g inferred from the damped Lya systems from
the SDSS-DR1 survey and a combined sample drawn from the literature. Contrary
to previous results, the Omega_g values do not require a significant correction
from Lyman limit systems at any redshift. We also find that the Omega_g values
for the SDSS-DR1 sample do not decline at high redshift and the combined sample
shows a (statistically insignificant) decrease only at z>4. Future data
releases from SDSS will provide the definitive survey of DLA systems at z~2.5
and will significantly reduce the uncertainty in Omega_g at higher redshift.Comment: 12 pages, includes color figures. Accepted to PASP, April 20 200
Metallicity Evolution in the Early Universe
Observations of the damped Lya systems provide direct measurements on the
chemical enrichment history of neutral gas in the early universe. In this
Letter, we present new measurements for four damped Lya systems at high
redshift. Combining these data with [Fe/H] values culled from the literature,
we investigate the metallicity evolution of the universe from z~1.5-4.5.
Contrary to our expectations and the predictions of essentially every chemical
evolution model, the N(HI)-weighted mean [Fe/H] metallicity exhibits minimal
evolution over this epoch. For the individual systems, we report tentative
evidence for an evolution in the unweighted [Fe/H] mean and the scatter in
[Fe/H] with the higher redshift systems showing lower scatter and lower typical
[Fe/H] values. We also note that no damped Lya system has [Fe/H] < -2.7 dex.
Finally, we discuss the potential impact of small number statistics and dust on
our conclusions and consider the implications of these results on chemical
evolution in the early universe.Comment: 6 pages, 2 encapsulated figures, Latex2e, uses emulateapj.sty and
onecolfloat.sty. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters: Feb 28, 200
Distribution of Damped Lyman-alpha Absorbers in a Lambda Cold Dark Matter Universe
We present the results of a numerical study of a galactic wind model and its
implications on the properties of damped Lyman-alpha absorbers (DLAs) using
cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We vary both the wind strength and the
internal parameters of the the wind model in a series of cosmological SPH
simulations that include radiative cooling and heating by a UV background, star
formation, and feedback from supernovae and galactic winds. To test our
simulations, we examine the DLA `rate-of-incidence' as a function of halo mass,
galaxy apparent magnitude, and impact parameter. We find that the statistical
distribution of DLAs does not depend on the exact values of internal numerical
parameters that control the decoupling of hydrodynamic forces when the gas is
ejected from starforming regions. The DLA rate-of-incidence in our simulations
at z=3 is dominated by the faint galaxies with apparent magnitude R_AB < 25.5.
However, interestingly in a `strong wind' run, the differential distribution of
DLA sight-lines is peaked at Mhalo = 10^{12} Msun/h (R_AB~27), and the mean DLA
halo mass is Mmean=10^{12.4} Msun/h (R_AB ~ 26). These mass-scales are much
larger than those if we ignore winds, because galactic wind feedback suppresses
the DLA cross section in low-mass halos and increases the relative contribution
to the DLA incidence from more massive halos. The DLAs in our simulations are
more compact than the present-day disk galaxies, and the impact parameter
distribution is very narrow unless we limit the search for the host galaxy to
only bright LBGs. The comoving number density of DLAs is higher than that of
LBGs down to R_AB=30 mag if the physical radius of each DLA is smaller than 5
kpc/h_70. We discuss conflicts between current simulations and observations,
and potential problems with simulations based on the CDM model.Comment: 37 pages, 11 figures. Accepted to ApJ. Additional numerical tests of
the internal parameters of the galactic wind model are presente
Survey for Galaxies Associated with z~3 Damped Lyman alpha Systems I: Spectroscopic Calibration of u'BVRI Photometric Selection
We present a survey for z~3 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) associated with
damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs) with the primary purpose of determining the
DLA-LBG cross-correlation. This paper describes the acquisition and analysis of
imaging and spectroscopic data of 9 quasar fields having 11 known z~3 DLAs
covering an area of 465 arcmin^2. Using deep u'BVRI images, 796 LBG candidates
to an apparent R_AB magnitude of 25.5 were photometrically selected from 17,343
sources detected in the field. Spectroscopic observations of 529 LBG candidates
using Keck LRIS yielded 339 redshifts. We have conservatively identified 211
z>2 objects with =3.02+/-0.32. We discuss our method of z~3 LBG
identification and present a model of the u'BVRI photometric selection
function. We use the 339 spectra to evaluate our u'BVRI z~3 Lyman break
photometric selection technique.Comment: 26 pages, 6 tables, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
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