ALBERT

Beschreibung: There are no author-identified significant results in this report.

Beschreibung: Design and development of lunar escape system simulator for investigation of lunar escape problems and simplified manual guidance and control for lunar escape vehicles

Beschreibung: An effort is underway at NASA Langley Research Center to understand the pilot as an information processor and decision-maker, and to produce a model of this process. The oculometer, an electro-optical device for tracking a man's eye-point-of-regard in real time, is currently being used to further this effort. The present paper reviews two instrument approach studies in which the oculometer has been used as a research tool. Particular emphasis is placed on data reduction schemes. The results of one simulator study are presented in some detail.

Beschreibung: A remote sensing oculometer has been successfully operated during flight tests. This device was able to track the pilot's eye-point-of-regard (lookpoint) consistently and unobtrusively in the flight environment. The instantaneous position of the lookpoint was determined to within approximately 1 degree. Data were recorded on both analog and video tape. The video data consisted of continuous scenes of the aircraft's instrument display and a superimposed white dot (simulating the lookpoint) dwelling or moving from instrument to instrument as the pilot monitored the display information during landing approaches.

Beschreibung: A remote sensing oculometer was successfully operated during flight tests with a NASA experimental Twin Otter aircraft at the Langley Research Center. Although the oculometer was designed primarily for the laboratory, it was able to track the pilot's eye-point-of-regard (lookpoint) consistently and unobtrusively in the flight environment. The instantaneous position of the lookpoint was determined to within approximately 1 deg. Data were recorded on both analog and video tape. The video data consisted of continuous scenes of the aircraft's instrument display and a superimposed white dot (simulating the lookpoint) dwelling on an instrument or moving from instrument to instrument as the pilot monitored the display information during landing approaches.

Beschreibung: We report on the results of an analysis o f XMM-Newton observations o f MS 0735+7421, the galaxy cluster that hosts the most energetic AGN outburst currently known. .The previous chandra image shows twin giant x-ray cavities (approx.200 kpc diameter) filled with radio emission and surrounded by a weak shock front. XMM data are consistent with these findings. The total energy in cavities and shock (1E62 erg(approx.100 kpc), to heat the gas within 1 Mpc by approx.1/4 kev per particle. The cluster exhibits an upward departure (factor approx.2) from the mean L-T relation. The boost in emissivity produced by the ICM compression in the bright shells due to the cavity expansion may contribute to explain the high luminosity and high central gas mass fraction that we measure. The scaled temperature and metallicity profiles are in general agreement with those observed in re1axed clusters. Also, the quantities we measure are consistent with the observed M-T relation. We conclude that violent outbursts such as the one in MS 0735+7421 do not cause dramatic scaling relations (other than the L-T relation). However, if they are relatively common they may play a role in creating the global cluster properties.

Beschreibung: The High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) on the Chandra X-ray Observatory provides spectral resolving powers of 200-1000 over the range 0.4-8.0 keV (1.5-30 A) with effective area of 2-200 square centimeters. Initial observations during the activation and calibration phases of the mission show that the HETGS is performing as predicted prior to Chandra launch. The talk presented very preliminary results that illustrate the power of the HETGS for performing detailed studies of a wide range of celestial sources, including plasma diagnostics. This written version gives a brief summary of that talk with examples of preliminary spectra of Capella, the Crab pulsar, SS433 and the SNR E0102-72.

Beschreibung: Bioenergy is expected to play an important role in long-run climate change mitigation strategies as highlighted by many integrated assessment model (IAM) scenarios. These scenarios, however, also show a very wide range of results, with uncertainty about bioenergy conversion technology deployment and biomass feedstock supply. To date, the underlying differences in model assumptions and parameters for the range of results have not been conveyed. Here we explore the models and results of the 33rd study of the Stanford Energy Modeling Forum to elucidate and explore bioenergy technology specifications and constraints that underlie projected bioenergy outcomes. We first develop and report consistent bioenergy technology characterizations and modeling details. We evaluate the bioenergy technology specifications through a series of analyses—comparison with the literature, model intercomparison, and an assessment of bioenergy technology projected deployments. We find that bioenergy technology coverage and characterization varies substantially across models, spanning different conversion routes, carbon capture and storage opportunities, and technology deployment constraints. Still, the range of technology specification assumptions is largely in line with bottom-up engineering estimates. We then find that variation in bioenergy deployment across models cannot be understood from technology costs alone. Important additional determinants include biomass feedstock costs, the availability and costs of alternative mitigation options in and across end-uses, the availability of carbon dioxide removal possibilities, the speed with which large scale changes in the makeup of energy conversion facilities and integration can take place, and the relative demand for different energy services.

Beschreibung: In the future, the land system will be facing new intersecting challenges. While food demand, especially for resource-intensive livestock based commodities, is expected to increase, the terrestrial system has large potentials for climate change mitigation through improved agricultural management, providing biomass for bioenergy, and conserving or even enhancing carbon stocks of ecosystems. However, uncertainties in future socio-economic land use drivers may result in very different land-use dynamics and consequences for land-based ecosystem services. This is the first study with a systematic interpretation of the Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs) in terms of possible land-use changes and their consequences for the agricultural system, food provision and prices as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, five alternative Integrated Assessment Models with distinctive land-use modules have been used for the translation of the SSP narratives into quantitative projections. The model results reflect the general storylines of the SSPs and indicate a broad range of potential land-use futures with global agricultural land of 4900 mio ha in 2005 decreasing by 743 mio ha until 2100 at the lower (SSP1) and increasing by 1080 mio ha (SSP3) at the upper end. Greenhouse gas emissions from land use and land use change, as a direct outcome of these diverse land-use dynamics, and agricultural production systems differ strongly across SSPs (e.g. cumulative land use change emissions between 2005 and 2100 range from −54 to 402 Gt CO2). The inclusion of land-based mitigation efforts, particularly those in the most ambitious mitigation scenarios, further broadens the range of potential land futures and can strongly affect greenhouse gas dynamics and food prices. In general, it can be concluded that low demand for agricultural commodities, rapid growth in agricultural productivity and globalized trade, all most pronounced in a SSP1 world, have the potential to enhance the extent of natural ecosystems, lead to lowest greenhouse gas emissions from the land system and decrease food prices over time. The SSP-based land use pathways presented in this paper aim at supporting future climate research and provide the basis for further regional integrated assessments, biodiversity research and climate impact analysis.