ALBERT

Description: Present understanding of planetary atmospheres is surveyed. The formation of the planets and their atmospheres is briefly reviewed, and attention is given to the compositions of the atmospheres of earth, Venus, and Mars, the outer planets, and Titan. Lists of the individual atmospheric gases and their concentrations are included.

Description: The discovery of concentrations of meteorites in Antarctica by Japanese field parties in 1969, and subsequently by joint U.S.-Japanese and U.S. field parties since 1976 has provided a significant new resource for understanding the origin and evolution of the solar system. The number of meteorites as well as the variety of meteorites has increased dramatically, and substantial amounts of data derived from their study has begun to appear in the scientific literature. The U.S. program of investigation has drawn on curatorial experience derived from the lunar program to: (1) develop specific collection and preliminary examination protocols; (2) provide documented samples for scientific investigations in response to specific requests; and (3) coordinate research by scientific consortia. The productivity of scientific research is significantly enhanced by these management approaches. Some of the results of the curatorial program for Antarctic meteorites carried out over the past three years are described.

Description: This design course is directed to studying problems related to mobile exploration of the surface of Mars. Constraints on the vehicles considered are set by the payload and performance currently envisioned by mission analysis carried out previously at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The students are given full flexibility to examine those aspects which suit their interests and background. There are no regularly scheduled class lectures. Weekly review meetings are held with personnel from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and students use JPL resources as required.

Description: The objectives of this program are as follows: modelling of dynamics of composite tubular space structure truss members; and utilization of ultrasonic waves as probes for material and defect characterization. This discussion is presented in viewgraph format.

Description: The Moon is a body rich in natural resources and full of intriguing scientific questions, and it will most certainly play a central role in the growth of near-Earth and deep space ventures of the twenty-first century. The LOP mission is an example of one way to catalog the Moon's natural resources and to answer lunar science questions in parallel. In a realistic planetary exploration program, this mission must compete with other interesting planetary missions and therefore the LOP must be as low cost and adaptable as possible. This flexibility is reflected in the LOP's heavy design emphasis on modularity. The LOP mission can easily be expanded to include new technologies, and additional orbiters could be launched into lunar orbit to provide a constellation of remote-sensing platforms. This design thus projects a broad range of possibilities for continued lunar exploration in the next century.

Description: Opinions conflict over the role of surface gravity in shaping impact craters on Mercury. One view holds that the effects of g are evident in measurable aspects of crater form; other investigators find little or no evidence for g's geomorphic importance. Ambiguity in the role of g and other variables in cratering on Mercury stems largely from uncertainty in identifying major geomorphic contrasts and the crater sizes at which they occur. One of these, depth/diameter (d/D), undergoes a major change at the transition from simple (bowl shaped) to complex (peaks and terraces) crater interiors. Four least-squares d/D fits for fresh craters on Mercury were attemped. The results are inconsistent. The d/D data that should resolve previous shortcomings is presented. The revised d/D distributions for simple and complex craters, which intersect at a diameter of about 5 km, support the initial thesis that g substantially influences the form of Mercury's craters.

Description: Through the Surveyor 3 and 7, and Apollo 11-17 missions a knowledge of the mechanical properties of Lunar regolith were gained. These properties, including material cohesion, friction, in-situ density, grain-size distribution and shape, and porosity, were determined by indirect means of trenching, penetration, and vane shear testing. Several of these properties were shown to be significantly different from those of terrestrial soils, such as an interlocking cohesion and tensile strength formed in the absence of moisture and particle cementation. To characterize the strength and deformation properties of Lunar regolith experiments have been conducted on a lunar soil simulant at various initial densities, fabric arrangements, and composition. These experiments included conventional triaxial compression and extension, direct tension, and combined tension-shear. Experiments have been conducted at low levels of effective confining stress. External conditions such as membrane induced confining stresses, end platten friction and material self weight have been shown to have a dramatic effect on the strength properties at low levels of confining stress. The solution has been to treat these external conditions and the specimen as a full-fledged boundary value problem rather than the idealized elemental cube of mechanics. Centrifuge modeling allows for the study of Lunar soil-structure interaction problems. In recent years centrifuge modeling has become an important tool for modeling processes that are dominated by gravity and for verifying analysis procedures and studying deformation and failure modes. Centrifuge modeling is well established for terrestrial enginering and applies equally as well to Lunar engineering. A brief review of the experiments is presented in graphic and outline form.

Description: Craters within the Ganymede Jg-7 quadrangle were divided into seven mappable units. The units represent: (1) irregular or elongate craters, (2) craters with dark ejecta, (3) palimpsests, (4) secondary craters, (5) and craters of young, mature, and old age. Symbols used for crater floors include: (1) flat floors, (2) floors with pits, (3) floora with a central dome or peak, (4) and floors with a central dome and pit. Grooved terrains were divided into five mappable units. Three units of light grooved material represent small, medium, and large grooves, which are arbitrarily divided. The other two units of grooved terrain represent dark grooved materials, and reticulate grooves. Two units of ungrooved dark terrain and two units of ungrooved light terrain were defined. In Galileo Regio, two units were defined repesenting large furrowed grooves, and smaller grooves which are orthogonal to the furrowed grooves.

Description: The relative time of emplacement of some major rock units on Mars was recognized to some degree from geologic mapping using Mariner Images. Correlation charts showing the map units and their position in sequence, however, displayed little discrimination in their vertical range of occurrence. A more detailed time-stratigraphy is currently being developed as Viking geologic mapping of the planet progresses.

Description: Although many radar profiles and images of the area within 20 deg of Mercury's equator had been obtained from 1971 to 1981, at both Goldstone and Arecibo radar facilities, surprisingly little geological analysis had been done with these data until recently. Topographic profiles and radar roughness reflectivity images which can be derived from these data will be crucial in completing the geological mapping of Mercury now underway at the U.S. Geological Survey. Processing of available radar data must be completed to establish any systematic relationship between radar reflectivities and roughness, density, dielectric constant, and other related geological parameters. Specific tasks accomplished for these purposes include the following. Documentation was located and searched to establish the type and quantity of Goldstone 12.5 cm radar observations which were available for Mercury. Data has been collected during approximately 50 observation periods from 1971 to 1981. About half of the data, collected during 1972 and 1973, have been processed, but without adequate documentation. A standardized, well-documented procedure for processing and analysis for all Goldstone Earth-based observations of Mercury was established.

Description: The origin of Mars surface units and the extent of subsequent cratering play key roles in determining surface texture. At scale sizes of 0.1-10 meters, however, there is a growing body of evidence that wind is the dominant force. The direct and indirect evidence which implies that meter-scale surface texture on Mars is controlled by the wind is presented. Since radar is uniquely sensitive to structure on these scales, radio wave scattering data can provide insight on aeolian activity available from no other source.

Description: Two old volcano-tectonic collapse structures are exposed north and northeast of the huge shield volcano, Olympus Mons. They are semicircular and were probably low shield volcanoes similar to Alba Patera, but whose central portions have subsided or collapsed. They form the basement upon which younger volcanic materials of Alba Patera Olympus Mons have been emplaced. The oldest structure, Acheron Fossae is over 700 km across and is north of Olympus Mons. It has a surface of considerable relief broken by graben and extensive en echelon and parallel fractures and faults with varied displacements. Acheron Fossae is the most densely cratered in the Olympus Mons region. The structure must have formed very early in martian time. The second is Halex Fossae, northeast of Olympus Mons. Where exposed, it is cut by a series of arcuate grabens that become closer spaced toward its center. The radii of the fractures indicate that the structure may be at least 250 km across and centered beneath the Olympus Plains. Lava flows appear to have issued from some of the arcuate fractures and to have flowed radially away from the center of Halex Fossae. North of Halex Fossae, material of the same age as Halex Fossae overlaps Acheron Fossae.

Description: The terrain analysis software package was restructured and documentation was added. A program was written to test Johnson Space Center's four band scatterometer data for spurious signals data. A catalog of terrain roughness statistics and calibrated four frequency multipolarization scatterometer data is being published to support the maintenance of Death Valley as a radar backscatter calibration test site for all future airborne and spacecraft missions. Test pits were dug through sand covered terrains in the Eastern Sahara to define the depth and character of subsurface interfaces responsible for either backscatter or specular response in SIR-A imagery. Blocky sandstone bedrock surfaces at about 1 m depth were responsible for the brightest SIR-A returns. Irregular very dense CaCO3 cemented sand interfaces were responsible for intermediate grey tones. Ancient river valleys had the weakest response. Reexamination of SEASAT l-band imagery of U.S. deserts continues.

Description: High spatial resolution data from the Viking infrared thermal mapper (IRTM) are used to examine the Tharsis volcanoes which are situated within a vast area of low thermal inertia material very fine particle size or very high porosity, with the volcanoes having the lowest thermal inertias. Thermal infrared images of the 1823 flow on Kilauea's southwest rift zone show lower thermal inertias near the vent area where shelly pahoehoe is common while individual channelized aa flows with abundant broken pahoehoe slabs are higher thermal inertia. The increase in aa flows to the southeast leads to a general trend of increasing thermal inertias from near vent to distal areas. Martian shield volcanoes have thermal inertias equal to or higher than their surrounding plans when atmospheric effects are removed from the data. The general increase in thermal inertias away from the summit calderas is consistent with the trend of the Hawaiian 1823 flow and may be related to changing lava properties away from the summit.

Description: A photometrically and geometrically reduced data base is being produced for the Galilean Satellites using Voyager Imaging data. The basic data set used is essentially all the useful satellite images returned by Voyager. Each frame was radiometrically calibrated and many are projected into cartographic formats. Mosaics of low, medium and high resolution frames being made for each satellite consist of registered digital images with intensity values scaled through a traceable calibration procedure to normal albedo values. Many of the mosaics are being made in two versions. One version is an albedo version and the second is a maximum discrimination version in which large variations in brightness across the picture are suppressed.

Description: One unique feature on Mars is the presence of ring furrows which are apparently produced by inversion of topography at the rims of partially buried craters. Ring furrows are flat-floored trenches, circular in plan view, forming rings 7 to 50 km in diameter. The moat is on the order of 0.5 km deep and 2 to 10 km wide, and it surrounds a flat topped circular mesa or plateau that is 5 to 40 km across. The central plateau is at the same elevation or lower than the surrounding plain outside the ring. The circular nature and size range of ring furrows tend to suggest that these features are related to craters partially buried by younger lava flows. The rings have been formed by preferential removal of the exposed crater rims. Ground ice decay, sapping, or fluvial erosion removed the less resistant, porous material of crater rims while leaving the more resistant volcanic flow material. Differential erosion has thus led to a reversal of topography in which the original positive relief of the rim is reduced to a negative relief feature.

Description: The morphology of channels, valleys, chaotic and fretted terrains and many smaller features on Mars is consistent with the hypothesis that localized deterioration of thick layers of ice-rich permafrost was a dominant geologic process on the Martian surface. Such ground ice deterioration gave rise to large-scale mass movement, including sliding, slumping and sediment gravity flowage, perhaps also catastropic floods. In contrast to Earth, such mass movement processes on Mars lack effective competition from erosion by surface runoff. Therefore, Martian features due to mass movement grew to reach immense size without being greatly modified by secondary erosional processes. The Viking Mission to Mars in 1976 provided adequate measurements of the relevant physical parameters to constrain models for Martian permafrost.

Description: High-resolution pictures of talus slopes on Mars show small, dark streaks that characteristically widen downward. These streaks are different from the thin and even streaks of various albedos that stream from cliffs on talus slopes, but gradations between the two streak types occur and not all streaks can be classified with confidence. In order to study the nature and origin of the small, widening, dark streaks, all Viking pictures with a resolution of less than 100 m/pixel were surveyed. To date several hundred streaks were located, but only few are of high enough resolution to be confidently identified as widening downwards. The approximate dimensions of the streaks were measured and their shapes, numbers, position, and spacing on slopes were noted. They were plotted on a topographic map, and their relation to topography, geologic units, and regions of distinct thermal inertia and albedo were studied. Also noted was the season at which images containing streaks were acquired and the direction of illumination. Albedo measurements are in progress. Several streaks can be seen stereoscopically, but none are observed on color images. The observation of small dark streaks on talus slopes on Mars is compatible with an interpretation of their origin as eruptions of small masses of wet debris in places where steep walls intersect aquifers or where seasonal equatorial warming permits the local melting of ground ice.

Description: The valley networks of Mars are widely believed to have formed at a time when climatic conditions on the planet were significantly different from those that currently prevail. This view arises from the following observations: (1) the valleys form integrated branching networks which suggests fluid drainage, and water is the most plausible fluid, (2) the present atmosphere contains only minute amounts of water, (3) the networks appear to be more akin to terrestrial valleys that are eroded by streams of modest discharges than features that form by catastrophic floods, and (4) small streams of water will rapidly freeze under present climatic conditions. Climatic conditions at the time of formation of the valleys are studied based on the assumption that they were cut by running water.

Description: Images of the surface of Venus obtained by the Soviet Venera 9, 10, 13 and 14 landers are analyzed to provide a basis for understanding the nature of geologic processes operating there. Bedrock is exposed at the Venera 10, 13 and 14 sites and is characterized by semi-continuous, flat polygonal to subrounded patches up to several meters in width. The bedrock surface is often dominated by sub horizontal to horizontal layered plates with thicknesses of several cm and abundant linear and polygonal vertical fractures. Soils (particles 1 cm) are abundant at the Venera 9, 10 and 13 sites, but are uncommon at Venera 14. Features indicative of a strong aeolian influence (moats, dunes, wind tails) are not observed. Several hypotheses are considered for the origin of the bedrock surfaces, and it is concluded that bedrock originated from surface lava flows. The relative freshness of features observed by the Veneras suggests that erosion rates are very low or that some bedrock surfaces are geologically young.

Description: A tectonic orgin for Venus banded terrain is consistent with band spacing. Both compressional (folding) and extensional models for band formation can fit present observations. Band spacing cannot distinguish among scenarios for global heat loss and for the origin of highland terrain. Tectonic models for band formation indicate that the surface brittle layer in the venus highlands is no more than a few kilometers thick.

Description: A study to determine the feasibility of conducting experiments to simulate the aeolian environment on Venus as related to wind abrasion was completed. Ideally, such experiments should involve complete investigation of weathering, in which mechanical, thermal, and chemical parameters are taken into account. This is particularly important for Venus, where atmospheric temperatures and pressures at the surface produce an environment which is equivalent to low or medium grade metamorphic conditions on Earth. Details that describe the Venus Aeolian Abrasion Device (VAAD) are included. The VAAD device would enable experiments to be conducted with the same chemistry, temperature, pressure, and other physical properties of the Venus atmosphere near the surface. The proposed device enables the important aeolian parameters to be controlled and monitored, including particle size, velocity, impact-angle and flux, atmospheric pressure, temperature, and gas composition.

Description: Why the lowlands of Mars are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere and the highlands in the Southern Hemisphere is probably the most fundamental unsolved problem in martian geology. No explanation that accounts both for this asymmetric distribution and for the isostatic equilibrium across the scarp or sloping transition zone dividing the two provinces has been generally accepted; thinning of the lithosphere in the northern hemisphere by internal processes has been suggested. Because other lowland-highland distributions on Mars, Moon, and Mercury are controlled by impact basins, it is proposed that a giant basin formed early in Mars' history has caused the martian hemispheric dichotomy as well.

Description: A number of researchers have concluded that saturation equilibrium cratering exists nowhere in the solar system, and therefore that diameter distributions in even the most heavily cratered provinces reveal initial production functions related to impacting bodies. Based on this premise, different populations of impactors are identified in different epochs and regions of the solar system. These hypotheses are clearly crucial to interpreting planetary history and need further independent examination. The production function in the outer solar system may differ from that in the inner solar system, but it is also possible that viscous relaxation of ice craters or immediate flooding of craters that penetrate through an ice lithosphere into watery substrate may explain the greater deficiency of large craters on icy moons. This problem is controversial and needs more study.

Description: Properties of the planetary surface and subsurface can affect the morphology of impact craters. A mechanism was proposed to explain pedestal craters and domed floors within fresh craters on Ganymede. Voyager 1 and 2 images with resolutions = to or 3.2 km/lp were examined and 523 fresh craters were identified. For each crater, the rim and ejecta diameters were measured, and the crater was characterized by ejecta class(es), interior features, floor morphology and target terrain. Of the craters examined, 97 show moderate to prominent doming of the crater floor; 340 craters have continuous ejecta which terminates in a scarp pedestal craters, of which 86 (25%) have a high albedo diffuse deposit beyond the pedestal.

Description: A systematic survey of the entire Mariner 10 coverage of Mercury was performed to determine the number, distribution and dimensions of additional ancient basins on the planet. Ancient multi-ringed basins on Mercury can be recognized by the following criteria: (1) arcs of massif chains and isolated massifs that protrude through younger units, (2) arcuate segments of lobate ridges (rupes) that align with massifs in circular patterns, (3) arcuate scarps that are aligned with ridges and massif, and (4) isolated regions of anomalously high topography within the intercrater regions of heavily cratered terrain. All of the newly identified basins predate the mercurian intercrater plains, previously held to be the oldest geologic unit on the planet. Subsequent structural evolution of various regions was influenced by the presence of these basins. Smooth plains units appear to be more extensive than mapped by Mariner 10 and more than 90 percent of them appear to be basin contained or basin related. The concentration of extensive smooth plains material within and associated with basin structural and depositional environments suggests a volcanic origin for most of this unit, analogous to the lunar maria. Basins appear to provide the basic structural pattern of early terrestrial planetary crusts.

Description: An improved version of the Pionner-Venus orbital data was used for a statistical analysis of global radar roughness and (alpha(0)) (rho) reflectivity. Classification maps of the venusian surface are produced in a supervised manner on the basis of statistical and empirical studies of the individual data sets. The primary objective is to assess the degree of homogeneity of surface radar properties within topographic provinces in order to map possible geologic boundaries. Maps were produced by correlating two data sets at a time. Classification of specific regions, such as Ishtar, has demonstrated that distinct geological units can be identified.

Description: Interest on Venus has centered on three regions; (1) Aphrodite Terra, especially east of the main uplant portion, (2) Ishtar Terra, especially Lakshmi Planum and its bounding scarp and massifs, and (3) Beta Regio-Phoebe Regio. The last region is topographically similar to the East African rift system, and has been inferred to have a similar tectonic origin. The Aphrodite region is part of a 21,000 km long tectonic zone that seems best explained as due to extension, and that may represent hot spots clustered along an incipient divergent plate boundary. The most interesting and complex portion of this tectonic zone is that part of eastern Aphrodite between Thetis Regio and Atla Regio. In contrast, the Lakshmi Planum region has many topographic characteristics suggesting that it is a true continent, and thus indicative of convergence and a thick crust. Detailed topographic contour maps of eastern Aphrodite Terra and of Lakshmi Planum are included.

Description: The results of analyses of near infrared reflectance spectra are inconsistent with numerous previous interpretations of the Reiner Gamma Formation. These include: (1) nue ardente or volcanic ash deposits, (2) volcanically derived sublimates, (3) high albedo volcanic deposits, and (4) highlands debris emplaced as impact ejecta. These results, strongly suggest that the selective preservation of high albedo features (formed by secondaries) by a local magnetic field enhancement is not a viable hypothesis. The results are generally consistent with, but place constraints on, the cometary impact hypothesis of Schultz and co-workers. While the presence of a magnetized component was not detected in either the bright or dark portions of the Reiner Gamma Formation, this material may be present in amounts under the current detection limits.

Description: On the basis of the icy conglomerate model of cometary nuclei, various observations demonstrate the spotted nature of many or most nuclei, i.e., regions of unusual activity, either high or low. Rotation periods, spin axes and even precession of the axes are determined. The observational evidence for variations in activity over the surfaces of cometary nuclei are listed and discussed. On June 11 the comet IRAS-ARAKI-ALCOCK approached the Earth to a distance of 0.031 AU, the nearest since C/Lexell, 1770 I, providing a unique opportunity for near-nucleus observations. Preliminary analysis of these images establishes the spin axis of the nucleus, with an oblioquity to the orbit plane of approximately 50 deg, and a lag angle of sublimation approximately 35 deg from the solar meridian on the nucleus. Asymmetries of the inner coma suggests a crazy-quilt distribution of ices with differing volatility over the surface of the nucleus. The observations of Comet P/Homes 1892 III, exhibiting two 8-10 magnitude bursts, are carefully analyzed. The grazing encounter produced, besides the first great burst, an active area on the nucleus, which was rotating retrograde with a period of 16.3hr and inclination nearly 180 deg. After the first burst the total magnitude fell less than two magnitudes from November 7 to November 30 (barely naked eye) while the nuclear region remained diffuse or complex, rarely if ever showing a stellar appearance. The fading was much more rapid after the second burst. The grazing encounter distributed a volume of large chunks in the neighborhood of the nucleus, maintaining activity for weeks.

Description: Dione is one of the most geologically complex of the Saturnian satellites. Crater counts and surface morphology indicates the geologic units observed are of variable age and origin. In an attempt to understand the processes which have affected Dione, a geologic map was prepared. Several geologic units were identified; ancient heavily cratered terrain, two plains units: cratered plains and lightly cratered plains, lobate deposits, crater rim deposits and bright wispy materials.

Description: For large parts of the surfaces of the Galilean satellites there is no stereoscopic high resolution imagery, and so for shadow-free regions far from the terminator, the only method of obtaining topograpic information is photoclinometry, the technique of converting brightness variations into local surface tilts and hence into topographic profiles and contour maps. The conversion from brightness changes to slopes require knowledge of the angular photometric function for the type of planetary surface terrain being analyzed, i.e., the relationship describing the brightness of the surface as a function of the angles of incidence (I) and emergence (E) of light at a surface element. In order to investigate the effects of these changes on the shapes of topographic profiles deduced from the functions, an area of grooved terrain (lines 500-505, samples 550-650 on frame 20640.27 0060J2) using wide ranges of values of all the adjustable parameters in Hapke's new photometric function were analyzed.

Description: Exploratory work on the structure of the Ionian lithosphere is reported. The approach is to examine temperature profiles within the lithosphere that result from different distributions of sulfur and silicates and different conductive heat fluxes, then compare such profiles with observations in the expectation that only a limited set of the profiles are possible. In this preliminary work some rather simplistic assumptions were taken and the report should be viewed more as a demonstration of a method rather than a presentation of results.

Description: Spectroscopic and spectrophotometric data on the atmospheres of comets, the outer planets, and Titan at ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths were acquired. These data support an effort aimed at characterizing the physical properties and distribution of aerosol particles in the atmospheres of these bodies. New spectrophotometry was acquired of Uranus at 0.2 lambda 0.3 micrometer with IUE; archival IUE spectrophotometry of Uranus and Neptune in this wavelength range was acquired and recalibrated. New estimates of radiometric Bond albedos and global energy budges of Uranus, Neptune and Titan were published.

Description: Infrared observations were made of the outer planet satellites. These data provide vital information about the thermophysical properties of satellite surfaces, including internal heat sources for Io. Observations include both broad and narrow band measurements in the 2 to 20 micrometer spectral range. Types of observation and target priority were determined to make maximum use of existing data from Voyager and other missions, on-going and planned missions such as Galileo, were supported and techniques and data for planning new missions and instrumentation were developed.

Description: The new NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) 34-m-diameter azimuth-elevation (Az-El) antenna structure is an example of an essentially computer-automated design. In addition to pivotal comptuer Lagrange multiplier design optimization software, much of the associated pre- and post-processing was also performed by computer. The construction of one of these antennas at Goldstone, California, is well advanced and will be completed this summer. A second installation is in progress in Australia. Both atennas will be used primarily for spacecraft tracking and will operate in the 8.5-GHz, 3.5-cm (1.4-in.) wavelength microwave frequency.

Description: The general system configuration for the Mark 4A Deep Space Network is described. The arrangement and complement of antennas at the communications complexes and subsystem equipment at the signal processing centers are described. A description of the Network Operations Control Center is also presented.

Description: Previous work in the area of choosing channel quantization levels for a additive white Gaussian noise channel composed of one receiver-demodulator is reviewed, and how this applies to the Deep Space Network composed of several receiver-demodulators (space diversity reception) is shown. Viterbi decoding for the resulting quantized channel is discussed.

Description: As part of the Network Consolidation Program, the 26-meter Tracking and Communication Subnet was transferred to JPL. Along with this transfer JPL assumed responsibility for tracking and navigation support for Earth orbiter missions normally tracked by the 26-meter sites. The High Earth Orbiter (HEO) Multimission Navigation Facility was formed as a component of the Deep Space Network (DSN) Tracking System for the purpose of supporting Earth orbiter missions and certain classes of deep space missions. This facility has been implemented on a dedicated VAX 11/780 minicomputer within the Network Operations Control Center (NOCC). The primary function of the system is to process radio metric data and estimate the orbit of a spacecraft in near-Earth or deep space environment. The system is capable of processing radio metric data in near-real time and providing the quick turnaround required for Earth orbiter operations. It is also capable of generating precision spacecraft ephemeris for use by the NOCC Support Subsystem and external agencies. This article discusses the implementation and functional operation of the Multimission Navigation Subsystem and describes the support that has been provided for an array of missions.

Description: Results of station frequency stability testing performed at DSS 13 (Deep Space Station) during May 1985 through March 1986 are presented. The testing was done on X-band uplink and X- and S-band downlink subsystems as well as on end-to-end systems. The subsystem test data are useful for assessing the frequency stability of various prototype X-band uplink or downlink subsystems for purposes of making design improvements. Information derived from extensive testing at DSS 13 will be useful in the preparation of an X-band Uplink Demonstration Experiment to be conducted at DSS 13, and will also be valuable in the preparations of gravity wave experiments to be conducted at other DSN stations in the future.

Description: Two innovative thermodynamic power cycles are analytically examined for future engineering feasibility. The power cycles use a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell for electrical energy production and use the thermal dissociation of water for regeneration of the hydrogen and oxygen. The TDS (thermal dissociation system) uses a thermal energy input at over 2000 K to thermally dissociate the water. The other cycle, the HTE (high temperature electrolyzer) system, dissociates the water using an electrolyzer operating at high temperature (1300 K) which receives its electrical energy from the fuel cell. The primary advantages of these cycles is that they are basically a no moving parts system, thus having the potential for long life and high reliability, and they have the potential for high thermal efficiency. Both cycles are shown to be classical heat engines with ideal efficiency close to Carnot cycle efficiency. The feasibility of constructing actual cycles is investigated by examining process irreversibilities and device efficiencies for the two types of cycles. The results show that while the processes and devices of the 2000 K TDS exceed current technology limits, the high temperature electrolyzer system appears to be a state-of-the-art technology development. The requirements for very high electrolyzer and fuel cell efficiencies are seen as determining the feasbility of the HTE system, and these high efficiency devices are currently being developed. It is concluded that a proof-of-concept HTE system experiment can and should be conducted.

Description: This report discusses and documents the design, development, and verification of a microcomputer-based solar cell math model for simulating the Space Station's solar array Initial Operational Capability (IOC) reference configuration. The array model is developed utilizing a linear solar cell dc math model requiring only five input parameters: short circuit current, open circuit voltage, maximum power voltage, maximum power current, and orbit inclination. The accuracy of this model is investigated using actual solar array on orbit electrical data derived from the Solar Array Flight Experiment/Dynamic Augmentation Experiment (SAFE/DAE), conducted during the STS-41D mission. This simulator provides real-time simulated performance data during the steady state portion of the Space Station orbit (i.e., array fully exposed to sunlight). Eclipse to sunlight transients and shadowing effects are not included in the analysis, but are discussed briefly. Integrating the Solar Array Simulator (SAS) into the Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) subsystem is also discussed.

Description: As part of the Deep Space Network (DSN) Mark IVA implementation program, the DSN frequency and timing system is currently undergoing changes. With the implementation of signal processing centers (SPC) at each deep space communications complex (DSCC), major changes to the frequency and timing distribution equipment were necessary. A functional description of the Mark IVA frequency and timing system (FTS) as it exists today and planned capabilities through 1988 is given.

Description: The velocity of the particles is required to identify the type of particles producing the ionization trails. A method of approximating the velocity of a meteor from radar data was developed. The method requires the time between the spacings of the Fresnel interference fringes, the range to the ionization trail, and the wavelength of the radar system. The orbital mechanics of the problem are evaluated, if the particles originate with the shuttle, the orbital mechanics will substantiate the relative position of the particles with the position of the shuttle. A program to determine spacecraft orbital decay due to perturbations is utilized for a preliminary evaluation of the orbital mechanics of the problem. Many assumptions concerning the size, shape, density, etc. of the particles are necessary for the preliminary evaluation. The results do not negate the possibility that the events observed by the radar are reentering particles originating from the shuttle.

Description: Improvements to the design of the Mariner spacecraft resulted in the Viking spacecraft. The Viking spacecraft would consist of two major systems - an orbiter and a lander, while the lander would provide the means for safely delivering the scientific instruments to the surface, house, and provide the necessary power source and communication links for those experiments, the orbiter would transport the lander to Mars, rovide a platform for the Viking imaging system so that proposed landing sites could be surveyed and certified, relay lander science information back to Earth, and conduct scientific observations in its own right.

Description: The physical characteristics of speech, the methods of speech masking measurement, and the effects of noise on speech communication are investigated. Topics include the speech signal and intelligibility, the effects of noise on intelligibility, the articulation index, and various devices for evaluating speech systems.

Description: The design and operations of a low cost, high rate thermal cycling facility designed for LEO conditions is described. Thermal cycling facilities were constructed with various design criteria. Some were designed to duplicate as closely as possible the conditions a cell or module would encounter while in orbit about the Earth. A typical facility to perform this type of cycling was a large vacuum system with liquid nitrogen cooled walls. The cells were heated by an AMO spectrum solar simulator, then a shutter was closed allowing the cells to give up their heat to the cold walls. This system was good at duplicating the orbital conditions but was slow and very costly to operate. Other systems used a gas atmosphere and heated the cells with radiant heat and cooled the cells by moving them into close proximity to a cold plate. The systems greatly increased the cycle times. Other systems moved the heating and cooling atmosphere into and out of the test areas and achieved reasonable cycle rates. All these systems, however, are expensive to operate.

Description: The development of the GaAs solar cells for space applications is described. The activities in the fabrication of GaAs solar panels are outlined. Panels were fabricated while introducing improved quality control, soldering laydown and testing procedures. These panels include LIPS II, San Marco Satellite, and a low concentration panel for Rockwells' evaluation. The panels and their present status are discussed.

Description: The solar array for the San Marco D/L spacecraft is described and the performance of 4 GaAs solar cell panels are examined. In comparison to the typical Si solar cell panel for San Marco D/L, it is shown that each GaAs solar cell panel provides at least 23 percent more specific power at maximum output and 28 deg C. Also described here, are several measurements that will be made to evaluate the relative performance of Si and GaAs solar cell panels during the San Marco D/L flight.

Description: The results of heteroepitaxial growth of GaAs and GaAlAs directly on Si are presented, and applications to new cell structures are suggested. The novel feature is the elimination of a Ge lattice transition region. This feature not only reduces the cost of substrate preparation, but also makes possible the fabrication of high efficiency monolithic cascade structures. All films to be discussed were grown by organometallic chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure. This process yielded reproducible, large-area films of GaAs, grown directly on Si, that are tightly adherent and smooth, and are characterized by a defect density of 5 x 10(6) power/sq cm. Preliminary studies indicate that GaAlAs can also be grown in this way. A number of promising applications are suggested. Certainly these substrates are ideal for low-weight GaAs space solar ells. For very high efficiency, the absence of Ge makes the technology attractive for GaAlAs/Si monolithic cascades, in which the Si substrates would first be provided with a suitable p/n junction. An evaluation of a three bandgap cascade consisting of appropriately designed GaAlAs/GaAs/Si layers is also presented.

Description: Deep level transient spectroscopy reveals that the main electron traps for one-MeV electron irradiated GaAs cells are E9c)-0.31, E(c)-0.90 eV, and the main hole trap is due to the level. Electron trap density was found to vary from 3/tens-trillion ccm for 2/one quadrillion cm 3/3.7 quadrillion cm for 21 sextillion cm electron fluence for electron fluence; a similar result was also obtained for the hole trap density. As for the grown-in defects in the Al(x)Ga(1-x)As p-n junciton cells, only two electron traps with energies of E(c)-0.20 and E(c)-0.34 eV were observed in samples with x = 0.17, and none was found for x 0.05. Auger analysis on the Al(x)Ga(1-x) As window layer of the GaAs solar cell showed a large amount of oxygen and carbon contaminants near the surface of the AlGaAs epilayer. Thermal annealing experiment performed at 250 C for up to 100 min. showed a reduction in the density of both electron traps.

Description: A short circuit current (I sub sc) degradation model for gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells irradiated by protons from low energy to 100 MeV was developed. This model was found to be satisfactory in predicting the I sub sc degradation of GaAs cells, but not that of silicon (Si) cells. A modification to the aforementioned model that preserves the optical wavelength dependency in the photogeneration of minority carrier pairs was described herein. Spectral Si and GaAs response and I sub sc for the Si and GaAs solar cells were discussed, and also were presented in graph form. The overall predictability of the modified model was deemed to be satisfactory.

Description: Manufacturing technology for mass producing high efficiency GaAs solar cells is discussed. A progress using a high throughput MO-CVD reactor to produce high efficiency GaAs solar cells is discussed. Thickness and doping concentration uniformity of metal oxide chemical vapor deposition (MO-CVD) GaAs and AlGaAs layer growth are discussed. In addition, new tooling designs are given which increase the throughput of solar cell processing. To date, 2cm x 2cm AlGaAs/GaAs solar cells with efficiency up to 16.5% were produced. In order to meet throughput goals for mass producing GaAs solar cells, a large MO-CVD system (Cambridge Instrument Model MR-200) with a susceptor which was initially capable of processing 20 wafers (up to 75 mm diameter) during a single growth run was installed. In the MR-200, the sequencing of the gases and the heating power are controlled by a microprocessor-based programmable control console. Hence, operator errors can be reduced, leading to a more reproducible production sequence.

Description: Various coatings developed in the FRG (i.e., second-surface mirrors with interference filters with and without conductive layers, conductive layers on solar-cell covers, and selective absorber coatings) have been qualified by accelerated tests under simulated space environment conditions. Experiments with coatings and solar cells have shown, however, that the thermo-optical behavior can differ considerably when performed on the ground and in space because of the great difficulty in simulating the space environment realistically. The objective of this experiment is to qualify these coatings under realistic space environment conditions. In addition, the experiment will provide design criteria, techniques, and test methods to insure control of the combined space and spacecraft environment effects, such as contamination, electrical conductance, and optical degradation, on the coatings. Data to be measured include the temperature of the samples, the electrical resistance of the conductive layers of the samples, the short circuit current of the solar-cell modules, and the deposition of contaminants on the samples (using quartz crystal microbalances (QCM's)).

Description: The objective of this experiment is to evaluate the synergistic effects of the space environment on various solar-array materials, including solar cells, cover slips with various antireflectance coatings, adhesive, encapsulants, reflector materials, substrate strength materials, mast and harness materials, structural composites, and thermal control treatments. The experiment is passive and consists of an arrangement of material specimens mounted in a 3-in.-deep peripheral tray. The effects of the space environment on the specimens will be determined by comparison of preflight and postflight measurements of mechanical, electrical, and optical properties.

Description: A model that explains the flat-spot power loss phenomenon is presented. Evidence suggests that the effect is due to localized metallurgical interactions between the silicon substrate and the contact metallization. These reactions are shown to result in localized regions in which the P-N junction is destroyed and replaced with a metal semiconductor-like interface. The effects of thermal treatment, crystallographic orientation, junction depth, and metallization are shown along with a method of preventing the effect through the suppression of vacancy formation at the free surface of the contact metallization. Data indicating the effectiveness of a TiN diffusion barrier in preventing the effect are also given.

Description: During the planning stages of the NUSAT satellite, an obvious issue to be discussed was the method of communications to be used. The frequencies would have to be high enough to pass through the atmosphere relatively unattenuated but low enough that antennas and transmission lines would not be so critical in length and properties that unexperienced students would have difficulty with handling them. The frequencies of 450.000 MHz and 137.900 MHz were decided upon and applied for licensing. Representatives of the amateur radio satellite organization, AMSAT, were contacted for ideas. This organization seems to favor AM types of emissions such as CW to control their OSCAR series of satellites and also the current Phase 3 unit. NUSAT personnel felt, however, that there would be merit in the improved signal to noise ratio usually obtained in an FM mode. Doppler shift of the transmitted information on the NUSAT also had to be considered. The final decision was to use Audio Frequency Shift Keying (ASKF) modulated on an FM carrier. In this mode audio tones used would not shift frequency with Doppler.

Description: The Tharsis ridge system appears to form a great circle around the major volcanoes. The roughly circumferential orientation of these ridges could be interpreted as the formation of a ridge system in response to a single stress field with a center near Pavonis Mons. Wise, et al. (1979) plotted the perpendiculars to strikes of ridges on the eastern flanks of Tharsis as great circles on the upper hemisphere of an equal area net. In order to further test for circular symmetry and possible other influences on ridge orientations, normals to vector means of ridge orientations were calculated using over 1850 digitized ridge segments sampled in 10 degree boxes. Orientations of individual ridge segments were weighted by their lengths, and the magnitudes of normals to vectors means were weighted by cummulative length of the ridge segments. Normals to vector means with magnitudes less than 100 km are not shown. Assuming a single fold origin for ridges, the resulting plot shows compressive stress trajectories for the ridges in the Tharsis region. The averaged compressive stress orientation around Tharsis confirm the suggestion by Wise, et al. that the ridge system is not concentric to any single point.

Description: In this paper the tectonic features of the Elysium region are identified and characterized. Identification of features was made using USGS controlled photomosaics (Elysium quadrangle, and portions of Amenthes and Cebrenia quadrangles); Viking Orbiter photographic data were used in individual cases to assist in identification. The positions and orientations of tectonic features can then be used, in conjunction with estimates of the mass of the volcanic load obtained from gravity modelling, to constrain the thickness of the elastic lithosphere in the region.

Description: Several 3.8 cm radar frames were calibrated empirically by histogram fitting, because no instrument background data is available. Then data were corrected for geometric distortion by: (1) redetermining position of individual frames using most accurate recent lunar ephemerides; (2) reprojecting frames into simple cylindrical map projection; (3) using most recent catalog of lunar craters to determine the exact positions of features identifiable on radar frames; and (4) correcting for apparent distortion (misplacement of features in frames) by resampling using a different bilinear interpolation derived for each of the parallelopideds of the set defined for each frame. A hardcopy set of corrected frames was produced. Attempts to produce a mosaic of such corrected frames continue. The resulting mosaic can be used to show the systematic relationship between photographic thermal IR and radar data at different wavelengths in a region dominated by both mare and highland terrain.

Description: Studies of the stratigraphy of southwest Coprates have led to further constraints on both the geographic extent and the relative age of the major compressional ridge forming events in the Tharsis region of Mars. Southwestern Coprates is characterized by curvilinear ridges that are regularly spaced, suggestive of harmonic folding. The western edge of the ridged plains unit of Coprates is marked by volcanic flow fronts. In an enhanced Viking-Orbiter image, a ridge can be seen completely surrounded by a flow with only a small portion of the ridge crest still exposed. Comparison of partially buried ridges on the western edge of the ridged plains to those in central Coprates suggests that flooding of the inter-ridge plains does not exceed a few hundred meters. The morphological relationship between the flow units to the west and the ridged plains indicates that the deformational events in this region predates the emplacement of the younger units.

Description: Layered deposits within Valles Marineris and its associated system of canyons have been considered to consist of two different rock types: (1) thick, competent, cliff-forming, light and dark bedded material in canyon walls, and (2) relatively thin, alternating series of light and dark layered material, both horizontal and inclined, that form rounded hills and large flat-topped mesas rising above the canyon floors. The dissimilarity in appearance between canyon wall and floor materials, as well as their contrasting patterns of erosion, have been considered strong evidence that their modes of origin were different.

Description: The scarps along the margins of the Vales Marineris display a complex assemblage of forms that have been related to a variety of mass wasting and sapping processes. These scarp segments display variations in the degree of development of spur and gully topography, the number and density of apparent sapping features and the frequency of large scale landslides which reflect the age, geology and processes of slope development throughout the Valles Marineris. This regional analysis should provide more information on the geologic evolution of the Valles Marineris as well as new insight into the relative importance of different processes in the development of the scarp forms. In order to evaluate the regional variation in scarp form and the influence of time and structure on scarp development geomorphic mapping and morphometric analysis of geologically distinct regions of Valles Marineris is being undertaken.

Description: Parallel studies of Martian geomorphic features and their analogs on Earth continue to be fruitful in deciphering the geologic history of Mars. In the context of rock weathering, the Earth-analog approach is admirably served by the study of meteorites recovered from ice sheets in Antarctica. The weathering environment of Victoria Land possesses several Mars-like attributes. Four of the five Antarctic meteorites being studied contain rust and EETA79005 further possesses a conspicuous, dark, weathering rind on one side. Secondary minerals (rust and salts) occur both on the surfaces and interiors of some of the samples and textural evidence indicates that such secondary mineralization contributed to physical weathering (by salt riving) of the rocks. Several different rust morphologies occur and emphasis is being placed on identifying the phase compositions of the various rust occurrances. A thorough understanding of terrestrial weathering features of the meteorites is a prerequisite for identifying possible Martian weathering features (if such features exist) that might be postulated to occur in some meteorites.

Description: Photometric studies of crater related bright and dark streaks have strongly supported the hypothesis that the bright streaks are excess dust deposits and dark streaks are erosional windows in a partial dust cover. Red-blue (and red-violet) plots show that bright streaks are consistent with mosaics of bright red dust and background material. Here the plains are also consistent with a partial dust cover; the dark streak is the least covered area. Bright and dark streaks both reverse contrast relative to surrounding plains at phase angles over 100 deg in violet filter images. The similar phase behavior of both bright and dark streaks supports the idea that they are both changes in the amount of dust cover. Red-violet plots of bright streaks are most easily explained by mosaics of optically thick dust and plains material. Lengths of bright streaks are independent of their contrasts. This suggests the streak deposition, if in the mosaic patterns indicated above, is a function of available sites of deposition, rather than atmospheric dust loading. Contrasts of dark streaks with plains indicate the plains have fractional dust covers nealy as great as the maximum additional cover in bright streaks. The bright streaks thus store little of the global supply of dust.

Description: Viking Lander 1 observations on Mars were punctuated by a strong local dust storm after two martian years of mild wind conditions. Tens of micrometers of dust settled to the surface during global dust storms of the first two falls and winters; some of this dust was locally removed during the second year. A late winter local dust storm of the first year caused little or no erosion of the surface materials despite wind speeds of 25 to 30 m/s. The strong local dust storm occurred during late winter of the third martian year. Winds of this storm altered and demolished small conical piles of surface materials constructed at the onset the first winter, removed 4 to 5 mm size fragments, displaced centimeter size fragments, destroyed clouds in areas disrupted by the sampler and footpad, eroded impact pits, and darkened the sky. Movement of erosional products and tiny wind tails indicate easterly to northeasterly winds. If the 4 to 5 mm size fragments were entrained and removd by the wind, threshold friction speeds near 3 to 5 m/s would have been required for the atmospheric temperatures and pressures that prevailed during the late winter of the third year.

Description: There are classes of landforms whose presence on Mars is strongly suggestive, if not confirmatory, of the participation of volatiles, presumably water, in its geomorphic development: (1) valley networks, (2) outflow channels, (3) landslides, and (4) flow-ejecta blankets. The first two may represent landforms generated by the movement of volatiles from sources, while the latter two probably represent the dissipation of energy generated by forcing inputs (e.g., kinetic energy and gravity) modulated by volatiles. In many areas on Mars, all four processes have acted on the same lithologic materials and were influenced by the composition of those units, and possibility by the climatic regime at the time of their formation. One of the approaches discussed to this specific problem of landform genesis, and to the general problem of the present and past states of martian volatiles, is to attempt to constrain the distribution, amount, and history of available volatiles by using possible evidence of volatile participation expressed in the morphology of other related landforms (e.g., flow-ejecta blankets and landslides) coupled with physical models for landform genesis.

Description: Most cratering experiments are designed to study the effects of a single hypervelocity impact into a target of uniform properties. Experiments involving multiple impacts are usually limited to low velocity projectiles and unconsolidated target materials. Gault described saturation cratering in an unconsolidated target. Quaide and Oberbeck studied crater forms produced by hypervelocity impact into layered targets. Several investigators have modeled the generation of either a regolith or megaregolith by repeated impact on planetary surfaces. Studies now in progress examine changes in crater morphology and target properties by repeated impact into an initially consolidated target. Current studies employ low velocity projectiles (2 g at 0.5 km/sec) and consolidated salt targets. Records of crater size, morphology, and accumulated ejecta thickness are maintained as impacts collect on the surface.

Description: The crater size/frequency distributions of large ( 8 km) craters on the Moon and terrestrial planets display two very different curves representing two crater populations. The heavily cratered regions of the Moon, Mercury, and Mars show the same highly structured curve which cannot be represented by a single slope distribution function. In contrast, the lunar post mare crater population has a size/frequency distribution which differs significantly from that in the highlands over the same diameter range, and can be represented by a single-slope distribution function of -2.8 differential. On areas of martian lightly cratered northern plains, the crater population is essentially identical to that of the post mare population. This indicates that the same two families of impacting objects were responsible for the cratering records on both Moon and Mars. The thickness of mantling material varies among the various plains units, and can be calculated from the depth/diameter scaling relations for martian craters.

Description: A generalized model for short period comets is developed which integrates in a fairly rigorous manner the isolation history of regions on rotating comets with specified axial orientation and the complex feedback processes involving heat, gas and dust transport, dust mantle development and coma opacity. Attention is focused on development, reconfiguration and partial or complete launching of dust mantles and the reciprocal effects of these three processes on ice surface temperature and gas and dust production. The dust mantle controls the H2O flux not only by its effect on the temperature at the ice interface but (dominantly) by its dynamic stability which strongly influences vapor diffusivity. The model includes the effects of latitude, rotation and spin axis orientation are included and applied to an initially homogeneous sphere of H2O ice and silicate using the orbital parameters of comet Encke. Numerous variations of the model, using combinations of grain size distribution, dust-to-ice ratio, latitude and spin axis orientation, are presented and discussed. Resulted for a similar nonrotating, constant Sun orientation models are also included.

Description: Imaging data from the Voyager 1 and 2 encounters with the Jupiter system provide a data set for the examination of short time-scale variations of surface features on Io. Clear evidence exists for variations near the known eruption sites and for other areas which appeared to have erupted between the encounters. Regions outside the known active eruption sites were examined in order to look for variations in the surface scattering properties which is due to undetected small-scale volcanic activity. The phase functions of many areas are intercompared in order to look for regions with phase functions outside the normal range for satellite surface properties. Areas with unusual scattering properties are related to small-scale eruptions of gas or particles. Determination of the distribution of these areas has strong implications for the resurfacing rates for Io.

Description: A fundamental limitation in the quantitative analysis of planetary geomorphology and structural geology results from the absense of topographic data. Among the studies that might be addressed, were such data available, are volumetric and slope relationships of Ionian volcanics, fracture and annealing processes in icy crusts on Europa and Ganymede, and evaluation of viscous relaxation as a means of degrading landforms on Europea, Ganymede, and Callisto. A technique for acquiring topographic data on the Galilean satellites using photoclinometry was developed and applied.

Description: The Laplacian resonance amongst Io, Europa, and Ganymede was examined, taking into account tidal dissipation in Jupiter, Io and Europa. In equilibrium, it is not possible to neglect dissipation in Europa nor the torques of Jupiter on Europa and Ganymede. A formal calculation was made on the assumption that the tidal torques and the torques in orbit-orbit resonance reached an equilibrium such that the rates of decrease of the mean motions of the satellites are in the ratios 4:2:1. Q(j)/k(j)=167 Q(1)/k(1), Q(2)/k(2) = 0.44 Q(1)/K(1), where Q denotes the quality at the body's frequency of rotation, k its second degree Love number and the subscripts J, 1 and 2 denote Jupiter, Io, and Europa. The Q(J) found is at Jupiter's frequency of rotation. The rate of tidal dissipation in Europa comes to 1/5 that of Io. Such a low value of Q(2)/K(2) is plausible if dissipation in both Io and Europa is due to tidal friction in fluid against underlying and overlying solid layers.

Description: Color versions of the highest resolution Voyager images of Io were produced by combining the low resolution color images with the high resolution, clear filter images. High resolution versions of the orange, blue, and violet filter images are produced by: orange = high-res clear * low-res orange / low-res clear blue = high-res clear * low-res blue / low-res clear violet = high-res clear * low-res violet / low-res clear. The spectral responses of the high and low resolution clear filter images cancel, leaving the color, while the spatial frequencies of the two low resolution images cancel, leaving the high resolution.

Description: Interim results of thermal and structural modeling of volcanism on Io were presented. The final results of the modeling are summarized. The basic analysis is an evaluation of the magma trigger mechanism for initiating and maintaining eruptions. Secondary aspects include models of the mechanical mode of magma emplacement, interactions with a sulphur-rich upper crust, and more speculative implications for Io's volcanism.

Description: As was the case for Jupiter, Saturn formed either as a result of a gas instability within the solar nebula or the accretion of a solid core that induced an instability within the surrounding solar nebula. In either case, the proto-planet's history is divided into three major stages: early, quasi-hydrostatic evolution (stage 1); hydrodynamical collapse (stage 2); and late, quasi-hydrostatic contraction (stage 3). During stage 1, Saturn had a radius of several hundred times that of its present radius, R(s), while stage 3 began when Saturn had a radius of 3.5 R(s). Stages 1 and 2 lasted 10(6) to 10(7) years and 1 year, respectively, while stage 3 is continuing through the present epoch. During the early history of the Saturn system, giant impact events may have catastrophically disrupted most of the original satellites of Saturn. Such disruption, followed by reaccretion, may be responsible, in part for the occurrence of Trojans and co-orbital moons in the Saturn system, the apparent presence of a stochastic component in the trend of satellite density with radial distance, and the present population of ring particles.

Description: To establish confidence in its overall performance, credible information on the synthetic aperture radar antenna's mechanical properties in orbit must be obtained. However, the antenna's size, design, and operating environment make it difficult to simulate operating conditions under 1-g Earth conditions. The Space Technology Experiments Platform (STEP) offers a timely opportunity to mechanically qualify and characterize the antenna design in a representative environment. The proposed experimental configuration would employ a half-system of the full-scale RADARSAT antenna which would be mounted on the STEP platform in the orbiter cargo bay such that it could be deployed and retracted in orbit (as shown in this figure). The antenna would be subjected to typical environmental exposures while an array of targets and sensors on the antenna support structure and reflecting surface are observed and monitored. In particular, the typical environments would include deployment and retraction, dynamic response to vehicle thruster or base exciter inputs, and thermal soak and transient effects upon entering or exiting Earth eclipse. The proposed experiment would also provide generic information on the properties of large space structures in space and on techniques to obtain the desired information.

Description: Telescopic observations were made of gases and plasmas in the Jupiter system, and related phenomena such as the recently-discovered sodium atmosphere of Mercury. Sodium absorption in Io's atmosphere was observed to distances as large as 5 Io radii during the mutual-eclipse season of the Jovian satellites. Analysis of Jovian disk spectra has proceeded, as planned, from an emphasis on the H2 ortho-para ratio to analysis of methane absorptions and determination of cloud structure. Several 2-channel photometers were constructed in 1978 for the Uranus event at which the rings were discovered and a smaller, single-channel unit was built more recently. Although the photometers themselves are still fully usable, the data-acquisition systems have major deficiencies.

Description: It is proposed to measure the reflectance spectra of the icy satellites of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus in the spectral region 1.8 to 2.4 micrometers. These observations use the new Cooled Grating Array Spectrometer using a 32-element InSb photodiode array detector and produce spectra of higher resolution and precision than any data yet obtained; the ultimate scientific objective is to search for the signatures of methane clathrate, ammonium hydroxide or carbon monoxide clathrate (compounds predicted to exist on icy surfaces in the outer solar system by several theories of formation of these bodies) in the region of the spectrum where water ice has a relative maximum in reflectance. At the very least, these data will allow upper limits to be placed on the amount of these chemical species that can be present. The specific targets is Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, Ariel and Titania, bodies that have the highest probability of having some or all of these volatiles on their surface according to current formation models.

Description: Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) depends primarily on attainable frequency resolution rather than on large physical size of the antenna array. The distributed architecture concept (DSAR) incorporates active elements (amplifiers) at or near the elemental radiators of the array. Since SAR's are expensive to build and expensive to test, a computer modeling approach is a feasible method of predicting the quality or nature of the SAR image from the proposed system parameters. The goal of this project is to produce a DSAR simulation software package. This report describes the progress made thus far and the work which remains to be done. Extensive work on this project had been done previously by two NASA contractors. The principal task remaining involved the creation of a suitable interface between these programs and the hardware and software available at the Johnson Space Center.

Description: In order to understand the origin and distribution of the biogenic elements and their compounds in the solar system, it will be necessary to study material from many classes of objects. Chemical, elemental, and isotopic measurements of returned samples of comets, asteroids, and possibly extra-solar system dust clouds would provide information on a particularly important class: the primitive objects. Extraterrestrial micron-sized particles in the vicinity of earth are one source of such materials that might otherwise be inaccessible. The Space Station appears to be an eminently suitable platform from which to collect and detect these various particles. The primary challenge, however, is to collect intact, uncontaminated particles which will be encounted at tens of kilometers per seconds. A concept for a micrometeoroid detector that could be deployed at a Space Station has been developed which uses a large area detector plate implanted with acoustic transducers. When an impact event occurs, the resulting signal is subjected to spectral analysis providing positive detection, momentum information, and angle of incidence. The primary advantage of this detector is the large area which increases the probability of measuring events.

Description: The recent Voyager flyby of Titan produced evidence for at least nine organic compounds in that atmosphere that are heavier than methane. Several models of Titan's atmosphere, as well as laboratory simulations, suggest the presence of organics considerably more complex that those observed. To ensure that the in situ measurements are definitive with respect to Titan's atmosphere, experiment concepts, and the related instrumentation, must be carefully developed specifically for such a mission. To this end, the possible composition of the environment to be analyzed must be bracketed and model samples must be provided for instrumentation development studies. Laboratory studies to define the optimum flight experiment and sampling strategy for a Titan entry probe are currently being conducted. Titan mixtures are being subjected to a variety of energy sources including high voltage electron from a DC discharge, high current electric shock, and laser detonation. Gaseous and solid products are produced which are then analyzed. Samples from these experiements are also provided to candidate flight experiments as models for instrument development studies. Preliminary results show that existing theoretical models for chemistry in Titan's atmosphere cannot adequetely explain the presence and abundance of all trace gases observed in these experiments.

Description: Calibrated image data is required by most users of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data particularly those attempting to classify targets based upon their radar backscatter signature as a function of frequency polarization or incidence angle. In this experiment, the backscatter derived by calibrating the NASA/JPL CV-990 L-band SAR, and the backscatter reported from a pass of the NASA/JSC C-130 scatterometer as the two instruments flew over the same site at different times are compared.

Description: A brief overview is given of the hardware and software utilized to generate the CV-990 synthetic aperture radar's image products. The on-board hardware is described, then the operational processing software, and finally the image products that are routinely available.

Description: A method is described for producing improved mapping of radio sources from Very Long Base Interferometry (VLBI) data. The method described is more direct than existing Fourier methods, is often more accurate, and runs at least as fast. The visibility data is modeled here, as in existing methods, as a function of the unknown brightness distribution and the unknown antenna gains and phases. These unknowns are chosen so that the resulting function values are as near as possible to the observed values. If researchers use the radio mapping source deviation to measure the closeness of this fit to the observed values, they are led to the problem of minimizing a certain function of all the unknown parameters. This minimization problem cannot be solved directly, but it can be attacked by iterative methods which we show converge automatically to the minimum with no user intervention. The resulting brightness distribution will furnish the best fit to the data among all brightness distributions of given resolution.

Description: The internal response (electromagnetic fields and cable responses) of tactical shelters is addressed. Tactical shelters are usually well-shielded systems. Apart from penetrations by signal and power lines, the main leakage paths to the interior are via seams and the environment control unit (ECU) honeycomb filter. The time domain in three-dimensional finite-difference technique is employed to determine the external and internal coupling to a shelter excited by nuclear electromagnetic pulses (NEMP) and attached lightning. The responses of interest are the internal electromagnetic fields and the voltage, current, power, and energy coupled to internal cables. Leakage through the seams and ECU filter is accomplished by their transfer impedances which relate internal electric fields to external current densities. Transfer impedances which were experimentally measured are used in the analysis. The internal numerical results are favorably compared to actual shelter test data under simulated NEMP illumination.

Description: An approach to predict the susceptibility of digital systems to signal disturbances is described. Electrical disturbances on a digital system's input and output lines can be induced by activities and conditions including static electricity, lightning discharge, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and electromagnetic pulsation (EMP). The electrical signal disturbances employed for the susceptibility study were limited to nondestructive levels, i.e., the system does not sustain partial or total physical damage and reset and/or reload brings the system to an operational status. The front-end transition from the electrical disturbances to the equivalent digital signals was accomplished by computer-aided circuit analysis. The super-sceptre (system for circuit evaluation of transient radiation effects) programs was used. Gate models were developed according to manufacturers' performance specifications and parameters resulting from construction processes characteristic of the technology. Digital simulation at the gate and functional level was employed to determine the impact of the abnormal signals on system performance and to study the propagation characteristics of these signals through the system architecture. Example results are included for an Intel 8080 processor configuration.

Description: A numerical modeling technique is utilized to investigate the response of a UH-60A helicopter to both lightning and nuclear electromagnetic pulses (NEMP). The analytical approach involves the three-dimensional time domain finite-difference solutions of Maxwell's equations. Both the external currents and charges as well as the internal electromagnetic fields and cable responses are computed. Results of the analysis indicate that, in general, the short circuit current on internal cables is larger for lightning, whereas the open-circuit voltages are slightly higher for NEMP. The lightning response is highly dependent upon the rise time of the injected current as was expected. The analysis shows that a coupling levels to cables in a helicopter are 20 to 30 dB larger than those observed in fixed-wing aircraft.

Description: Advanced composite aircraft designs include fault-tolerant computer-based digital control systems with thigh reliability requirements for adverse as well as optimum operating environments. Since aircraft penetrate intense electromagnetic fields during thunderstorms, onboard computer systems maya be subjected to field-induced transient voltages and currents resulting in functional error modes which are collectively referred to as digital system upset. A methodology was developed for assessing the upset susceptibility of a computer system onboard an aircraft flying through a lightning environment. Upset error modes in a general-purpose microprocessor were studied via tests which involved the random input of analog transients which model lightning-induced signals onto interface lines of an 8080-based microcomputer from which upset error data were recorded. The application of Markov modeling to upset susceptibility estimation is discussed and a stochastic model development.

Description: The NASA large flexible solar array space shuttle flight experiment is described. The 32 x 4 m wing is deployed from the shuttle bay, and experiments in electrical output, multiple deployment, and structural dynamics are planned. Both 2 x 4 cm and 5.9 x 5.9 cm cell assemblies on the array blanket are evaluated. Safety/hazards provisions are described, including emergency jettison provisions. Ground testing and hardware fabrication are summarized.

Description: A development program to produce 5.9 x 5.9 cm space quality silicon solar cells with a cost goal of 30 $/W is described. Cell types investigated include wraparound dielectric, mechanical wraparound and conventional contact configurations with combinations of 2 or 10 ohm/cm resistivity, back surface reflectors and/or fields, and diffused or ion implanted junctions. A single step process to cut cell and cover glass simultaneously is being developed. Results for cell and array tests are given. Large solar arrays that might use cells of this type are discussed.

Description: Objectives and progress in both low concentration ratio (6 to 10) and high concentration ratio ( 100) array developments are summarized. Problems encountered include: thermal control, maldistribution of concentrated sunlight, current busing, and optical surface degradation. The potential advantages over planar arrays are an order of magnitude reduction in per unit cost of power plus increased immunity to radiation damage.

Description: Prediction methods and related propagation results for the evaluation of Earth-space communication paths operating above 10 GHz are presented. Gaseous attenuation, rain, cloud, fog, sand, and dust attenuation, path diversity, signal fluctuations and low angle fading, depolarization effects, bandwidth coherence, and sky noise are considered.

Description: The description and measurement of the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of rain and rain systems are discussed. The statistical relationships of these characteristics and their effect on polarization and attenuation are considered. Macroscopic characteristics include the size, distribution, and movements of rain cells, the height of melting layers, and the presence of ice crystals. Microscopic characteristics include the size distribution, density, and oblateness of rain drops and ice crystals. The estimation of a major propagation effect, specific attenuation, is described.

Description: A window environmental protection assembly developed for the shuttle infrared leeside temperature experiment is described. The assembly consists of a carbon phenolic composite window mount which contains two silicon windows, a fibrous environmental protection plug to protect the windows during launch operations and ascent heating, a release mechanism used to jettison the plug just prior to atmospheric entry, and two pin puller mechanisms which retain the plug. The plug is released from the window mount assemblies using pneumatic pin pullers and separation springs in the release mechanism. The assembly was designed and tested to withstand the severe mechanical and thermal environments which could be experienced at the top of the shuttle orbiter vertical stabilizer during the ascent, on-orbit, and entry periods of the shuttle trajectory.

Description: Raypaths for decametric wavelength radiation in Jupiter's magnetosphere were calculated. The model-dependent raypaths with the Voyager observations were compared. Characteristics of the source regions and the influence of propagation effects were deduced. A three dimensional ray tracing program was employed to calculate the raypaths. Families of rays were launched at particular angles with respect to the magnetic field lines to generate conical sheets of radiation for various frequencies and various source locations. As the planet's magnetic field rotates, these warped sheets of radiation sweep past the observer, producing signatures in frequency versus time plots. These signatures match some of those found in the Voyager data. The greatest propagation effects occur in and around the source regions in the Io auroral oval.

Description: Existing data bases accumulated as the result of experiments to gather propagation data on millimeter wave Earth-space links are described. The satellites used are described and results of the significant experiments conducted in the United States are summarized. The data bases consist primarily of cumulative attenuation statistics, though some depolarization measurements are included. Additional summaries of propagation data are cited.