NASA Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports

20040074316 Universities Space Research Association, Moffett field, CA, USA
SOFIA: Current Performance and Future Instrument Upgrades
Sandell, Goeran; Wolf, Juergen; Davidson, Jacqueline; New Concepts for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Space Astronomy;
April 2004, pp. 269-270; In English; See also 20040074260; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A01, Hardcopy
The joint U.S. and German SOFIA project to develop and operate a 2.5-meter infrared airborne telescope in a Boeing
747-SP is now well into development. First science flights will begin in late 2004. Once fully operational the observatory will
do 960 observing hours/year, with an expected lifetime of over 20 years. The advantages and drawbacks of an airborne
observatory relative to space missions are briefly discussed, and the sensitivity, characteristics and science instrument
complement are presented. SOFIA will take advantage of new technology development, which allows the observatory to
upgrade or replace instruments when new technology, for example more sensitive detectors or larger arrays become available.
Some examples of possible future instruments are discussed.
Author
Sofia (Airborne Observatory); Infrared Telescopes; Space Missions; Spacecraft Instruments
20040074320 California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, USA
Future Developments in Far-IR and Submm Space Observations
Blain, Andrew W.; New Concepts for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Space Astronomy; April 2004, pp. 86-89; In English;
See also 20040074260; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A01, Hardcopy
Recent observations have highlighted the importance of mid-and far-infrared surveys for studying galaxy evolution. A
crucial step forward will be provided by moving to resolve galaxies at these wavelengths, and providing resolution better than
10 arcsec in order to reduce the effects of source confusion.
Author
Far Infrared Radiation; Submillimeter Waves; Galactic Evolution; Spaceborne Astronomy
20040074333 Pittsburgh Univ., Pittsburgh, PA, USA
X-Ray Spectral Variations of X-Ray Nova XTE J1550-564 During the Rising Phase of the 1998 Outburst
Wu, Xuebing; Zhang, S. N.; Yao, Yangsen; Su, Xuejun; Cui, Wei; Chen, Wan; Stellar Astrophysics, Proceedings of the Pacific;
January 2000, pp. 267; In English; No Copyright; Avail: Other Sources
No abstract available
Black Holes (Astronomy); X Ray Spectra
90
ASTROPHYSICS
Includes cosmology; celestial mechanics; space plasmas; and interstellar and interplanetary gases and dust.
20040068124 NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, USA
The Magnetic Field in the Outer Heliosphere
Suess, S. T.; 2004; 1 pp.; In English; Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory Presentation, 29 Apr. 2004, Florence, Italy; No
Copyright; Avail: Other Sources; Abstract Only
One of the great achievements of Parker was the prediction that the solar magnetic field would be drawn into Archimedian
spirals as it is carried away from the Sun by the solar wind. This prediction has been amply confirmed by many in situ
measurements in the intervening four decades. But, Parker made his prediction for a solar wind that expands into infinite space
while we now know that the local interstellar medium (LISM) is far from empty and, in fact, confines the solar wind to a finite
volume, known as the heliosphere, that extends to approximately 100 AU in the upstream direction (the solar system is moving
through the LISM). Voyagers 1/2, presently at -80 AU, are approaching the upstream boundaries of the heliosphere and
returning data on the properties of the magnetic field. This is important for understanding how galactic cosmic rays (GCRs)
reach the Earth. Voyagers show that the IMF at 10-80 AU behaves much as Parker predicted - with two important exceptions.
This is not surprising since the field is essentially passively advected by the solar wind out to 80 AU. But, new models say
that nearer the heliosphere boundaries the field plays a major role in the solar wind-LISM interaction. However, of the many
physical ingredients that constitute the outer heliosphere, the magnetic field poses some of the most interesting and difficult
numerical modeling problems. Presently, only a few results have been published and much remains to be done. Here I will
summarize the expected and measured behavior of the magnetic field at 80 AU. Then I will describe modeling predictions
beyond 80 AU: magnetic "tornadoes", polarity envelopes, the Axford-Cranfill effect, inner and outer magnetic
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