THE UNIVERSIT Y OF MICHIGAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Department of Aeronautical Engineering Quarterly Report ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA AT HIGH ALTITUDES (August 1, 1958, to October 31, 1958) t,, F L o.Bartman V. C. Liu Approved: L. Mo Jones UMRI Project 2387 under contract with: DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PROJECT NOo 3-17-02-001 METEOROLOGICAL BRANCH, SIGNAL CORPS PROJECT NO. 1052A CONTRACT NO. DA-36-039-sc-64659 administered by: THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE ANN ARBOR February 1959

ABSTRACT DOVAP data reduction has been completed for SMl.08 and SMl.09 and preliminary data have been obtained for SML.07. The instrumentation for the Guam rocket-grenade program arrived at Guam and the tracking station setup and checkout was started. General investigations of the literature were started in regard to basic topics of interest for future research. Collaboration between Professor Chapman and V. C. Liu was initiated to treat the upper-atmosphere diffusive separation problem. ii

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PROJECT PERSONNEL (Both Part-Time and Full-Time) Allen, Harold F., PhoD., Research Engineer Barhydt, Peter W., Electronic Technician Bartman, Fredrick L., M.S., Research Engineer Billmeier, William G., Assistant in Research Davenport, Gerald G., Photographer Edman, Marshall Wo, Assistant in Research Gleason, Kermit L., Instrument Maker Harrison, Lillian M., Secretary Henry, Harold F., Electronic Technician Jew, Howard, M.A., Research Assistant Jones, Leslie M., B.S., Project Supervisor Kakli, G. Murtaza, B.S., Assistant in Research Kakli, M. Sulaiman, M.S., Assistant in Research Lay, Manchiu D. S., Assistant in Research Liu, Vi-Cheng, Ph.D., Research Engineer Loh, Leslie T., M.S., Research Associate McKenna, Keith J., Assistant in Research Millard, Wayne A., Assistant in Research Nelson, Wilbur C., M.S.E., Prof. of Aero. Eng. Nichols, Myron H., Ph.D., Profo of Aero. Eng. Pattinson, Theodore R., Electronic Technician Rock, Allan L., B.S.E., Research Assistant Samborski, Cassimere, Instrument Maker Schaefer, Edward J., M.S., Research Engineer Schumacher, Robert E., B.S., Assistant in Research Taylor, Robert No, Assistant in Research Thayer, Carl A., Assistant in Research Thornton, Charles H., Assistant in Research Titus, Paul A., B.S., Research Associate Wenk, Norman J., Research Engineer Wenzel, Elton A., Research Associate Whybra, Melvin G., MoAo, Technician Wilkie, Wallace J., MoSoE., Research Engineer Wurster, John R., Assistant in Research Zeeb, Marvin B., Research Technician iii

1. INTRODUCTION This is the fourteenth in a series of quarterly reports on Contract Noo DA-36-039-sc-64659. The purposes of the contract are: a. to adapt the rocket-grenade experiment for use in the Arctic during the International Geophysical Year; b. to participate in the preparation and firing of the IGY rocket-grenade experiments; c. to collect and analyze upper-air samples; and do to engage in the general investigation of problems relating to upperair research, 2. FORT CHURCHILL GRENADE EXPERIMENTS The Fort of the end of experiment is Churchill DOVAP data reduction was approximately 80% complete as this work period. The status of the work on each rocket-grenade summarized below. Preliminary Data Available Complete SM. o1 SMlo 02 SMl o04 sma. o8 Smlo 09 Spin Corrections Being Made SM2 06 SM1.05 SM2. 10 The recently completed data will not be tabulated in this report, as was our practice previously. Instead, the data will appear in a technical report describing all the details of the Fort Churchill data reduction. This report has been begun, 1

30 THE GUAM PROGRAM The constr:uction and test of the DOVAP and ballistic camera equipment for the Guam program were described completely in the previous report. The gear was shipped from Ann Arbor in July and arrived at Guam during the first week in October. University of Michigan personnel arrived at Guam on October 7. The first rocket was fired on November 3, The effort of the last three weeks of October was expended on setting up the tracking station and will be described, for the sake of continuity, in the next report which will include a description of the entire operation. During the period that the equipment was in transit, final arrangements were made with the Signal Corps for the combined operation. 4. GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS Several general investigations of the literature have been made in regard to possible future research. Topics investigated include: 1o Cross sections for ionization of gases by electrons. 2. The shielding of a photo-multiplier tube from solar X-ray, ultraviolet, and stray electron radiation. 3. The counting efficiency for random events of a counter with a given dead time. 4. Photo-electric current from a tungsten collector due to solar X-ray, ultra-violet, and stray electron radiation. 5. Photo-electron emission from a surface because of ion bombardment. 5. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH During the period, collaboration between Professor S. Chapman and V. C. Liu was initiated to treat the diffusive separation problem of the upper atmosphere. Based on the assumption of turbulent atmosphere, earlier researchers predicted that significant diffusive separation of the atmosphere is unlikely to persist in the region below 100 kmo This conclusion does not, however, agree with the experimental results of upper-air sampling analyses made both by the IGY research teams of the UoSoS.R, and of the U.S.Ao This disagreement could be the result of, among other things, experimental errors. On the other hand, 2

it is felt that the present theory of atmospheric diffusion also may not have been well-founded. For instance, the current concept concerning the status of turbulence of the upper atmosphere needs further clarification and re-evaluation in view of the new upper-wind data from recent grenade experiments. 60 LABORATORIES VISITED U.So Army Signal Research and Development Laboratories University of Moscow (for Fifth General Assembly of CcAGI) University College of London (to consult with British upper air researchers Municipal University of Amsterdam (for Ninth Annual Congress of the International Astronautical Federation) National Aeronautics and Space Agency 7. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We are indebted to the Meteorological Branch of the U.S. Army Signal Research and Development Laboratories for continued collaboration and support. 3

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