Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Lee, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Lee, M..

At least 73 records · Page 4

Impact of isoprene and HONO chemistry on ozone and OVOC formation in a semirural South Korean forest

Rapid urbanization and economic development in East Asia in past decades has led to photochemical air pollution problems such as excess photochemical ozone and aerosol formation. Asian megacities such as Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing are surrounded by densely forested areas, and recent research has consistently demonstrated the importance of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from vegetation in determining oxidation capacity in the suburban Asian megacity regions. Uncertainties in constraining tropospheric oxidation capacity, dominated by hydroxyl radical, undermine our ability to assess regional photochemical air pollution problems. We present an observational data set of CO, NO x , SO 2 , ozone, HONO, and VOCs (anthropogenic and biogenic) from Taehwa research forest (TRF) near the Seoul metropolitan area in early June 2012. The data show that TRF is influenced both by aged pollution and fresh biogenic volatile organic compound emissions. With the data set, we diagnose HO x (OH, HO 2 , and RO 2 ) distributions calculated using the University of Washington chemical box model (UWCM v2.1) with near-explicit VOC oxidation mechanisms from MCM v3.2 (Master Chemical Mechanism). Uncertainty from unconstrained HONO sources and radical recycling processes highlighted in recent studies is examined using multiple model simulations with different model constraints. The results suggest that (1) different model simulation scenarios cause systematic differences in HO x distributions, especially OH levels (up to 2.5 times), and (2) radical destruction (HO 2 + HO 2 or HO 2 + RO 2 ) could be more efficient than radical recycling (RO 2 + NO), especially in the afternoon. Implications of the uncertainties in radical chemistry are discussed with respect to ozone–VOC–NO x sensitivity and VOC oxidation product formation rates. Overall, the NO x limited regime is assessed except for the morning hours (8 a.m. to 12 p.m. local standard time), but the degree of sensitivity can significantly vary depending on the model scenarios. The model results also suggest that RO 2 levels are positively correlated with oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) production that is not routinely constrained by observations. These unconstrained OVOCs can cause higher-than-expected OH loss rates (missing OH reactivity) and secondary organic aerosol formation. The series of modeling experiments constrained by observations strongly urge observational constraint of the radical pool to enable precise understanding of regional photochemical pollution problems in the East Asian megacity region.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Magnetic phase diagram and multiferroicity of Ba 3 MnNb 2 O 9 : A spin - 5 2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet with weak easy-axis anisotropy

Here we have performed magnetic, electric, thermal and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) experiments as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations on Ba 3 MnNb 2 O 9 . All results suggest that Ba 3 MnNb 2 O 9 is a spin-5/2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet (TLAF) with weak easy-axis anisotropy. At zero field, we observed a narrow two-step transition at T N1 = 3.4 K and T N2 = 3.0 K. The neutron diffraction measurement and the DFT calculation indicate a 120 spin structure in ab plane with out-of-plane canting at low temperatures. With increasing magnetic field, the 120 spin structure evolves into up-up-down (uud) and oblique phases showing successive magnetic phase transitions, which fits well to the theoretical prediction for the 2D Heisenberg TLAF with classical spins. Ultimately, multiferroicity is observed when the spins are not collinear but suppressed in the uud and oblique phases.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Roles of Information Technology in Nuclear Criticality Safety Training

For many years, the nuclear criticality safety (NCS) community has recognized the urgent need to develop a criticality safety workforce to meet the country’s nuclear operations support requirements. While there are many causes for the current workforce shortage problem, the retirement of many experienced personnel from NCS has exacerbated the situation. The Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) has established a website (http://ncsp.llnl.gov) to assist newcomers to this field. Among other things, the DOE NCSP website offers a series of nuclear criticality safety engineer training (NCSET) modules to assist various DOE sites in training nuclear criticality safety engineers. For years, this section of the website has attracted many users worldwide, and records more than eight thousand downloads of the modules per year. Rapid advances in information technology (IT) and communication tools have reshaped the training field and offer improving training modalities. Since the NCSET modules were originally developed in text mode, it was recognized that much of that training could be improved by utilizing these IT innovations. This paper reports a new approach to enhance the NCSET training modules and discusses the use of IT and new communication tools as effective means to help manage NCS workforce development.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Science-return modeling and simulation

In this paper, an on-going effort to integrate science-return modeling and simulation with JPL's institutional mission system design process will be presented.

modeling simulation↗

Deep Space 1 Mission and observation of Comet Borrelly

After DS1 1 completed its successful primary mission in 1999, NASA sent it on a risky and ambitious extended mission to conduct comet science. In September 2001, DSl executed a flawless encounter with comet Borrelly, yielding the best pictures and other scientific data ever collected at a comet, providing scientists with a tremendous advance in our understanding of these intriguing and important parts of the solar system.

image analysis image processing mission planning N↗

Plasma Liner Research for MTF at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

The current research effort at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in MTF is directed towards exploring the critical physics issues of potential embodiments of MTF for propulsion, especially standoff drivers involving plasma liners for MTF. There are several possible approaches for forming plasma liners. One approach consists of using a spherical array of plasma jets to form a spherical plasma shell imploding towards the center of a magnetized plasma, a compact toroid. Current experimental plan and status to explore the physics of forming a 2-D plasma liner (shell) by merging plasma jets are described. A first-generation coaxial plasma guns (Mark-1) to launch the required plasma jets have been built and tested. Plasma jets have been launched reproducibly with a low jitter, and velocities in excess of 50 km/s for the leading edge of the plasma jet. Some further refinements are being explored for the plasma gun, Successful completion of these single-gun tests will be followed by an experimental exploration of the problems of launching a multiple number of these jets simultaneously to form a cylindrical plasma liner.

Thio, Y. C. F.↗

Design-based mission operation

This paper describes the four phases of the VML addressing a major challenge per phase, mission model framework, virtual phototyping, agent-based mission system integration, and virtual mission operation.

Virtual Mission VML↗

The FAST (FRC Acceleration Space Thruster) Experiment

The Field Reverse Configuration (FRC) is a magnetized plasmoid that has been developed for use in magnetic confinement fusion. Several of its properties suggest that it may also be useful as a thruster for in-space propulsion. The FRC is a compact toroid that has only poloidal field, and is characterized by a high plasma beta = (P)/(B (sup 2) /2Mu0), the ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic field pressure, so that it makes efficient use of magnetic field to confine a plasma. In an FRC thruster, plasmoids would be repetitively formed and accelerated to high velocity; velocities of = 250 km/s (Isp = 25,000s) have already been achieved in fusion experiments. The FRC is inductively formed and accelerated, and so is not subject to the problem of electrode erosion. As the plasmoid may be accelerated over an extended length, it can in principle be made very efficient. And the achievable jet powers should be scalable to the MW range. A 10 kW thruster experiment - FAST (FRC Acceleration Space Thruster) has just started at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The design of FAST and the status of construction and operation will be presented.

Martin, Adam↗

Plasma Liner Development for MTF Applications: A Status Report

An experimental plasma gun for Magnetic Target Fusion (MTF) applications under development at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is described. This gun has been tested experimentally and plasma jet velocities of approximately 50 km/sec have been obtained. The plasma jet structure has been photographed with 10 ns exposure times to reveal a stable and repeatable plasma structure. Data for velocity profile information has been obtained using light pipes embedded in the gun walls to record the plasma transit at various barrel locations. A high speed triggering system has been developed and tested as a means of reducing the gun "jitter". This jitter has been characterized and future work for second generation "ultra-low jitter" gun development is identified.

Eskridge, R. E.↗