Engineering topics

Reedy, R. C.

Publications and source records attributed to Reedy, R. C..

At least 55 records · Page 3

NASA NTRS1996

Exposure History of Lunar Meteorites Queen Alexandra Range 93069 and 94269

Cosmic-ray produced C-14 (t(sub 1/2) = 5730 years), 36Cl (3.01 x 10(exp 5 years), Al-26 (7.05 x 10(exp 5 years), and Be-10 (1.5 x 10(exp 6 years) in the recently discovered lunar meteorites Queen Alexandra Range 93069 (QUE 93069) and 94269 (QUE 94269) were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry. The abundance pattern of these four cosmogenic radionuclides and of noble gases indicates QUE 93069 and QUE 94269 were a paired fall and were exposed to cosmic rays near the surface of the Moon for at least several hundred million years before ejection. After the meteorite was launched from the Moon, where it had resided at a depth of 65-80 g/cm square, it experienced a short transition time, approximately 20-50 ka, before colliding with the Earth. The terrestrial age of the meteorite is 5-10 ka. Comparison ofthe cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in QUE 93069/94269 and MAC 88104/88105 clearly shows that these meteorites were not ejected by a common event from the Moon.

Nishiizumi, K.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Aluminum 26, Be-10 and Cl-36 depth profiles in the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite

We have measured activities of the long-lived cosmogenic radionuclides Al-26, Be-10, and Cl-36 in 12 fragments of the iron meteorite Canyon Diablo and have constructed production rate-versus-depth profiles of those radionuclides. Profiles determined using differential particle fluxes calculated with the LAHET code system are in good agreement with Al-26, Be-10, and Cl-36 experimental data, but the agreement for Cl-36 was obtained only after neutron-induced cross sections were modified. Profiles calculated with lunar particle fluxes are much lower than experimental Canyon Diablo profiles. The cosmic ray exposure ages of most samples are near 540 m.y.

Michlovich, E. S.↗

NASA NTRS1994

A carbon-14 depth profile in the L5 chondrite Knyahinya

We report on a series of measurements of C-14 in samples of the L-chondrite Knyahinya, as a function of depth. The results show C-14 concentrations ranging from 37 to 58 dpm/kg. These measurements are compared to the levels of Ne-21, Be-10 and noble-gas ratios in this meteorite reported by Graf et al (1990). We also compare the C-14 data to the expected profile based on two sets of model calculations. The behavior of this radioisotope with depth is similar to that expected from the models, and good agreement with the profiles of other nuclides is also observed.

Jull, A. J. T.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Rates for neutron-capture reactions on tungsten isotopes in iron meteorites

High-precision W isotopic analyses by Harper and Jacobsen indicate the W-182/W-183 ratio in the Toluca iron meteorite is shifted by -(3.0 +/- 0.9) x 10(exp -4) relative to a terrestrial standard. Possible causes of this shift are neutron-capture reactions on W during Toluca's approximately 600-Ma exposure to cosmic ray particles or radiogenic growth of W-182 from 9-Ma Hf-182 in the silicate portion of the Earth after removal of W to the Earth's core. Calculations for the rates of neutron-capture reactions on W isotopes were done to study the first possibility. The LAHET Code System (LCS) which consists of the Los Alamos High Energy Transport (LAHET) code and the Monte Carlo N-Particle(MCNP) transport code was used to numerically simulate the irradiation of the Toluca iron meteorite by galactic-cosmic-ray (GCR) particles and to calculate the rates of W(n, gamma) reactions. Toluca was modeled as a 3.9-m-radius sphere with the composition of a typical IA iron meteorite. The incident GCR protons and their interactions were modeled with LAHET, which also handled the interactions of neutrons with energies above 20 MeV. The rates for the capture of neutrons by W-182, W-183, and W-186 were calculated using the detailed library of (n, gamma) cross sections in MCNP. For this study of the possible effect of W(n, gamma) reactions on W isotope systematics, we consider the peak rates. The calculated maximum change in the normalized W-182/W-183 ratio due to neutron-capture reactions cannot account for more than 25% of the mass 182 deficit observed in Toluca W.

Masarik, J.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Numerical simulation of cosmogenic nuclide production in lunar rocks

The production rates of cosmogenic nuclides depend on the primary cosmic-ray particles, the irradiated-body's bulk composition, size, and shape, and the sample's composition and shielding depth. Although much work has been done on some of these dependencies, more detailed studies still need to be done on others. This work describes the influence of irradiation geometry on nuclide production in lunar rocks. In most cases, computer simulations of cosmogenic nuclide production were restricted to spherical objects irradiated with a 4 pi isotropic flux (meteoroids) or in lunar core samples irradiated by a 2 pi flux incident on semi-infinite layers or cylinders of huge sizes. Many lunar samples are rocks found on top of the lunar surface. For these rocks, neither of the above-mentioned models correspond to the real conditions. We present results of our simulations of cosmogenic nuclide production in models simulating the irradiation of rocks sitting on top of the lunar surface. The Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) production profiles in lunar rocks were calculated using the Los Alamos 3-D Monte Carlo LAHET Code System (LCS). The irradiated object was modeled as the union of a sphere with the radius of the Moon and a small hemisphere with radii varying from 10 to 100 g/sq cm simulating the lunar rock. These calculations for the production of cosmogenic nuclides in lunar rocks by GCR particle show that there are important differences between the results obtained by commonly used geometric irradiation models and the lunar-rock models presented. The steeper GCR production profiles for a rock could help to explain the poor agreement for Be-10 in rock 68815, where slab models give GCR profiles flatter than the observed profiles.

Reedy, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Simulations of Terrestrial in-situ Cosmogenic-Nuclide Production

Targets of silicon and silicon dioxide were irradiated with spallation neutrons to simulate the production of long-lived radionuclides in the surface of the Earth. Gamma-ray spectroscopy was used to measure Be-7 and Na-22, and accelerator mass spectrometry was used to measure Be-10, C-14, and Al-26. The measured ratios of these nuclides are compared with calculated ratios and with ratios from other simulations and agree well with ratios inferred from terrestrial samples.

Reedy, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Solar-flare implanted He-4/He-3 and solar-proton-produced Ne and Ar concentration profiles preserved in lunar rock 61016

Depth profiles for Ne-21, Ne-22, and Ar-38 isotopes from oriented lunar rock 61016 are reported. Concentration profiles of cosmogenic GCR+SCR (Galactic cosmic ray and solar cosmic ray-produced) isotopes are determined, quantitatively resolving neon and argon produced by energetic solar flares from that produced by Galactic cosmic rays. The SCR component is resolved from the GCR component as a function of shielding, and excellent agreement is found between experimental SCR production profiles for the isotopes and theoretically calculated values. A characteristic SW He-4/He-3 ratio of 3450 +/- 81, representing energies down to as few keV/amu. In slightly deeper samples an SRF He-4/He-3 ratio of 3450 +/- 725 is found for He particles with E larger than about 1 MeV/amu. These results indicate that the isotopic composition of SF He, averaged over the long term, is energy-dependent. An implanted Ne-20/Ne-22 ratio of 12.4 is measured in unetched samples, representing E greater than 1 MeV/amu, and a ratio of 11.6 is inferred in the samples, representing E larger than about 5 MeV/amu.

Rao, M. N.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Gamma Ray/neutron Spectrometers for Planetary Elemental Mapping

Los Alamos has designed gamma ray and neutron spectrometers for Lunar Scout, two robotic missions to map the Moon from 100 km polar orbits. Knowledge of the elemental composition is desirable in identifying resources and for geochemical studies and can be obtained using gamma ray and neutron spectrometers. Measurements with gamma ray and neutron spectrometers complement each other in determining elemental abundances in a planet's surface. Various aspects of the instruments are discussed.

Reedy, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Al-26 production profile and model comparisons in Canyon Diablo

The large preatmospheric size of the Canyon Diablo meteorite, a radius of about 15 m, makes it especially suitable for systematic studies of cosmogenic nuclide production rates of iron objects in a 2 pi geometry. To reconstruct the exposure history of the meteoroid, Heymann et al. investigated several fragments recovered from known geographic locations around the crater for their shock features and cosmogenic nobel gases. They applied the Signer-Nier noble gas production rate model to establish the preatmospheric depth of the specimens in the meteoroid. Cosmic ray exposure ages suggested a multi-episodic irradiation, with 170 or 540 Ma being inferred for most of the samples studied while two anomalous specimens indicated a possible third exposure age at 940 Ma. Be-10 and Cl-36 have been measured in a number of these same samples by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), with use being made of the preatmospheric depths determined in Heymann et al. to construct production profiles. The present study extends the cosmogenic radionuclide data to Al-26 and compares the results with both the production rate model of Reedy and Arnold and production rates determined from the cross sections used by the Reedy-Arnold model (for the major nuclear reactions making Al-26) in combination with differential fluxes calculated using the Los Alamos High Energy Transport (LAHET) Code System. Model calculations for Be-10 and Cl-36 have also been obtained.

Michlovich, E.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Gamma ray spectrometer for Lunar Scout 2

We review the current status of the Los Alamos program to develop a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer for the Lunar Scout-II mission, which is the second of two Space Exploration Initiative robotic precursor missions to study the Moon. This instrument will measure gamma rays in the energy range of approximately 0.1 - 10 MeV to determine the composition of the lunar surface. The instrument is a high-purity germanium crystal surrounded by an CsI anticoincidence shield and cooled by a split Stirling cycle cryocooler. It will provide the abundance of many elements over the entire lunar surface.

Moss, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Cosmogenic-radionuclide profiles in Knyahinya: New measurements and models

Cosmic-ray-produced nuclides measured in samples taken from known locations on a big slab of the large (R approximately equals to 45 cm) L5-chondrite Knyahinya provide good depth-vs-concentration profiles to develop and test models for the production of cosmogenic nuclides in meteorites. We report new profiles for Be-10, Al-26, Cl-36 in metallic and non-magnetic phases of 8 documented samples from Knyahinya and for C-14 in bulk samples from 7 Knyahinya samples. These new measured profiles are very similar to profiles calculated with particle fluxes from the LAHET Monte Carlo production and transport code system and with cross sections for major reactions.

Reedy, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Science applications of the Mars Observer gamma ray spectrometer

The Mars Observer gamma ray spectrometer will return data related to the elemental composition of Mars. The instrument has both a gamma ray spectrometer and several neutron detectors. The gamma ray spectrometer will return a spectrum nominally every 20 s from Mars permitting a map of the elemental abundances to be made. The gamma rays are emitted from nuclei involved in radioactive decay, from nuclei formed by capture of a thermal neutron, and from nuclei put in an excited state by a fast-neutron interaction. The gamma rays come from an average depth of the order of a few tens of centimeters. The spectrum will show sharp emission lines whose intensity determines the concentration of the element and whose energy identifies the element. The neutron detectors, using the fact that the orbital velocity of the Mars Observer spacecraft is similar to the velocity of thermal neutrons, determine both the thermal and epithermal neutron flux. By combining the results from both techniques it is possible to map the depth dependence of hydrogen in the upper meter as well. These data permit a variety of Martian geoscience problems to be addressed including the crust and mantle composition, weathering processes, volcanism, and the volatile reservoirs and processes.

Boynton, W. V.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Measurements of induced radioactivity in some LDEF samples

Twenty-six stainless steel trunnion samples, five aluminum end support retainer plate samples, two aluminum keel plate samples, and two titanium clips were analyzed. The shielded high purity germanium detectors used had efficiencies of 33, 54, and 80 percent at 1332 keV. Detector efficiencies as a function of energy and corrections for self-absorption in the samples were determined with calibrated sources and unactivated control samples. Several measurements were made on most samples. In the trunnion samples, Mn-54 and Co-57 were seen and limits were obtained for other isotopes. The results agree well with 1-D activation calculations for an anisotropic trapped proton model. In the aluminum and titanium samples, Na-22 was detected. Other results are presented.

Moss, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer for the Lunar Resource Mapper

One of the early Space Exploration Initiatives will be a lunar orbiter to map the elemental composition of the Moon. This mission will support further lunar exploration and habitation and will provide a valuable dataset for understanding lunar geological processes. The proposed payload will consist of the gamma ray and neutron spectrometers which are discussed, an x ray fluorescence imager, and possibly one or two other instruments.

Moss, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Combined Gamma Ray/neutron Spectroscopy for Mapping Lunar Resources

Some elements in the Moon can be resources, such as hydrogen and oxygen. Other elements, like Ti or the minerals in which they occur, such as ilmenite, could be used in processing lunar materials. Certain elements can also be used as tracers for other elements or lunar processes, such as hydrogen for mature regoliths with other solar-wind-implanted elements like helium, carbon, and nitrogen. A complete knowledge of the elemental composition of a lunar region is desirable both in identifying lunar resources and in lunar geochemical studies, which also helps in identifying and using lunar resources. The use of gamma ray and neutron spectroscopy together to determine abundances of many elements in the top few tens of centimeters of the lunar surface is discussed. To date, very few discussions of elemental mapping of planetary surfaces considered measurements of both gamma rays and the full range of neutron energies. The theories for gamma ray and neutron spectroscopy of the Moon and calculations of leakage fluxes are presented here with emphasis on why combined gamma ray/neutron spectroscopy is much more powerful than measuring either radiation alone.

Reedy, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Martian volatiles determined using the Mars observer gamma ray spectrometer

The relative abundances of H2O and CO2 and their latitude, longitude, and depth profiles on Mars sensitively reflect, as well as help control, past and present Martian climate patterns. Seasonal variations of their distributions at high latitudes also reflect and help control global weather patterns and erosion through surface weathering. A combined analysis of gamma ray line and neutron flux maps constructed from data measured using the Mars Observer Gamma Ray Spectrometer (MOGRS) should allow a determination of seasonal changes in both the horizontal and vertical structure of CO2 ice that covers the north polar cap during winter and the south polar cap throughout the year and both the horizontal and vertical structure of residual H2O ice within the top meter of the surface that was predicted from Viking observations to exist primarily at high latitudes. Particularly important in this regard will be maps of thermal and epithermal neutron fluxes measured using the MOGRS anticoincidence shield, the intensity of the hydrogen, neutron capture gamma ray line at 2.223 MeV, the intensity of a capture gamma ray line as 1.725 MeV from iron, and the intensity of an inelastic scatter gamma ray line as 1.779 MeV from silicon.

Feldman, W. C.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Lunar neutron leakage fluxes as a function of composition and hydrogen content

Areas of the moon that might have enhanced concentrations of hydrogen are discussed. The fluxes of thermal, epithermal, and fast neutrons escaping from the lunar surface were calculated for eight different compositions and several hydrogen contents. These flux ratios depend on composition and are very sensitive to the hydrogen content. Their measurement using flight-proven techniques from lunar orbit should allow detection and identification of hydrogen residing in either permanently shaded cold traps near the lunar poles or mature regoliths. Knowledge of composition, especially of Fe and Ti, improves the thresholds for hydrogen detection and also could allow identification of Gd and Sm.

Feldman, W. C.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Exposure histories of lunar meteorites - ALHA81005, MAC88104, MAC88105, and Y791197

The cosmogenic radionuclides Ca-41, Cl-36, Al-26, and Be-10 in the Allan Hills 81005, MacAlpine Hills 88104, MacAlpine Hills 88105, and Yamato 791197 meteorites were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry. Mn-53 in Allan Hills 81005 and Yamato 791197 was measured by neutron activation. These four lunar meteorites experienced similar histories. They were ejected from near the surface of the moon ranging in depth down to 400 g/sq cm and had very short transition times (less than 0.1 Ma) from the moon to the earth. A comparison of the cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in MacAlpine Hills 88104 and MacAlpine Hills 88105 clearly indicates that they are a pair from the same fall.

Nishiizumi, K.↗