Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Wolf, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Wolf, A..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

STORAGE RING CROSS SECTION MEASUREMENTS FOR ELECTRON IMPACT IONIZATION OF Fe{sup 7+}

We have measured electron impact ionization for Fe{sup 7+} from the ionization threshold up to 1200 eV. The measurements were performed using the TSR heavy ion storage ring. The ions were stored long enough prior to measurements to remove most metastables, resulting in a beam of 94% ground-level ions. Comparing with the previously recommended atomic data, we find that the Arnaud and Raymond cross section is up to about 40% larger than our measurement, with the largest discrepancies below about 400 eV. The cross section of Dere agrees to within 10%, which is about the magnitude of the experimental uncertainties. The remaining discrepancies between our measurement and the Dere calculations are likely due to shortcomings in the theoretical treatment of the excitation-autoionization contribution.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Tall Tower Wind Energy Monitoring and Numerical Model Validation in Northern Nevada

The main objectives of this project were to conduct a tall-tower and sodar field campaign in complex terrain, investigate wind properties relevant to wind energy assessment, and evaluate high-resolution models with fixed and adaptive grid structures. Two 60-m towers at Virginia Peak ridges near Washoe Valley, Nevada, were instrumented with cup and vane anemometers as well as sonic anemometers, and an acoustic sounder (hereafter sodar) was installed near one of the towers. The towers were located 2,700 m apart with a vertical distance of 140 m elevation between their bases. Each tower had a downhill exposure of rolling complex terrain, with the nearby valley floor 3,200 m to the west and 800 m below the summit. Cup anemometers were installed at both towers at 20, 40, and 60 m, wind vanes at 20 and 60 m, and sonic anemometers at 20 and 60 m. The sodar measurements were nominally provided every 10 m in vertical distance from 40 to 200 m with the quality of the data generally decreasing with height. Surface air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and radiation measurements were conducted at 1.5 m AGL at both of the towers. Although the plan was to conduct a 1-year period of data collection, we extended the period (October 5, 2012 through February 24, 2014) to cover for possible data loss from instrument or communication problems. We also present a preliminary analysis of the towers and sodar data, including a detailed inventory of available and missing data as well as outliers. The analysis additionally includes calculation of the Weibull parameters, turbulence intensity, and initial computation of wind power density at various heights.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Impact of lateral carrier confinement on electro-optical tuning properties of polariton condensates

Electro-optical measurements on exciton-polaritons below and above the condensation threshold are performed on high quality, pin-doped microcavities with embedded GaAs quantum wells. Applying an external electric field shifts the polariton emission by hundreds of μeV both in the linear and the nonlinear regime. We study three device geometries to investigate the influence of carrier confinement in the plane of the quantum well on the electro-optical tuning properties. In the conventional micropillar geometry, the electric field tuning behavior is dominated by the effects of carrier tunneling and electric field screening that manifest in a blueshift of the polariton emission. In stark contrast, for a planar sample geometry, we can significantly extend the range of electric fields and a redshift is observed. To separate the contributions of quantum confined Stark effect and reduced exciton oscillator strength to the energy shift, we study a third sample where the etching of micropillars is stopped just above the active region. In this semi-planar geometry, exciton and polariton emissions can be measured simultaneously. As for the planar geometry, redshifts of the polariton emission are observed below and above threshold that are well reproduced by theoretical shifts.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dissociative recombination measurements of NH{sup +} using an ion storage ring

We have investigated dissociative recombination (DR) of NH{sup +} with electrons using a merged beams configuration at the TSR heavy-ion storage ring located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. We present our measured absolute merged-beams recombination rate coefficient for collision energies from 0 to 12 eV. From these data, we have extracted a cross section, which we have transformed to a plasma rate coefficient for the collisional plasma temperature range from T {sub pl} = 10 to 18,000 K. We show that the NH{sup +} DR rate coefficient data in current astrochemical models are underestimated by up to a factor of approximately nine. Our new data will result in predicted NH{sup +} abundances lower than those calculated by present models. This is in agreement with the sensitivity limits of all observations attempting to detect NH{sup +} in interstellar clouds.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electron-ion recombination of Fe{sup 12+} forming Fe{sup 11+}: Laboratory measurements and theoretical calculations

We have measured dielectronic recombination (DR) for Fe{sup 12+} forming Fe{sup 11+} using the heavy ion storage ring TSR located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Using our results, we have calculated a plasma rate coefficient from these data that can be used for modeling astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. For the low temperatures characteristic of photoionized plasmas, the experimentally derived rate coefficient is orders of magnitude larger than the previously recommended atomic data. The existing atomic data were also about 40% smaller than our measurements at temperatures relevant for collisionally ionized plasmas. Recent state-of-the-art theory has difficulty reproducing the detailed energy dependence of the DR spectrum. However, for the Maxwellian plasma rate coefficient, recent theoretical results agree with our measurements to within about 30% for both photoionized and collisionally ionized plasmas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION MEASUREMENTS OF HCl{sup +} USING AN ION STORAGE RING

We have measured dissociative recombination (DR) of HCl{sup +} with electrons using a merged beams configuration at the TSR heavy-ion storage ring located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. We present the measured absolute merged beams recombination rate coefficient for collision energies from 0 to 4.5 eV. We have also developed a new method for deriving the cross section from the measurements. Our approach does not suffer from approximations made by previously used methods. The cross section was transformed to a plasma rate coefficient for the electron temperature range from T = 10 to 5000 K. We show that the previously used HCl{sup +} DR data underestimate the plasma rate coefficient by a factor of 1.5 at T = 10 K and overestimate it by a factor of three at T = 300 K. We also find that the new data may partly explain existing discrepancies between observed abundances of chlorine-bearing molecules and their astrochemical models.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A Single Column Model Ensemble Approach Applied to the TWP-ICE Experiment

Single column models (SCM) are useful testbeds for investigating the parameterisation schemes of numerical weather prediction and climate models. The usefulness of SCM simulations are limited, however, by the accuracy of the best-estimate large-scale data prescribed. One method to address this uncertainty is to perform ensemble simulations of the SCM. This study first derives an ensemble of large-scale data for the Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE) based on an estimate of a possible source of error in the best-estimate product. This data is then used to carry out simulations with 11 SCM and 2 cloud-resolving models (CRM). Best-estimate simulations are also performed. All models show that moisture related variables are close to observations and there are limited differences between the best-estimate and ensemble mean values. The models, however, show different sensitivities to changes in the forcing particularly when weakly forced. The ensemble simulations highlight important differences in the moisture budget between the SCM and CRM. Systematic differences are also apparent in the ensemble mean vertical structure of cloud variables. The ensemble is further used to investigate relations between cloud variables and precipitation identifying large differences between CRM and SCM. This study highlights that additional information can be gained by performing ensemble simulations enhancing the information derived from models using the more traditional single best-estimate simulation.

applied↗
NASA NTRS2013

A Single-column Model Ensemble Approach Applied to the TWP-ICE Experiment

Single-column models (SCM) are useful test beds for investigating the parameterization schemes of numerical weather prediction and climate models. The usefulness of SCM simulations are limited, however, by the accuracy of the best estimate large-scale observations prescribed. Errors estimating the observations will result in uncertainty in modeled simulations. One method to address the modeled uncertainty is to simulate an ensemble where the ensemble members span observational uncertainty. This study first derives an ensemble of large-scale data for the Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE) based on an estimate of a possible source of error in the best estimate product. These data are then used to carry out simulations with 11 SCM and two cloud-resolving models (CRM). Best estimate simulations are also performed. All models show that moisture-related variables are close to observations and there are limited differences between the best estimate and ensemble mean values. The models, however, show different sensitivities to changes in the forcing particularly when weakly forced. The ensemble simulations highlight important differences in the surface evaporation term of the moisture budget between the SCM and CRM. Differences are also apparent between the models in the ensemble mean vertical structure of cloud variables, while for each model, cloud properties are relatively insensitive to forcing. The ensemble is further used to investigate cloud variables and precipitation and identifies differences between CRM and SCM particularly for relationships involving ice. This study highlights the additional analysis that can be performed using ensemble simulations and hence enables a more complete model investigation compared to using the more traditional single best estimate simulation only.

numerical weather forecasting↗
DOE OSTI2013

STORAGE RING CROSS SECTION MEASUREMENTS FOR ELECTRON IMPACT SINGLE AND DOUBLE IONIZATION OF Fe{sup 13+} AND SINGLE IONIZATION OF Fe{sup 16+} AND Fe{sup 17+}

We report measurements of electron impact ionization for Fe{sup 13+}, Fe{sup 16+}, and Fe{sup 17+} over collision energies from below threshold to above 3000 eV. The ions were recirculated using an ion storage ring. Data were collected after a sufficiently long time that essentially all the ions had relaxed radiatively to their ground state. For single ionization of Fe{sup 13+}, we find that previous single pass experiments are more than 40% larger than our results. Compared to our work, the theoretical cross section recommended by Arnaud and Raymond is more than 30% larger, while that of Dere is about 20% greater. Much of the discrepancy with Dere is due to the theory overestimating the contribution of excitation-autoionization via n = 2 excitations. Double ionization of Fe{sup 13+} is dominated by direct ionization of an inner shell electron accompanied by autoionization of a second electron. Our results for single ionization of Fe{sup 16+} and Fe{sup 17+} agree with theoretical calculations to within the experimental uncertainties.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2006

Dielectronic Recombination In Active Galactic Nuclei

XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of active galactic nuclei (AGN) show rich spectra of X-ray absorption lines. These observations have detected a broad unresolved transition array (UTA) between approx. 15-17 A. This is attributed to inner-shell photoexcitation of M-shell iron ions. Modeling these UTA features is currently limited by uncertainties in the low-temperature dielectronic recombination (DR) data for M-shell iron. In order to resolve this issue, and to provide reliable iron M-shell DR data for plasma modeling, we are carrying out a series of laboratory measurements using the heavy-ion Test Storage Ring (TSR) at the Max-Plank-Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Currently, laboratory measurements of low temperature DR can only be performed at storage rings. We use the DR data obtained at TSR, to calculate rate coefficients for plasma modeling and to benchmark theoretical DR calculations. Here we report our recent experimental results for DR of Fe XIV forming Fe XIII.

Lukic, D. V.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Aerocapture, Entry, Descent and Landing (AEDL) Human Planetary Landing Systems. Section 10: AEDL Analysis, Test and Validation Infrastructure

Contents include the following: 3 Listing of critical capabilities (knowledge, procedures, training, facilities) and metrics for validating that they are mission ready. Examples of critical capabilities and validation metrics: ground test and simulations. Flight testing to prove capabilities are mission ready. Issues and recommendations.

Arnold, J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Ion Storage Ring Measurements of Low Temperature Dielectronic Recombination Rate Coefficients for Modeling X-Ray Photoionized Cosmic Plasmas

Low temperature dielectronic recombination (DR) is the dominant recombination mechanism for most ions in X-ray photoionized cosmic plasmas. Reliably modeling and interpreting spectra from these plasmas requires accurate low temperature DR rate Coefficients. Of particular importance are the DR rate coefficients for the iron L-shell ions (Fe XVII-Fe XXIV). These ions are predicted to play an important role in determining the thermal structure and line emission of X-ray photoionized plasmas, which form in the media surrounding accretion powered sources such as X-ray binaries (XRBs), active galactic nuclei (AGN), and cataclysmic variables (Savin et al., 2000). The need for reliable DR data of iron L-shell ions has become particularly urgent after the launches of Chandra and XMM-Newton. These satellites are now providing high-resolution X-ray spectra from a wide range of X-ray photoionized sources. Interpreting the spectra from these sources requires reliable DR rate coefficients. However, at the temperatures relevant, for X-ray photoionized plasmas, existing theoretical DR rate coefficients can differ from one another by factors of two to orders of magnitudes.

Savin, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Lidar-based hazard avoidance for safe landing on Mars

This paper describes the algorithms and the models that comprise a scanning lidar-based hazard avoidance simulation including a terrain generator, a lidar model, hazard avoidance algorithms and powered landing guidance algorithms.

hazard↗