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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Basic Space Science; United Nations/European Space Agency Workshops for Developing Countries, 2nd, Bogota, Colombia, November 9-13, 1992

The conference primarily covered astrophysical and astronomical topics on stellar and solar modeling and processes, high magnetic field influence on stellar spectra, cosmological topics utilizing Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) data and radioastronomic mapping as well as cosmic gravitational instability calculations, astrometry of open clusters amd solar gravitational focusing, extremely energetic gamma rays, interacting binaries, and balloon-borne instrumentation. Other papers proposed an active Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) communication scheme to neighboring solar-like systems and more direct involvement of and with the public in astronomy and space exploration projects.

Haubold, Hans J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Spectroscopic diagnostics of organic chemistry in the protostellar environment

A combination of astronomical observations, laboratory studies, and theoretical modelling is necessary to determine the organic chemistry of dense molecular clouds. We present spectroscopic evidence for the composition and evolution of organic molecules in protostellar environments. The principal reaction pathways to complex molecule formation by catalysis on dust grains and by reactions in the interstellar gas are described. Protostellar cores, where warming of dust has induced evaporation of icy grain mantles, are excellent sites in which to study the interaction between gas phase and grain-surface chemistries. We investigate the link between organics that are observed as direct products of grain surface reactions and those which are formed by secondary gas phase reactions of evaporated surface products. Theory predicts observable correlations between specific interstellar molecules, and also which new organics are viable for detection. We discuss recent infrared observations obtained with the Infrared Space Observatory, laboratory studies of organic molecules, theories of molecule formation, and summarise recent radioastronomical searches for various complex molecules such as ethers, azaheterocyclic compounds, and amino acids.

Ethers/analysis/chemical synthesis/chemistry↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

On the New Optical Constants Database (OCdb) and its Importance for the Interpretation of Observational Data

The Optical Constants database(ocdb.smce.nasa.gov) came online in February 2023 and provides complex refractive indices of laboratory-generated organic refractory materials and ices relevant to (exo) planetary and astrophysical environments.The goal of the OCdb is to centralize published optical constants data to facilitate both their access by the scientific community and their use to analyze observational data returned by space missions and ground-based observatories. Computational tools are also under development to facilitate scientific use of the available OCdb optical constants data sets. Investigators generating laboratory optical constants are therefore encouraged to contribute their data to OCdb in order to increase the availability of their data and to enhance the scientific effectiveness of the database. Optical constants are critical input parameters in models (e.g.,radiative transfer, atmospheric, and reflectance spectral models)that are used to simulate the absorption, reflection, and scattering of light due to solid materials present in planetary and astrophysical environments (planets, their satellites, exoplanets, asteroids, comets, protoplanetary disks, etc.), and are key to the compositional interpretation of observations. We will first present the infrastructure of the OCdb and show how to use and contribute to it. We will introduce the two large NASA projects, namely, the Laboratory Astrophysics Directed Work Package and the NASA Center for Optical Constants, that have been instrumental in (i) developing the OCdb, (ii) generating planetary-and astrophysics-relevant ices and organic refractory materials from gas and ice irradiation in the laboratory, and (iii) determining their optical constants for inclusion in OCdb. We will also present two studies that are making use of these optical constants to interpret observations of Titan’s atmosphere and Pluto’s surface. These studies show the importance of measuring optical constants of laboratory-generated materials, and their impact on the models used to analyze and interpret astronomical observations. These studies also demonstrate the essential importance of such a database and the need for optical constants of a broad range of materials and wavelengths to enable the scientific community and to maximize the scientific return from space missions (e.g., Cassini, New Horizons, SOFIA, JWST).

The Optical Constants database↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Late Accretion of large Dark Asteroids and Their Implantation into the Outer Main Belt

Dark (geometric albedo < 0.09) asteroidsare genetically linked to carbonaceous chondrites. Most of these asteroids are located in the mid-outer main belt (2.5 < a < 4.0 AU)and thought to be remnants of the primary accretion of the first solar system planetesimals. Here we presentnew near-infrared (NIR: ~0.5-4.0 μm) reflectance spectra of dark and large (diameter > 100 km) asteroidsmeasured atNASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF).We place the astronomical observations of these large dark asteroids in the context of the thermal evolution and dynamical models and provide new interpretations for the origin and evolution of these asteroids. The astronomical observations together with thermal evolution and dynamical modeling show late accretion and implantation to a confined heliocentric region (~3.0 < a < 3.4 AU)for these large dark asteroids, in agreement with the dynamical predictions. Average densities of large and dark asteroids suggest highly porous interiors and, consequently, relatively late accretion ata time of 1.5-3.5 Myr relative to the formation of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions with maximum interior temperatures of < 900 K. This work demonstrates that thederived accretion times of large dark asteroids do not correlate in any way with their current semimajor axes. Large and dark asteroidswere likely implanted from more distant regions of the solar system during the giant planet’s dynamical instability. The discovery of dark large asteroids that are smaller than Ceres near its orbital vicinity suggests that this dwarf planet is not unique in the main belt and its surface composition is not driven by its very large size.

Driss Takir↗
NASA NTRS1990

Laboratory and theoretical models of planetary-scale instabilities and waves

Meteorologists and planetary astronomers interested in large-scale planetary and solar circulations recognize the importance of rotation and stratification in determining the character of these flows. In the past it has been impossible to accurately model the effects of sphericity on these motions in the laboratory because of the invariant relationship between the uni-directional terrestrial gravity and the rotation axis of an experiment. Researchers studied motions of rotating convecting liquids in spherical shells using electrohydrodynamic polarization forces to generate radial gravity, and hence centrally directed buoyancy forces, in the laboratory. The Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell (GFFC) experiments performed on Spacelab 3 in 1985 were analyzed. Recent efforts at interpretation led to numerical models of rotating convection with an aim to understand the possible generation of zonal banding on Jupiter and the fate of banana cells in rapidly rotating convection as the heating is made strongly supercritical. In addition, efforts to pose baroclinic wave experiments for future space missions using a modified version of the 1985 instrument led to theoretical and numerical models of baroclinic instability. Rather surprising properties were discovered, which may be useful in generating rational (rather than artificially truncated) models for nonlinear baroclinic instability and baroclinic chaos.

Hart, John E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Transient periodicities in X-ray-active red dwarfs - First results from Mount Cuba and interpretation with an oscillating loop model

Results from a program at the Mount Cuba Astronomical Observatory to optically monitor transient periodicities in flare stars are reported. The data are analyzed for periodicities by means of a modified autocorrelation approach. A randomization technique is used to assess the statistical significance of periods. In AD Leonis, variability with amplitude 0.4 percent and a period of 4.1 min was detected during one run on March 6, 1991: the probability that this periodicity is due to chance is 10 exp -5. Further observations obtained on AD Leo within 1-2 hr on the same night showed no significant variability (0.01). It is shown that optical periodicities of the sort detected may be interpreted as arising from oscillations in coronal loops.

Mullan, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Scientific computing challenges arising from space-borne observations

Five supercomputing problems are described: (1) determining the motions of the earth's inner core boundary from outer-space measurements of the magnetic field, (2) simulating the global dynamics of the earth's ocean currents, sea-ice cycles, land surface biology, and interannual atmospheric climates, (3) upper atmospheric chemistry, (4) modeling solar flare eruptions, and (5) the role of jet processes in the birth of stars. In addition, two examples indicating the growing importance of the use of supercomputers for scientific visualization are presented. The first deals with remote mapping from space of the earth's topography or other planets. The second problem from astrophysics deals with mapping the cosmic background radiation in the presence of other astronomical signatures. A brief overview of interdisciplinary modeling plans under development for the next generation of supercomputers is given.

Halem, Milton↗
DOE OSTI2021

Snowmass2021 - Letter of interest cosmology intertwined I: Perspectives for the next decade

The standard Λ Cold Dark Matter cosmological model provides an amazing description of a wide range of astrophysical and astronomical data. However, there are a few big open questions, that make the standard model look like a first-order approximation to a more realistic scenario that still needs to be fully understood. In this Letter of Interest we will list a few important goals that need to be addressed in the next decade, also taking into account the current discordances present between the different cosmological probes, as the Hubble constant H0 value, the σ8S8 tension, and the anomalies present in the Planck results. Finally, we will give an overview of upgraded experiments and next-generation space-missions and facilities on Earth that will be of crucial importance to address all these questions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1995

Workshop on Mars Telescopic Observations

The Mars Telescopic Observations Workshop, held August 14-15, 1995, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, was organized and planned with two primary goals in mind: The first goal was to facilitate discussions among and between amateur and professional observers and to create a workshop environment fostering collaborations and comparisons within the Mars observing community. The second goal was to explore the role of continuing telescopic observations of Mars in the upcoming era of increased spacecraft exploration. The 24 papers presented at the workshop described the current NASA plans for Mars exploration over the next decade, current and recent Mars research being performed by professional astronomers, and current and past Mars observations being performed by amateur observers and observing associations. The workshop was divided into short topical sessions concentrating on programmatic overviews, groundbased support of upcoming spacecraft experiments, atmospheric observations, surface observations, modeling and numerical studies, and contributions from amateur astronomers.

Bell, J. F., III↗
NASA NTRS1991

Urban light pollution - The effect of atmospheric aerosols on astronomical observations at night

The transfer of diffuse city light from a localized source through a dust-laden atmosphere with optical depth less than 0.5 has been analyzed in the source-observer plane on the basis of an approximate treatment. The effect on several types of astronomical observation at night has been studied, considering different size distributions and amounts as well as particle shapes of the aerosols. The analysis is made in terms of the signal-to-noise ratios for a given amount of aerosol. The model is applied to conditions at the Wise Astronomical Observatory in the Negev desert, and limiting backgrounds for spectroscopy, photometry, and photography of stars and extended objects have been calculated for a variety of signal-to-noise ratios. Applications to observations with different equipment at various distances from an urban area of any size are possible. Due to the use of signal-to-noise ratios, the conclusions are different for the different experimental techniques used in astronomy.

Joseph, Joachim H.↗
DOE OSTI2023

A variational encoder–decoder approach to precise spectroscopic age estimation for large Galactic surveys

Constraints on the formation and evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy require multidimensional measurements of kinematics, abundances, and ages for a large population of stars. Ages for luminous giants, which can be seen to large distances, are an essential component of studies of the Milky Way, but they are traditionally very difficult to estimate precisely for a large data set and often require careful analysis on a star-by-star basis in asteroseismology. Because spectra are easier to obtain for large samples, being able to determine precise ages from spectra allows for large age samples to be constructed, but spectroscopic ages are often imprecise and contaminated by abundance correlations. Here we present an application of a variational encoder–decoder on cross-domain astronomical data to solve these issues. The model is trained on pairs of observations from APOGEE and Kepler of the same star in order to reduce the dimensionality of the APOGEE spectra in a latent space while removing abundance information. The low dimensional latent representation of these spectra can then be trained to predict age with just ∼1000 precise seismic ages. We demonstrate that this model produces more precise spectroscopic ages (∼ 22 per cent overall, ∼ 11 per cent for red-clump stars) than previous data-driven spectroscopic ages while being less contaminated by abundance information (in particular, our ages do not depend on [α/M]). We create a public age catalogue for the APOGEE DR17 data set and use it to map the age distribution and the age-[Fe/H]-[α/M] distribution across the radial range of the Galactic disc.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Radiation GRMHD Models of Accretion onto Stellar-mass Black Holes. II. Super-Eddington Accretion

We present a comprehensive analysis of super-Eddington black hole accretion simulations that solve the GRMHD equations coupled with angle-discretized radiation transport. The simulations span a range of accretion rates, two black hole spins, and two magnetic field topologies, and include resolution studies as well as comparisons with nonradiative models. Super-Eddington accretion flows consistently develop geometrically thick disks supported by radiation pressure, regardless of magnetic field configuration. Radiation generated in the inner disk drives substantial outflows, forming conical funnel regions that limit photon escape and result in very low radiation efficiency. The accretion flows are highly turbulent, with thermal energy transport dominated by radiation advection rather than diffusion. Angular momentum is primarily carried outward by Maxwell stress, with turbulent Reynolds stress playing a subdominant role. Both strong and weak jets are produced. Strong jets arise from sufficient net vertical magnetic flux and rapid black hole spin, and they can effectively evacuate the funnel, enabling radiation to escape through strong geometric beaming. In contrast, weak jets fail to clear the funnel, which becomes obscured by radiation-driven outflows and leads to distinct observational signatures. Spiral structures are observed in the plunging region, behaving like density waves. These super-Eddington models are applicable to a variety of astronomical systems, including ultraluminous X-ray sources, little red dots, and black hole transients.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Spectroscopic Stage-5 Experiment

The existence, properties, and dynamics of the dark sectors of our universe pose fundamental challenges to our current model of physics, and large-scale astronomical surveys may be our only hope to unravel these long-standing mysteries. In this white paper, we describe the science motivation, instrumentation, and survey plan for the next-generation spectroscopic observatory, the Stage-5 Spectroscopic Experiment (Spec-S5). Spec-S5 is a new all-sky spectroscopic instrument optimized to efficiently carry out cosmological surveys of unprecedented scale and precision. The baseline plan for Spec-S5 involves upgrading two existing 4-m telescopes to new 6-m wide-field facilities, each with a highly multiplexed spectroscopic instrument capable of simultaneously measuring the spectra of 13,000 astronomical targets. Spec-S5, which builds and improves on the hardware used for previous cosmology experiments, represents a cost-effective and rapid approach to realizing a more than 10$\times$ gain in spectroscopic capability compared to the current state-of-the-art represented by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument project (DESI). Spec-S5 will provide a critical scientific capability in the post-Rubin and post-DESI era for advancing cosmology, fundamental physics, and astrophysics in the 2030s.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1972

Properties of nearby interstellar hydrogen deduced from Lyman-alpha sky background measurements

For a sufficiently rapid relative motion of the solar system and the nearby interstellar gas, neutral atoms may be expected to penetrate the heliosphere before becoming ionized. Recent satellite measurements of the Lyman alpha emission above the geocorona indicate such an interstellar wind of neutral hydrogen emerging from the direction of Sagittarius and reaching to within a few astronomical units of the sun. A detailed model of the scattering of solar Lyman alpha from the spatial distribution of neutral hydrogen in interplanetary space is presented. This asymmetric distribution is established by solar wind and solar ultraviolet ionization processes along the trajectories of the incoming hydrogen atoms. The values of the interstellar density, the relative velocity, and the gas temperature are adjusted to agree with the Lyman alpha measurements. The results may be interpreted in terms of two models, the cold model and the hot model of the interstellar gas, depending on whether galactic Lyman alpha emission is present at its maximum allowable value or negligibly small.

Thomas, G. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Astrophysical implications of presolar grains

The widely accepted hypothesis that presolar materials survive intact in meteorites and can be studied in our laboratories is of great potential astrophysical significance. Two first-order conclusions have been drawn from the evidence supporting this hypothesis: graphitic grains are rare in the interstellar medium and grain lifetimes are considerably longer than 100 million yr. Both conclusions are in conflict with currently accepted astrophysical models, but might still be consistent with astronomical observations. Many more astrophysical revelations could be concealed within the meteorites, but until astronomers are again given some training in meteoritics, only the meteoritics community has the tools necessary to decipher the message.

Nuth, Joseph A., III↗
NASA NTRS2000

An Analysis of the Torsion-Rotation-Vibration Rotational Spectrum of the Lowest In-Plane Bend and First Excited Torsional State of the C(3V) Internal Rotor C2H5CN

C2H5CN (Propionitrile or ethyl cyanide) is a well known interstellar species abundantly observed in hot cores during the onset of star formation. The onset of star formation generally results in elevated temperature, which thermally populates may low lying vibrational states such as the 206/cm in-plane bend and the 212/cm first excited torsional state in C2H5CN. Unfortunately, these two states are strongly coupled through a complex series of torsion-vibration-rotation interactions, which dominate the spectrum. In order to understand the details of these interactions and develop models capable of predicting unmeasured transitions for astronomical observations in C2H5CN and similar molecules, several thousand rotational transitions in the lowest excited in-plane bend and first excited torsional state have been recorded, assigned and analyzed. The analysis reveals very strong a- and b-type Coriolis interactions and a number of other smaller interactions and has a number of important implications for other C3V torsion-rotation-vibration systems. The relative importance and the physical origins of the coupling among the rotational, vibrational and torsional motions will be presented along with a full spectroscopic analysis and supporting astronomical observations.

Pearson, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Precession Index, A Nonlinear Energy Balance Model, And Seversmith Psychroterms

An important component of Milankovitch's astronomical theory of climate change is the precession index. The precession index, along with the Earth's tilt and orbital eccentricity, are believed to be the major controlling factors of climate change in the last few million years. The precession index is e sin omega(sub s) where e is the Earth's orbital eccentricity and omega(sub s) measures how close the Sun is to the Earth at midsummer. When omega(sub s) = 90deg the Sun is close to the Earth during northern summer, and at 270deg it is far from the Earth during northern summer. The precession index varies with time, because both the eccentricity e and the parameter omega(sub s) are constantly changing due to disturbances in the Earth's orbit by other planets, and due to the precession of the Earth, The change is largely periodic, with a period of about 23,000 years.

Rubincam, David Parry↗