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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1971

Instabilities and turbulence in highly ionized plasmas in a magnetic field

Experimental and theoretical work has been extended on the physical mechanisms of plasma turbulence and coherent instabilities. Turbulence is described in terms of parametric effects and experimental and theoretical results show that energy is transferred in both directions of the frequency spectrum. Energy transfer to higher frequencies results in turbulence acting as a safety valve against the growth of coherent, low frequency instabilities. Energy transfer to lower frequencies results in anomalously high diffusion rates. A linear theory has been applied to the drift instability in the Rensselaer HCD and reasonable agreement between predictions and experimental results has been obtained.

Noon, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Development of oxidation resistance in thoriated nickel-chromium base alloys

A pack process was developed which permits the introduction of nearly six weight percent aluminum into solid solution in the near-surface region of TDNiCr (Ni-20Cr-2ThO2. At this aluminum concentration an adherent alumina scale is produced on the alloy surface upon exposure to an environment of 1330 n/sq m (10 torr) or 101,000 n/sq m (760 torr) air at temperatures of 1093 C (2000 F) and 1204 C (2200 F). Room temperature mechanical properties of the aluminized alloys compare favorably with those of TDNiCr as received. While diffusivities for aluminum are a factor of three higher than those for chromium in TDNiCr or Ni-20Cr, the diffusion rates are similar for either of these elements in the thoriated or unthoriated alloy for a given temperature and grain size.

Seltzer, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Diffusing capacity and anatomic dead space for carbon-18 monoxide.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is difficult to measure with a respiratory mass spectrometer because of the similar mass numbers of CO and nitrogen, but this is possible using carbon-18 monoxide. The mass resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, linearity, and background were all found to be adequate. The measurement of the single-breath diffusing capacity was examined. Unless the mean alveolar volume during breath holding is used in the calculation, the value for Dco obtained depends on which portion of the alveolar sample is analyzed. The anatomic dead space for CO was found to be almost the same as that for argon suggesting that the diffusion rate at the dead space-alveolar gas interface was not greatly affected by the alveolar concentration of the gas.

Wagner, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

On the kinetics of pack aluminization

A theory of pack aluminization has been formulated by combining gaseous and solid-state diffusion rates. This theory relates the surface composition of the coating and therefore, in principle, the phase morphology and the growth rate of the coating, to pack operating parameters such as pack aluminum density, type of activator, temperature and others. Experimental data on the aluminization of unalloyed nickel in pure aluminum packs obtained to date are in good agreement with the predictions of the theory.

Gupta, B. K.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Effect of microstructure on Na/+/ diffusion in beta alumina

The effect of microstructural features, such as grain size and orientation, on sodium ion diffusion in polycrystalline beta alumina is investigated; the ionic solid is suitable for use in high-energy and power density batteries. Two types of hot-pressed polycrystalline samples are studied, one with grains highly oriented in the direction normal to the pressing direction, the other with significantly less preferred orientation normal to the pressing direction. Results of the experimental assessments indicate that grain size and diffusion path tortuosity have little effect on diffusion kinetics, while grain boundary type and grain aspect ratio are important factors in determining the diffusion rate.

Sarian, S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Magnetic pumping of particles in the outer Jovian magnetosphere

The mechanism of magnetic pumping consists of two processes, the adiabatic motion of charged particles in a time varying magnetic field and their pitch-angle diffusion. The result is a systematic increase in the energy of charged particles trapped in mirror (and particularly, magnetospheric) magnetic fields. A numerical model of the mechanism is constructed, compared with analytic theory where possible, and, through elementary exercises, is used to predict the consequences of the process for cases that are not tractable by analytical means. For energy dependent pitch angle diffusion rates, characteristic 'two temperature' distributions are produced. Application of the model to the outer Jovian magnetosphere shows that beyond 20 Jupiter radii in the outer magnetosphere, particles may be magnetically pumped to energies of the order of 1 - 2 MeV. Two temperature distribution functions with "break points" at 1 - 4 KeV for electrons and 8 - 35 KeV for ions are predicted.

Borovsky, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Trapped radiation belts of Saturn - First look

Data on the magnetosphere of Saturn obtained with the trapped radiation detector package on board the Pioneer 11 spacecraft is reported. Radiation belt profiles determined by the trapped radiation detectors on Pioneer 10 and 11 indicate that Saturn's magnetosphere is intermediate in size between those of the earth and Jupiter, with particle intensities similar to those of the earth. The outer region of the Saturn magnetosphere is found to contain particles of lower energy than the outer region, being strongly influenced by the time-varying solar wind. The moons and rings of Saturn are observed to be effective absorbers of trapped particles, confirming the discoveries of the F ring, the Pioneer ring division and the moon 1979 S 2. Particle diffusion rates are used to estimate a cross-sectional area of greater than 7 x 10 to the 13th sq cm and an opacity greater than 0.00001 for the F ring. It is suggested that cosmic-ray albedo neutron decay be studied as a possible source of energetic particles in the inner magnetosphere of Saturn.

Fillius, W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A model for dwarf novae as progenitors of Type I supernovae

It is suggested that a Type I supernova event can be produced as a result of accretion at low rates (less than 10 to the -10th solar mass/year) onto the white dwarf component of a dwarf-nova close binary. At these low rates, diffusion of the CNO nuclei out of the accreted hydrogen envelope can occur on the accretion time scale, and nuclear burning will occur mainly by the proton-proton chain. Studies of this process show that, when the CNO abundance in the envelope is less than 0.0025 of solar, no thermonuclear flash occurs and no mass is lost. The result of the evolution is a gradually increasing layer of helium beneath the hydrogen-burning shell.

Starrfield, S.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Nonlinear saturation spectra of electric fields and density fluctuations in drift wave turbulence

The detection of drift waves in the nonlinear evolution of a space plasma process driven at long wavelengths is considered, adducing measurements of the electric field and density fluctuation power spectra as evidence. Since the driving mechanism is clearly at long wavelengths, the detection of drift waves suggests that they may play an important role in the transfer of wave energy from long to short wavelengths in a low beta plasma. The saturated spectral density is compared with theoretical results in order to estimate the anomalous diffusion rate. The observed spectral form and amplitude is in excellent agreement with drift wave predictions.

Kelley, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Diffusion processes in the magnetopause boundary layer

A quantitative estimate is calculated for the effect of wave-particle scattering on the structure of the magnetopause boundary layer. It is assumed that large cross-B electric fields are absent in the observed penetration of magnetosheath plasma into the magnetopause boundary layer, thus allowing for cross-field transport comparable to 10% of the Bohm diffusion. It is shown that magnetosheath ions, resonant with low frequency electrostatic waves, can account for the typical boundary layer thickness when transported at 10% of the diffusion rate 1000 sq km/sec. The conditions are required to occur at all local times and under all interplanetary conditions. Significant mass and momentum transfer are then possible across the magnetopause when field merging is not occurring.

Tsurutani, B. T.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Titan's gas and plasma torus

The implications of the Voyager observations for a steady state model of a torus of hydrogen and nitrogen neutral gas and plasma are assessed. Constraints are placed on the nitrogen neutral density, the neutral hydrogen and nitrogen escape fluxes (from Titan), and the diffusion rate in terms of observed or inferred quantities. The results obtained are consistent with the Voyager observations.

Eviatar, A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Plasmapause diffusion

The Bohm diffusion coefficient and observed electrostatic wave scattering are used as the bases of estimates of the smoothing effect that diffusion may have on steep plasmapause density gradients. The estimate for diffusion resulting from scattering by observed electrostatic waves is found to be much lower than that of the perpendicular Bohm diffusion coefficient for characteristic plasma temperatures and magnetic fields. This diffusion rate estimate may be too small, however, if the wave amplitudes are significantly higher for steep plasmapauses. The effects are therefore negligible for most considerations of macroscopic plasmapause dynamics, but may be significant in limiting drift wave instabilities and similar phenomena driven by the steepness of the plasmapause density gradient.

Horwitz, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Shocks in spherically accreting black holes - A model for classical quasars

Spherically symmetric accretion onto black holes is thought to be very inefficient if the flow is nondissipative because of the inadequacy of compression heating and the short time available to radiate. It is shown that standing shock solutions exist where the downstream protons are heated to temperatures at which the fluid becomes almost collisionless. The material then moves inwards at the much slower diffusion rate given by the p-e energy exchange time scale. For a given accretion rate, a self-consistent shock radius is found by matching the flow equations above and below that value, showing that such shocks can be self-sustaining. Efficiencies reaching up to 0.1-0.3 can be achieved, with most of the luminosity in the hard X-ray and gamma-ray, as well as optical-IR ranges. This provides a new model for the classical (radio-quiet) quasars and active galactic nuclei and possibly for galactic sources such as Cyg X-1.

Meszaros, P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Magnetosphere, Rings, and Moons of Uranus

The observation of an ultraviolet aurora on Uranus implies the existence of a magnetosphere. It is suggested that the magnetospheres of Uranus and Saturn may be very similar. Charged particle sputtering of water ice surfaces on the Uranian moons may maintain an oxygen ion plasma torus similar to the heavy ion plasma torus at Saturn. Atmospheric cosmic ray albedo neutron decay may sustain an inner radiation belt with omnidirectional proton fluxes. If the 100 keV ion fluxes near 7 RU are similar to Saturnian ion fluxes at such energies, the Uranian aurora may be maintained by ion precipitation from the radiation belts at nearly the strong diffusion rate. This mechanism predicts comparable aurorae over both magnetic poles of Uranus, in contrast with the Faraday disc dynamo mechanism, which powers an aurora only over the sunlit pole of uranus. If, however, the 100 kev ion fluxes at Uranus are comparable to those at Saturn, any exposed methane ice surfaces on the moons and rings of Uranus would be quickly transformed by ion impacts to a black, carbonaceous polymer.

Cheng, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The suppression of convective wavebreaking by radiative transfer processes, part 1.3C

Schoeberl et al. (1983) suggested that convective wavebreaking of monochromatic gravity waves might be suppressed by radiative transfer processes if the vertical wavelength waves were sufficiently short. As the vertical wavelength or the gravity wave decreases, radiative transfer between adjacent vertical layers becomes increasingly important. This exchange can increase the radiative relaxation time scale so that the wave will no longer grow with altitude. Thus, very short vertical wavelength waves may dissipate radiatively rather than become convectively unstable. Apruzese and Strobel (1984) have revised the exchange coefficients used in Schoeberl et al. (1983). Also, Chao and Schoeberl (1984) pointed out that the computation made by LINDZEN (1981) of the convective diffusion rate may be a factor of two too low as the convective adjustment processes tends to minimize the thermal transport by the wave. The purpose here is to revise the values given in Schoeberl et al. (1983). These results also suggest that the very thin turbulent layers observed by mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere (MST) radars (e.g., WOODMAN, 1980) cannot be produced by the convective instability of monochromatic gravity waves with large horizontal scales.

Schoeberl, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Aeroacoustic interaction of a distributed vortex with a lifting Joukowski airfoil

A first principles computational aeroacoustics calculation of the flow and noise fields produced by the interaction of a distributed vortex with a lifting Joukowski airfoil is accomplished at the Reynolds number of 200. The case considered is that where the circulations of the vortex and the airfoil are of opposite sign, corresponding to blade vortex interaction on the retreating side of a single helicopter rotor. The results show that the flow is unsteady, even in the absence of the incoming vortex, resulting in trailing edge noise generation. After the vortex is input, it initially experiences a quite rapid apparent diffusion rate produced by stretching in the airfoil velocity gradients. Consideration of the effects of finite vortex size and viscosity causes the noise radiation during the encounter to be much less impulsive than predicted by previous analyses.

Hardin, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Protein crystal growth results from shuttle flight 51-F

The protein crystal growth (PCG) experiments run on 51-F were analyzed. It was found that: (1) sample stability is increased over that observed during the experiments on flight 51-D; (2) the dialysis experiments produced lysozyme crystals that were significantly larger than those obtained in our identical ground-based studies; (3) temperature fluctuations apparently caused problems during the crystallization experiments on 51-F; (4) it is indicated that teflon tape stabilizes droplets on the syringe tips; (5) samples survived during the reentry and landing in glass tips that were not stoppered with plungers; (6) from the ground-based studies, it was expected that equilibration should be complete within 2 to 4 days for all of these vapor-diffusion experiments, thus it appears that the vapor diffusion rates are somewhat slower under microgravity conditions; (7) drop tethering was highly successful, all four of the tethered drops were stable, even though they contained MPD solutions; (8) the PCG experiments on 51-F were done to assess the hardware and experimental procedures that are developed for future flights, when temperature control will be available. Lysozyme crystals obtained by microdialysis are considerably larger than those obtained on the ground, using the identical apparatus and procedures.

Bugg, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Channel waveguides in glass via silver-sodium field-assisted ion exchange

Multimode channel waveguides have been formed in sodium aluminosilicate glass by field-assisted diffusion of Ag(+) ions from vacuum-evaporated Ag films. The two-dimensional refractive index profiles of the waveguides were controlled by varying the diffusion time, the diffusion temperature, and the electric field strength. Estimates of the diffusion rate through a strip aperture were obtained, assuming the electric field was strong 120-240 V/mm. The maximum change in refractive index in the sodium aluminosilicate glasses was estimated near 65 percent of the change in soda-lime silicate glass. The physical properties of the glasses are given in a table.

Forrest, K.↗