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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 NTRS2008

Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) Devices and Mixed-Signal Circuits for Extreme Temperature Applications

Electronic systems in planetary exploration missions and in aerospace applications are expected to encounter extreme temperatures and wide thermal swings in their operational environments. Electronics designed for such applications must, therefore, be able to withstand exposure to extreme temperatures and to perform properly for the duration of the missions. Electronic parts based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology are known, based on device structure, to provide faster switching, consume less power, and offer better radiation-tolerance compared to their silicon counterparts. They also exhibit reduced current leakage and are often tailored for high temperature operation. However, little is known about their performance at low temperature. The performance of several SOI devices and mixed-signal circuits was determined under extreme temperatures, cold-restart, and thermal cycling. The investigations were carried out to establish a baseline on the functionality and to determine suitability of these devices for use in space exploration missions under extreme temperatures. The experimental results obtained on selected SOI devices are presented and discussed in this paper.

Patterson, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2003

Soft Landing of Spacecraft on Energy-Absorbing Self-Deployable Cushions

A report proposes the use of cold hibernated elastic memory (CHEM) foam structures to cushion impacts of small (1 to 50 kg) exploratory spacecraft on remote planets. Airbags, which are used on larger (800 to 1,000 kg) spacecraft have been found to (1) be too complex for smaller spacecraft; (2) provide insufficient thermal insulation between spacecraft and ground; (3) bounce on impact, thereby making it difficult to land spacecraft in precisely designated positions; and (4) be too unstable to serve as platforms for scientific observations. A CHEM foam pad according to the proposal would have a glass-transition temperature (Tg) well above ambient temperature. It would be compacted, at a temperature above Tg, to about a tenth or less of its original volume, then cooled below Tg, then installed on a spacecraft without compacting restraints. Upon entry of the spacecraft into a planetary atmosphere, the temperature would rise above Tg, causing the pad to expand to its original volume and shape. As the spacecraft decelerated and cooled, the temperature would fall below Tg, rigidifying the foam structure. The structure would absorb kinetic energy during ground impact by inelastic crushing, thus protecting the payload from damaging shocks. Thereafter, this pad would serve as a mechanically stable, thermally insulating platform for the landed spacecraft.

Sokolowski, Witold↗
NASA NTRS1985

Atmospheric circulation of Venus

Observational data of Venus are utilized to study rotational effects on atmospheric circulations. The high surface temperature and planetary-scale turbulent motion at cloud tops, and the relation between energy and momentum budget are examined. The limited amount of data available on the vertical and horizontal distribution of net radiative heating, the zonal wind structure, and waves affects the study of the temperature and motion on Venus. The limitations of the scaling analysis used to estimate the properties of the circulation as regards the cyclostrophic balance, the extent of the Hadley circulation, large-scale wave transport, vertical propagation of waves, convection, and turbulence are considered. Hypotheses concerned with the deep, cloud-level, and upper atmospheres of Venus are proposed. Future research in the areas of propagating planetary- scale waves, zonal flow and planetary-scale wave instability processes, and convection is suggested.

Rossow, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Remote temperature sounding in the presence of cloud by zenith scanning

The principles of remote sounding of vertical temperature profiles in planetary atmospheres containing cloud layers are presented for an approach that uses measurements at different angles to the local vertical to eliminate the unknown cloud effects. A numerical example for a model of the earth's atmosphere shows that soundings separated by 40 deg in zenith angle permit the recovery of the temperature profile with an error that is not significantly greater than that obtained in the clear atmosphere case, and without serious horizontal smear. It is proposed that the method will be valuable for the interpretation of measurements made by instruments on spin-stabilized spacecraft on planetary missions, since in these cases the required angular coverage is obtained automatically for most trajectories.

Taylor, F. W.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The effect of C/O ratio on the condensation of planetary material

The condensation temperatures of refractory silicates and oxides in a gas of cosmic composition are strongly dependent on the C/O ratio. As the ratio increases from 0.4 to 0.9, condensation temperatures of compounds such as Al2O3, Ca2Al2SiO7, MgAl2O4, Mg2SiO4, and MgSiO3 decrease by 50-100 degrees. As C/O increases from 0.9 to 1.0, these temperatures drop an additional 300-400 degrees. Other chemical differences result when C/O approximately equals or exceeds 0.9. A new suite of high-temperature minerals appears (graphite, CaS, Fe3C, SiC and TiN); the reaction CO + 3H2 yields CH4 + H2O proceeds to the right at higher temperatures; and iron, whose condensation temperature is unaffected, condenses at higher temperatures than any silicate or oxide.

Larimer, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Planetary fluids at high shock pressures and temperatures

The electrical conductivity of liquid H2 was measured at shock pressures in the range 10-20 GPa and shock temperatures in the range 3000-4500 K. Electrical conductivities of H2 are needed for kinematic or dynamo calculation of the magnetic fields of Jupiter and Saturn. Conductivity measurements also enable observations of the narrowing of the electronic energy bandgap of dense H2 with density as its approaches metallization.

Nellis, W. J.↗
DOE OSTI2011

EFFECTS OF STELLAR FLUX ON TIDALLY LOCKED TERRESTRIAL PLANETS: DEGREE-1 MANTLE CONVECTION AND LOCAL MAGMA PONDS

We model the geodynamical evolution of super-Earth exoplanets in synchronous rotation about their star. While neglecting the effects of a potential atmosphere, we explore the parameter spaces of both the Rayleigh number and intensity of incoming stellar flux, and identify two main stages of mantle convection evolution. The first is a transient stage in which a lithospheric temperature and thickness dichotomy emerges between the substellar and the antistellar hemispheres, while the style of mantle convection is dictated by the Rayleigh number. The second stage is the development of degree-1 mantle convection. Depending on mantle properties, the timescale of onset of this second stage of mantle evolution varies from order 1 to 100 billion years of simulated planetary evolution. Planets with higher Rayleigh numbers (due to, for instance, larger planetary radii than the Earth) and planets whose incoming stellar flux is high (likely for most detectable exoplanets) will develop degree-1 mantle convection most quickly, on the order of 1 billion years, which is within the age of many planetary systems. Surface temperatures range from 220 K to 830 K, implying the possibility of liquid water in some regions near the surface. These results are discussed in the context of stable molten magma ponds on hotter planets, and the habitability of super-Earths which may lie outside the Habitable Zone.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2017

Advantage of Animal Models with Metabolic Flexibility for Space Research Beyond Low Earth Orbit

As the worlds space agencies and commercial entities continue to expand beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), novel approaches to carry out biomedical experiments with animals are required to address the challenge of adaptation to space flight and new planetary environments. The extended time and distance of space travel along with reduced involvement of Earth-based mission support increases the cumulative impact of the risks encountered in space. To respond to these challenges, it becomes increasingly important to develop the capability to manage an organisms self-regulatory control system, which would enable survival in extraterrestrial environments. To significantly reduce the risk to animals on future long duration space missions, we propose the use of metabolically flexible animal models as pathfinders, which are capable of tolerating the environmental extremes exhibited in spaceflight, including altered gravity, exposure to space radiation, chemically reactive planetary environments and temperature extremes.In this report we survey several of the pivotal metabolic flexibility studies and discuss the importance of utilizing animal models with metabolic flexibility with particular attention given to the ability to suppress the organism's metabolism in spaceflight experiments beyond LEO. The presented analysis demonstrates the adjuvant benefits of these factors to minimize damage caused by exposure to spaceflight and extreme planetary environments. Examples of microorganisms and animal models with dormancy capabilities suitable for space research are considered in the context of their survivability under hostile or deadly environments outside of Earth. Potential steps toward implementation of metabolic control technology in spaceflight architecture and its benefits for animal experiments and manned space exploration missions are discussed.

metabolic flexibility↗
NASA NTRS2017

Advantage of Animal Models with Metabolic Flexibility for Space Research Beyond Low Earth Orbit

As the world's space agencies and commercial entities continue to expand beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), novel approaches to carry out biomedical experiments with animals are required to address the challenge of adaptation to space flight and new planetary environments. The extended time and distance of space travel along with reduced involvement of Earth-based mission support increases the cumulative impact of the risks encountered in space. To respond to these challenges, it becomes increasingly important to develop the capability to manage an organism's self-regulatory control system, which would enable survival in extraterrestrial environments. To significantly reduce the risk to animals on future long duration space missions, we propose the use of metabolically flexible animal models as "pathfinders," which are capable of tolerating the environmental extremes exhibited in spaceflight, including altered gravity, exposure to space radiation, chemically reactive planetary environments and temperature extremes. In this report we survey several of the pivotal metabolic flexibility studies and discuss the importance of utilizing animal models with metabolic flexibility with particular attention given to the ability to suppress the organism's metabolism in spaceflight experiments beyond LEO. The presented analysis demonstrates the adjuvant benefits of these factors to minimize damage caused by exposure to spaceflight and extreme planetary environments. Examples of microorganisms and animal models with dormancy capabilities suitable for space research are considered in the context of their survivability under hostile or deadly environments outside of Earth. Potential steps toward implementation of metabolic control technology in spaceflight architecture and its benefits for animal experiments and manned space exploration missions are discussed.

metabilic flexibility↗
NASA NTRS1990

Methane overtone absorption by intracavity laser spectroscopy

Interpretation of planetary methane (CH4) visible-near IR spectra, used to develop models of planetary atmospheres, has been hampered by a lack of suitable laboratory spectroscopic data. The particular CH4 spectral bands are due to intrinsically weak, high overtone-combination transitions too complex for classical spectroscopic analysis. The traditional multipass cell approach to measuring spectra of weakly absorbing species is insufficiently sensitive to yield reliable results for some of the weakest CH4 absorption features and is difficult to apply at the temperatures of the planetary environments. A time modulated form of intracavity laser spectroscopy (ILS), has been shown to provide effective absorption pathlengths of 100 to 200 km with sample cells less than 1 m long. The optical physics governing this technique and the experimental parameters important for obtaining reliable, quantitative results are now well understood. Quantitative data for CH4 absorption obtained by ILS have been reported recently. Illustrative ILS data for CH4 absorption in the 619.7 nm and 681.9 nm bands are presented. New ILS facilities at UM-St. Louis will be used to measure CH4 absorption in the 700 to 1000 nm region under conditions appropriate to the planetary atmospheres.

Obrien, James J.↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Inner Edge of the Habitable Zone for Synchronously Rotating Planets Around Low-Mass Stars Using General Circulation Models

Terrestrial planets at the inner edge of the habitable zone (HZ) of late-K and M-dwarf stars are expected to be in synchronous rotation, as a consequence of strong tidal interactions with their host stars. Previous global climate model (GCM) studies have shown that, for slowly rotating planets, strong convection at the substellar point can create optically thick water clouds, increasing the planetary albedo, and thus stabilizing the climate against a thermal runaway. However these studies did not use self-consistent orbital/rotational periods for synchronously rotating planets placed at different distances from the host star. Here we provide new estimates of the inner edge of the HZ for synchronously rotating terrestrial planets around late-K and M-dwarf stars using a 3D Earth-analog GCM with self-consistent relationships between stellar metallicity, stellar effective temperature, and the planetary orbital/rotational period. We find that both atmospheric dynamics and the efficacy of the substellar cloud deck are sensitive to the precise rotation rate of the planet. Around mid-to-late M-dwarf stars with low metallicity, planetary rotation rates at the inner edge of the HZ become faster, and the inner edge of the HZ is farther away from the host stars than in previous GCM studies. For an Earth-sized planet, the dynamical regime of the substellar clouds begins to transition as the rotation rate approaches ∼10 days. These faster rotation rates produce stronger zonal winds that encircle the planet and smear the substellar clouds around it, lowering the planetary albedo, and causing the onset of the water-vapor greenhouse climatic instability to occur at up to ∼25% lower incident stellar fluxes than found in previous GCM studies. For mid-to-late M-dwarf stars with high metallicity and for mid-K to early-M stars, we agree with previous studies.

Planet and satellite atmospheres↗
DOE OSTI2014

Water vapor in the spectrum of the extrasolar planet HD 189733b. I. The transit

We report near-infrared spectroscopy of the gas giant planet HD 189733b in transit. We used the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (HST WFC3) with its G141 grism covering 1.1 μm to 1.7 μm and spatially scanned the image across the detector at 2'' s{sup –1}. When smoothed to 75 nm bins, the local maxima of the transit depths in the 1.15 μm and 1.4 μm water vapor features are, respectively, 83 ± 53 ppm and 200 ± 47 ppm greater than the local minimum at 1.3 μm. We compare the WFC3 spectrum with the composite transit spectrum of HD 189733b assembled by Pont et al., extending from 0.3 μm to 24 μm. Although the water vapor features in the WFC3 spectrum are compatible with the model of non-absorbing, Rayleigh-scattering dust in the planetary atmosphere, we also re-interpret the available data with a clear planetary atmosphere. In the latter interpretation, the slope of increasing transit depth with shorter wavelengths from the near infrared, through the visible, and into the ultraviolet is caused by unocculted star spots, with a smaller contribution of Rayleigh scattering by molecular hydrogen in the planet's atmosphere. At relevant pressures along the terminator, our model planetary atmosphere's temperature is ∼700 K, which is below the condensation temperatures of sodium- and potassium-bearing molecules, causing the broad wings of the spectral lines of Na I and K I at 0.589 μm and 0.769 μm to be weak.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1980

Predictions of mineral assemblages in planetary interiors

It is shown that mineral compatibilities in the model system CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 can be applied to deduce the mineral assemblages expected in planetary interiors and their variation with depth. In general, the available estimates of bulk composition of the terrestrial planets suggest that the terrestrial planets can be divided into two groups based on their predicted mineral assemblages. The terrestrial, Venusian, and lunar bulk compositions are expected to display the following sequence of mineral assemblages with increasing pressure: plagioclase lherzolite, spinel lherzolite, and garnet lherzolite. The sequences expected in Martian and Mercurian are different: spinel-plagioclase wehrlite, spinel lherzolite, and spinel-garnet wehrlite. These assemblages have a major influence on the compositions of liquids produced by melting of these planetary interiors, on the solidus temperatures, and thus on the nature of planetary differentiation and the types of magmas extruded at planetary surfaces.

Stolper, E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

First Atmospheric Science Results from the Mars Exploration Rovers Mini-TES

Thermal infrared spectra of the martian atmosphere taken by the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) were used to determine the atmospheric temperatures in the planetary boundary layer and the column-integrated optical depth of aerosols. Mini-TES observations show the diurnal variation of the martian boundary layer thermal structure, including a near-surface superadiabatic layer during the afternoon and an inversion layer at night. Upward-looking Mini-TES observations show warm and cool parcels of air moving through the Mini-TES field of view on a time scale of 30 seconds. The retrieved dust optical depth shows a downward trend at both sites.

Mars↗
DOE OSTI2016

REFLECTED LIGHT CURVES, SPHERICAL AND BOND ALBEDOS OF JUPITER- AND SATURN-LIKE EXOPLANETS

Reflected light curves observed for exoplanets indicate that a few of them host bright clouds. We estimate how the light curve and total stellar heating of a planet depends on forward and backward scattering in the clouds based on Pioneer and Cassini spacecraft images of Jupiter and Saturn. We fit analytical functions to the local reflected brightnesses of Jupiter and Saturn depending on the planet’s phase. These observations cover broadbands at 0.59–0.72 and 0.39–0.5 μ m, and narrowbands at 0.938 (atmospheric window), 0.889 (CH4 absorption band), and 0.24–0.28 μ m. We simulate the images of the planets with a ray-tracing model, and disk-integrate them to produce the full-orbit light curves. For Jupiter, we also fit the modeled light curves to the observed full-disk brightness. We derive spherical albedos for Jupiter and Saturn, and for planets with Lambertian and Rayleigh-scattering atmospheres. Jupiter-like atmospheres can produce light curves that are a factor of two fainter at half-phase than the Lambertian planet, given the same geometric albedo at transit. The spherical albedo is typically lower than for a Lambertian planet by up to a factor of ∼1.5. The Lambertian assumption will underestimate the absorption of the stellar light and the equilibrium temperature of the planetary atmosphere. We also compare our light curves with the light curves of solid bodies: the moons Enceladus and Callisto. Their strong backscattering peak within a few degrees of opposition (secondary eclipse) can lead to an even stronger underestimate of the stellar heating.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

In situ and ex situ formation models of Kepler 11 planets

We present formation simulations of the six Kepler 11 planets. Models assume either in situ or ex situ assembly, the latter with migration, and are evolved to the estimated age of the system, ≈8 Gyr. Models combine detailed calculations of both the gaseous envelope and the condensed core structures, including accretion of gas and solids, of the disk’s viscous and thermal evolution, including photo-evaporation and disk-planet interactions, and of the planet’s evaporative mass loss after disk dispersal. Planet–planet interactions are neglected. Both sets of simulations successfully reproduce measured radii, masses, and orbital distances of the planets, except for the radius of Kepler 11b, which loses its entire gaseous envelope shortly after formation. Gaseous (H+He) envelopes account for ≲18% of the planet masses, and between ≈35 and ≈60% of the planet radii. In situ models predict a very massive inner disk, whose solid surface density (σ{sub Z}) varies from over 10{sup 4} to ≈10{sup 3} g cm{sup −2} at stellocentric distances 0.1≲r≲0.5 au. Initial gas densities would be in excess of 10{sup 5} g cm{sup −2} if solids formed locally. Given the high disk temperatures (≳1000 K), planetary interiors can only be composed of metals and highly refractory materials. Sequestration of hydrogen by the core and subsequent outgassing is required to account for the observed radius of Kepler 11b. Ex situ models predict a relatively low-mass disk, whose initial σ{sub Z} varies from ≈10 to ≈5 g cm{sup −2} at 0.5≲r≲7 au and whose initial gas density ranges from ≈10{sup 3} to ≈100 g cm{sup −2}. All planetary interiors are expected to be rich in H{sub 2}O, as core assembly mostly occurs exterior to the ice condensation front. Kepler 11b is expected to have a steam atmosphere, and H{sub 2}O is likely mixed with H+He in the envelopes of the other planets. Results indicate that Kepler 11g may not be more massive than Kepler 11e.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗