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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 NTRS1978

A chemical study of the impact glasses and basalts from Lonar Crater, India

Twenty-nine elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in two impact glasses and four basalts from Lonar Crater, India, and the glasses and the underlying core basalt samples are found to be very similar in major, minor, and trace element abundances. This finding seems to indicate that impact-induced chemical fractionation during formation of the glasses from basalt is minimal for many of the principal rock and mineral-forming elements. Since most volatile trace elements were not determined in this study, differences in the volatile trace element contents of the glasses and basalts can not be excluded.

Stroube, W. B., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Some aspects of analytical chemistry as applied to water quality assurance techniques for reclaimed water: The potential use of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for automated on-line fast real-time simultaneous multi-component analysis of inorganic pollutants in reclaimed water

The potential use of isotopically excited energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry for automated on line fast real time (5 to 15 minutes) simultaneous multicomponent (up to 20) trace (1 to 10 parts per billion) analysis of inorganic pollutants in reclaimed water was examined. Three anionic elements (chromium 6, arsenic and selenium) were studied. The inherent lack of sensitivity of XRF spectrometry for these elements mandates use of a preconcentration technique and various methods were examined, including: several direct and indirect evaporation methods; ion exchange membranes; selective and nonselective precipitation; and complexation processes. It is shown tha XRF spectrometry itself is well suited for automated on line quality assurance, and can provide a nondestructive (and thus sample storage and repeat analysis capabilities) and particularly convenient analytical method. Further, the use of an isotopically excited energy dispersive unit (50 mCi Cd-109 source) coupled with a suitable preconcentration process can provide sufficient sensitivity to achieve the current mandated minimum levels of detection without the need for high power X-ray generating tubes.

Ling, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Identification of the projectile at the Brent crater, and further considerations of projectile types at terrestrial craters

An analysis of impact melt samples from a drill hole at the Brent crater in Ontario for siderophile trace elements indicative of meteoritic contamination, has resulted in 823-857 m-deep basalt melt zone samples enriched in Ir, Os, Pd, Ni, Co, Cr and Se over basement. The abundance pattern suggests a chondritic projectile and, from a Ni-Cr correlation of 10 melt samples, an L or LL chondrite is inferred. Data from the Manicouagan, Mitastin, and Zhamanshin craters are also assessed, and large differences in siderophile element concentrations are found among the tektites which otherwise have similar chemical compositions. There are now four known craters formed by chondrites, with Brent being the smallest among them.

Palme, H.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Stochastic Models of Human Errors

Humans play an important role in the overall reliability of engineering systems. More often accidents and systems failure are traced to human errors. Therefore, in order to have meaningful system risk analysis, the reliability of the human element must be taken into consideration. Describing the human error process by mathematical models is a key to analyzing contributing factors. Therefore, the objective of this research effort is to establish stochastic models substantiated by sound theoretic foundation to address the occurrence of human errors in the processing of the space shuttle.

Elshamy, Maged↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mantle Source Mineralogy Inferred from Incompatible Element Ratios in Shergottites

The mineralogy of the martian mantle is a poorly known but vital compositional parameter. In the absence of samples of martian mantle peridotites, the mineralogy has been inferred from bulk composition constrained by a mix of cosmochemical and martian meteoritic constraints. Such a mineralogy reflects the primordial mantle composition, but mantle source regions that differentiated from a magma ocean are not likely to have the same mineralogy as bulk silicate Mars. An alternative approach is to infer source mineralogy of the martian mantle from the analysis of incompatible elements in shergottites. In a recent study, we showed that the general compatibility order of trace lithophile elements in martian mantle is similar to that of MORB mantle, with some exceptions. Compared to MORB mantle, in martian mantle: (1) highly incompatible elements (Th, Nb, Ta and U) are less incompatible relative to La; (2) K is significantly more compatible with respect to other elements; and (3) the HREEs are more compatible. In this study, we calculated effective partition coefficients of trace elements directly from martian igneous meteorites and used this data to infer the source mineralogy of the martian mantle.

Mars↗
NASA NTRS1973

Trace element abundances and petrology of separates from Apollo 15 soils

Nine petrographically distinct separates from Apollo 15 coarse soils were characterized by electron microprobe and analyzed by neutron activation analysis for Ag, Au, Bi, Br, Cd, Cs, Ge, In, Ir, Rb, Re, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, U, and Zn. Like some alkali-poor anorthosites from Apollo 16, 15102 anorthosite is low in meteoritic siderophiles but enriched in Tl, perhaps by volcanic processes. Norites from 15102 and troctolites from 15302 are lower in KREEP than are Apollo 12 or 14 norites. A possible progenitor of KREEP-rich norite breccias has been found: a mesostasis-rich basalt from 15272 high in KREEP-related elements, but very low in the siderophiles Ir, Re, Au, Sb, and Ge, and hence lacking the ancient meteoritic component that occurs in all lunar norites. At least two varieties of ancient meteoritic component are present in the soil separates from this site, consistent with the complex impact history of the Pre-Imbrian surface.

Morgan, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Trace element analyses of spheres from the melt zone of the Greenland ice cap using synchrotron X ray fluorescence

Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence spectra of unpolished iron and chondritic spheres extracted from sediments collected on the melt zone of the Greenland ice cap allow the analysis of Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Pb, and Se with minimum detection limits on the order of several parts per million. All detected elements are depleted relative to chondritic abundance with the exception of Pb, which shows enrichments up to a factor of 500. An apparent anticorrelation between the Ni-content and trace element concentration was observed in both types of spherules. The fractionation patterns of the iron and chondritic spheres are not complementary and consequently the two iron spheres examined in this study are unlikely to result from ejection of globules of Fe/Ni from parent chondritic micrometeoroids.

Chevallier, P.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Reference earth orbital research and applications investigations (blue book). Volume 7: Technology

The candidate experiment program for manned space stations with specific application to technology disciplines is presented. The five functional program elements are devoted to the development of new technology for application to future generation spacecraft and experiments. The functional program elements are as follows: (1) monitor and trace movement of external contaminants to determine methods for controlling contamination, (2) analysis of fundamentals of fluid systems management, (3) extravehicular activity, (4) advanced spacecraft systems tests, and (5) development of teleoperator system for use with space activities.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1982

Complementary rare earth element patterns in unique achondrites, such as ALHA 77005 and shergottites, and in the earth

Abundances of major, minor, and trace elements are determined in the Antarctic achondrite Allan Hills (ALHA) 77005 via sequential instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis. The rare earth element (REE) abundances of ALHA 77005 reveal a unique chondritic normalized pattern; that is, the REEs are nearly unfractionated from La to Pr at approximately 1.0X chondrites, monotonically increased from Pr to Gd at approximately 3.4X with no Eu anomaly, nearly unfractionated from Gd and Ho and monotonically decreased from Ho to Lu at approximately 2.2X. It is noted that this unique REE pattern of ALHA 77005 can be modeled by a melting process involving a continuous melting and progressive partial removal of melt from a light REE enriched source material. In a model of this type, ALHA 77005 could represent either a crystallized cumulate from such a melt or the residual source material. Calculations show that the parent liquids for the shergottites could also be derived from a light REE enriched source material similar to that for ALHA 77005.

Ma, M.-S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Meteoritic ablation and fusion spherules in Antarctic ice

In the course of two Antarctic expeditions in 1980/1981 and 1982/1983 approximately 4 metric tons of documented ice samples were collected from the Atka Bay Ice Shelf, Antarctica, and subsequently shipped for cosmic dust studies. After filtration of the melt water, approximately 700 Antarctic spherules (AAS) in the size range of 5 to 500 microns were handpicked from the filter residue under optical microscopes. For the chemical investigation of single dust grains the following techniques were applied: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray analysis (EDAX), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA), and accelerator mass spectroscopy (AMS). For more than 95% of the total mass the bulk and trace elements were determined in single grain analyses using EDAX, INAA, and LAMMA. The element pattern of the dust particles was compared with that of typical terrestrial material and meteoritic matter. The majority of the spherules exhibited elemental compositions compatible with meteoritic element patterns.

Thiel, K.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Lunar Meteorite Queen Alexandra Range 93069 and the Iron Concentration of the Lunar Highlands Surface

Lunar meteorite Queen Alexandra Range 93069 is a clast-rich, glassy-matrix regolith breccia of ferroan, highly aluminous bulk composition. It is similar in composition to other feldspathic lunar meteorites but differs in having higher concentrations of siderophile elements and incompatible trace elements. Based on electron microprobe analyses of the fusion crust, glassy matrix, and clasts, and instrumental neutron activation analysis of breccia fragments, QUE 93069 is dominated by nonmare components of ferroan, noritic- anorthosite bulk composition. Thin section QUE 93069,31 also contains a large, impact-melted, partially devitrified clast of magnesian, anorthositic-norite composition. The enrichment in Fe, Sc, and Cr and lower Mg/Fe ratio of lunar meteorites Yamato 791197 and Yamato 82192/3 compared to other feldspathic lunar meteorites can be attributed to a small proportion (5-10%) of low-Ti mare basalt. It is likely that the non- mare components of Yamato 82192/3 are similar to and occur in similar abundance to those of Yamato 86032, with which it is paired. There is a significant difference between the average FeO concentration of the lunar highlands surface as inferred from the feldspathic lunar meteorites (mean: approx. 5.0%; range: 4.3-6.1 %) and a recent estimate based on data from the Clementine mission (3.6%).

Korotev, Randy L.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Pyroxenes in Martian meteorites as petrogenetic indicators

Pyroxenes in Martian meteorites are important recorders of petrogenetic processes. Understanding the details of pyroxene major and minor element compositional variations can provide important insights into those processes. A combination of careful petrographic analysis of natural samples and experimental crystallization studies can lead to better understanding of the processes that gave rise to these samples on Mars. In addition, experimentally determined major, minor and trace element partition coefficients are important for using natural pyroxenes to estimate the compositions of the melts from which they crystallized and the oxidation conditions that prevailed during crystallization. We will report on minor element (Al, Ti, Cr) zoning in nakhlite pyroxenes and in synthetic pyroxenes that we have grown for the purposes of determining pyroxene/melt partition coefficients for Sr and REE. The natural pyroxenes have patchy Al zoning that, by analogy with our experimental pyroxenes, we interpret as sector zoning. The irregular patchy nature of the zoning is probably the result of the vagaries of growth kinetics and local environment during crystal growth. More slowly cooled nakhlites have the most distinct bimodal zoning, with one mode having Al2O3 around 0.5-0.6 wt%, and the other around 0.9 %. Average Al content increases with increasing cooling rate. This feature is puzzling, since the cumulus pyroxenes were almost certainly present at the time of eruption. Al and Ti are strongly correlated, but Cr is completely decoupled from those elements. The synthetic pyroxenes are distinctly sector zoned in Al and Ti, and the sector-to-sector variation in Al within a single crystal has important effects on trace element partition coefficients. Trivalent REE are strongly correlated with Al, while divalent elements (Sr, Eu+2) show a significantly weaker correlation. For example, as the Al2O3 content varies from 0.3 to 0.6 wt % from one sector to another, D(Gd) increases by approx.80% while D(Sr) and D(Eu) only increase by 20-30% at oxygen fugacities near IW. The different Al dependency of D for trivalent REE vs. divalent Eu and Sr considerably complicates the calibration of the Eu oxybarometer.

McKay, Gordon↗
NASA NTRS1971

Photogrammetric and photometric investigation of a smoke plume viewed from space.

Use of detailed analyses of an Apollo 6 stereographic photograph of a smoke plume which originated in southern Arizona and crossed over into Mexico to illustrate how high-resolution photography can aid meteorologists in evaluating specific air pollution events. Photogrammetric analysis of the visible smoke plume revealed that the plume was 8.06 miles long and attained a maximum width of 4000 ft, 3.0 miles from the 570-ft chimney emitting the effluent. Stereometric analysis showed that the visible top of the plume rose nearly 2400 ft above stack top, attaining 90% of this total rise 1.75 miles downwind from the source. Photometric analysis of the plume revealed a field of plume optical density that portrayed leptokurtic and bimodal distributions rather than a true Gaussian distribution. A horizontal eddy diffusivity of about 650,000 sq cm/sec and a vertical eddy diffusivity of 230,000 sq cm/sec were determined from the plume dimensions. Neutron activation analysis of plume samples revealed the elemental composition of the smoke to be copper, arsenic, selenium, indium and antimony, with trace amounts of vanadium and scandium.

Randerson, D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Trace geochemistry of lunar material

The lunar samples from the Apollo 16 and 17 flights which were analyzed include soil, igneous rock, anorthositic gabbro, orange soil, subfloor basalt, and norite breccia. Up to 57 elements including majors, minors, rare earths and other trace elements were determined in the lunar samples. The analytical techniques used were spark source mass spectrometry and neutron activation analysis. The latter was done either instrumentally or with group radiochemical separations. The differences in abundances of the elements in lunar soils at the various sites are discussed. With regard to the major elements only Si is about the same at all the sites. A detailed analysis which was performed on a sample of the Allende meteorite is summarized.

Morrison, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Air pollution source identification

Techniques for air pollution source identification are reviewed, and some results obtained with them are evaluated. Described techniques include remote sensing from satellites and aircraft, on-site monitoring, and the use of injected tracers and pollutants themselves as tracers. The use of a large number of trace elements in ambient airborne particulate matter as a practical means of identifying sources is discussed in detail. Sampling and analysis techniques are described, and it is shown that elemental constituents can be related to specific source types such as those found in the earth's crust and those associated with specific industries. Source identification sytems are noted which utilize charged particle X-ray fluorescence analysis of original field data.

Fordyce, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Chemical characterization of lunar core 60009

A total of 27 major, minor and trace element abundances in 27 fine fractions (smaller than 1 mm) of core 60009 were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The core was divided into five chemically defined stratigraphic units. Unit 1, 0.5 to 11.5 cm, is characterized by low Ca and Al abundances which increase towards the base of the unit and high ferromagnesian element abundances. Unit 2, 11.5 to 19.8 cm, has higher abundances of Ca and Al and lower abundances of ferromagnesian elements than unit 1 and is much more uniform. Unit 3, 19.8 to 25.7 cm is very similar to unit 1 and may have been derived from the same source region. Unit 4, 25.7 to 29.6 cm, has the highest Ca and Al abundances of all the units defined and the lowest abundances of ferromagnesian elements. The ferromagnesian elements generally decrease in abundance towards the base of the unit. This unit exhibits a positive Eu anomaly. Unit 5, 29.6 to 31.5 cm, has the lowest Ca and Al abundances and highest ferromagnesian abundances of all the units. The unit boundaries correspond well with major unit boundaries characterized by Duke and Nagle (1974) on the basis of textural parameters, structure, composition and thickness of layers.

Ali, M. Z.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Design of laminated plates for maximum buckling load

The buckling load of laminated plates having midplane symmetry is maximized for a given total thickness. The thicknesses of the layers are taken as the design variables. Buckling analysis is carried out using the finite element method. The optimality equations are solved by a homotopy method which permits tracing optima as a function of total thickness. It is shown that for any design with a given stacking sequence of ply orientations, there exists a design associated with any other stacking sequence which possesses the same bending stiffness matrix and same total thickness. Hence, from the optimum design for a given stacking sequence, one can directly determine the optimum design for any rearrangement of the ply orientations, and the optimum buckling load is independent of the stacking sequence.

Shin, Yung S.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sample screening of uranium ore concentrates using portable spectrophotometers: investigating the correlation between visible colors and chemical signatures

A research collaboration between the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration examined nuclear forensic signatures and analytical methods for tracing the origins of uranium ore concentrates (UOCs). Here, this study focuses on utilizing portable spectrophotometers capable of reflectance measurements in the visible light spectrum as a potential rapid screening tool for nuclear forensics analysis. Unlike laboratory-based near-infrared spectroscopy or digital image analysis, this research investigated the potential to correlate visible color measurements with key nuclear forensics signatures using seven types of UOC samples with known origins and three UOC certified reference materials. Results demonstrated that distinct color groups, quantified using CIELAB values, correlated with major uranium compounds. Furthermore, the findings indicated that trace elements can influence the UOC colors, providing additional insights into material characteristics. Although this approach requires further validation across a broader range of UOC species, this study demonstrated that simple colorimetric analysis using visible spectrophotometry, which does not require complex sample preparation or data processing, can serve as a practical and novel rapid tool for preliminary screening and attribution in nuclear forensics investigations.

and nuclear chemistry↗