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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

South-North and radial traverses through the interplanetary dust cloud

Identical in situ dust detectors are flown on board the Galileo and Ulysses spacecraft. They record impacts of micrometeoroids in the ecliptic plane at heliocentric distances from 0.7 to 5.4 AU and in a plane almost perpendicular to the ecliptic from -79 deg to +79 deg ecliptic latitude. The combination of both Ulysses and Galileo measurements yield information about the radial and latitudinal distributions of micron and sub-micron sized dust in the solar system. Two types of dust particles were found to dominate the dust flux in interplanetary space: (1) Interplanetary micrometeoroids covering a wide mass range from 10(exp -16) to 10(exp -6) gr are mostly recorded inside 3 AU, and at latitudes below 30 deg; and (2) Interstellar grains with masses between 10(exp -14) and 10(exp -12) gr have been positively identified outside 3 AU near the ecliptic plane and outside 1.8 AU at high ecliptic latitudes (> 50 deg). Interstellar grains move on hyperbolic trajectories through the planetary system and constitute the dominant dust flux (1.5 x 10(exp -4)/ sq m sec) in the outer solar system and at high ecliptic latitudes. In order to compare and analyze the Galileo and Ulysses data sets, a new model is developed based on Divine's (1993) "Five populations of interplanetary meteoroids" model. By using this model, which takes into account the measured velocities and the effect of radiation pressure on small particles, we define four populations of meteoroids on elliptical orbits plus one population on hyperbolic orbits that all can fit the micrometeoroid flux observed by Galileo and Ulysses.

Gruen, E.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Center for Space Construction

The Center for Space Construction (CSC) at University of Colorado at Boulder is one of eight University Space Engineering Research Centers established by NASA in 1988. The mission of the Center is to conduct research into space technology and to directly contribute to space engineering education. The Center reports to the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences and resides in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The College has a long and successful track record of cultivating multi-disciplinary research and education programs. The Center for Space Construction represents prominent evidence of this record. The basic concept on which the Center was founded is the in-space construction of large space systems, such as space stations, interplanetary space vehicles, and extraterrestrial space structures. Since 1993, the scope of CSC research has evolved to include the design and construction of all spacecraft, large and small. With the broadened scope our research projects seek to impact the technological basis for spacecraft such as remote sensing satellites, communication satellites and other special-purpose spacecraft, as well as large space platforms. A summary of accomplishments, including student participation and degrees awarded, during the contract period is presented.

Su, Renjeng↗
NASA NTRS2003

Asteroids as Propulsion Systems of Space Ships

Currently, rockets are used to change the trajectory of space ships and probes. This method is very expensive and requires a lot of fuel, which limits the feasibility of space stations, interplanetary space ships, and probes. Sometimes space probes use the gravity field of a planet However, there am only nine planets in the Solar System, all separated by great distances. There are tons of millions of asteroids in outer space. This paper offers a revolutionary method for changing the trajectory of space probes. The method uses the kinetic or rotary energy of asteroids, comet nuclei, meteorites or other space bodies (small planets, natural planetary satellites, space debris, etc.) to increase (to decrease) ship (probe) speed up to 1000 m/sec (or more) and to achieve any new direction in outer space. The flight possibilities of space ships and probes are increased by a factor of millions.

Bolonkin, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS2002

Employment of Asteroids for Movement Space Ship and Probes

At present, rockets are used to change the trajectory of space ships and probes. This method is very expensive and requires a lot of fuel, which limits the feasibility of space stations, interplanetary space ships, and probes. Sometimes space probes use the gravity field of a planet. However, there are only 9 planets in our solar system and they are separated by great distances. There are tens of millions of asteroids in outer space. The author offers a revolutionary method for changing the trajectory of space probes. This method uses the kinetic or rotary energy of asteroids, meteorites or other space bodies (small planets, natural planet satellites, etc.). to increase (to decrease) ship (probe) speed up to 1000 m/sec (or more) and to get any new direction in outer space. The flight possibilities of space ships and probes are increased by a factor of millions.

Bolonkin, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS1964

After now, what then in space.

Satellite measurement programs for solar surface, interstellar space, planetary magnetosphere, interplanetary space, and extraterrestrial life studies

EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Particle Acceleration and Alfv’en Wave Generation at the April 4, 2001 Interplanetary Shock

Based on the theory of diffusive shock acceleration of charged particles, we investigate the formation of proton spectra and the generation of an Alfv’en turbulence spectrum by accelerated (storm) particles at the interplanetary shock front in the event occurred at 14:22 UT on April 4, 2001. We formulate a scenario whereby a satisfactory theoretical description of the observed proton and Alfv’en wave spectra obtained from measurements becomes possible: the propagation of solar cosmic rays in interplanetary space before the interplanetary shock arrival at the Earth’s orbit creates an enhanced level of Alfv’en turbulence in the solar wind, which reduces the diffusion coefficient of particles and increases the efficiency of their acceleration.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

ESTIMATION OF THE RELEASE TIME OF SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLES NEAR THE SUN

This paper investigates the onset time of solar energetic particle (SEP) events with numerical simulations and analyzes the accuracy of the velocity dispersion analysis (VDA) method. Using a three-dimensional focused transport model, we calculate the fluxes of protons observed in the ecliptic at 1 AU in the energy range between 10 MeV and 80 MeV. In particular, three models are used to describe different SEP sources produced by flare or coronal shock, and the effects of particle perpendicular diffusion in the interplanetary space are also studied. We have the following findings. When the observer is disconnected from the source, the effects of perpendicular diffusion in the interplanetary space and particles propagating in the solar atmosphere have a significant influence on the VDA results. As a result, although the VDA method is valid with impulsive source duration, low background, and weak scattering in the interplanetary space or fast diffusion in the solar atmosphere, the method is not valid with gradual source duration, high background, or strong scattering.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2005

A study of spacecraft charging due to exposure to interplanetary protons

The interplanetary space environment is composed mostly of plasma from the solar wind and high energy protons from solar events such as coronal mass ejections. Satellites orbiting Earth are shielded to some degree from these events by the Earth's magnetic field but spacecraft traveling between planets are exposed to these solar protons directly. A major concern for spacecraft is internal electrostatic discharge (IESD), a form of spacecraft charging. The majority of research regarding IESD has been concerned with the electrons in the space environment around the Earth and at Jupiter; little research has been done on the charging of spacecraft in interplanetary space due to solar event protons. This paper reviews the work done so far on IESD due to protons and provides a possible example of an anomaly due to a proton induced discharge in interplanetary space on the Galileo spacecraft.

proton↗
NASA NTRS1999

A New View of the Origin of the Solar Wind

This paper uses white-light measurements made by the SOHO LASCO coronagraph and HAO Mauna Loa Mk III K-coronameter to illustrate the new view of solar wind structure deduced originally from radio occultation measurements. It is shown that the density profile closest to the Sun at 1.15 Ro, representing the imprint of the Sun, is carried essentially radially into interplanetary space by small-scale raylike structures that permeate the solar corona and which have only been observed by radio occultation measurements. The only exception is the small volume of interplanetary space occupied by the heliospheric plasma sheet that evolves from coronal streamers within a few solar radii of the Sun. The radial preservation of the density profile also implies that a significant fraction of field lines which extend into interplanetary space originate from the quiet Sun, and are indistinguishable in character from those emanating from polar coronal holes. The white-light measurements dispel the long-held belief that the boundaries of polar coronal holes diverge significantly, and further support the view originally proposed that the fast solar wind originates from the quiet Sun as well as polar coronal holes.

Woo, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1976

Solar cosmic ray measurements at high heliocentric latitudes

A brief review is presented of what might result from a program of solar cosmic ray observations on 'out-of-the-ecliptic' spacecraft. The following topics are discussed: (1) The magnetic fields of the sun at high latitudes, (2) propagation of fast charged particles in the solar corona and in interplanetary space at high latitudes, (3) origin of interplanetary particle populations and the solar wind, (4) other particle phenomena in interplanetary space (e.g., acceleration of shock waves), and (5) effect of spacecraft mission characteristics on solar cosmic ray studies at high latitudes. Maps of polar coronal magnetic fields are shown.

Anderson, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Interplanetary MeV electrons of Jovian origin

Observations of low energy electron increases observed in interplanetary space on Pioneer 10 are reported as it approached Jupiter. These discrete bursts were several hundred times the normal quiet-time electron flux, and became more frequent as one approached Jupiter resulting in the quasi-continuous presence of large fluxes of these electrons in interplanetary space. It is noted that the integrated flux from quiet-time electrons is comparable to the integrated ambient electron flux itself. In addition, the spectrum of electrons observed in Jupiter's magnetosphere, on Pioneer 10 in interplanetary space near Jupiter, for the quiet-time increases near the earth, and for the ambient electron spectrum are all remarkably similar. These two lines of evidence suggest the possibility that Jupiter could be the source of most of the ambient electrons at low energies.

Teegarden, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Interplanetary shock waves associated with solar flares

The interaction of the earth's magnetic field with the solar wind is discussed with emphasis on the influence of solar flares. The geomagnetic storms are considerered to be the result of the arrival of shock wave generated by solar flares in interplanetary space. Basic processes in the solar atmosphere and interplanetary space, and hydromagnetic disturbances associated with the solar flares are discussed along with observational and theoretical problems of interplanetary shock waves. The origin of interplanetary shock waves is also discussed.

Chao, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Cosmic ray scintillations. II - General theory of interplanetary scintillations

The motion of charged particles in a stochastic magnetic field with nonzero mean is considered via a generalized quasi-linear expansion of Liouville's equation. The general result is an equation relating cosmic ray scintillations to magnetic fluctuations and to cosmic ray gradients. The resonant interaction between particles and the random magnetic field is considered in detail, and the effect of nonlinear terms in the equations is considered. The nonlinear terms are important in damping out initial conditions and in determining conditions near cyclotron resonances. The application of the theory to the propagation of cosmic rays during quiet times in interplanetary space is considered. It is concluded that cosmic ray scintillations in interplanetary space may provide useful information about interplanetary particles and fields and also about nonlinear plasma interactions.

Owens, A. J.↗