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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

Laser-zone growth in a Ribbon-To-Ribbon, RTR, process silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

A ribbon-to-ribbon process was used for routine growth of samples for analysis and fabrication into solar cells. One lot of solar cells was completely evaluated: ribbon solar cell efficiencies averaged 9.23% with a highest efficiency of 11.7%. Spherical reflectors have demonstrated significant improvements in laser silicon coupling efficiencies. Material analyses were performed including silicon photovoltage and open circuit photovoltage diffusion length measurements, crystal morphology studies, modulus of rupture measurements, and annealing/gettering studies. An initial economic analysis was performed indicating that ribbon-to-ribbon add-on costs of $.10/watt might be expected in the early 1980's.

Gurtler, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Morphological and convective instabilities during solidification

Linear stability theory is employed in the present analysis of flow stability between two vertical, infinite, rigid coaxial cylinders at different temperatures. These calculations have been prompted by, and are found to be in general agreement with, experiments on succinonitrile. A long, vertical cylinder sample of this material was heated so that a vertical melt annulus formed between the coaxial heater and the surrounding crystal/melt interface. Above a critical Grashof number of about 200, a helical crystal/melt interface formed which steadily rotated about the cylinder axis and whose wave speed was several orders of magnitude lower than the base flow velocity.

Coriell, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Morphology and spectral characteristics of the X-ray emission of M33

A previous analysis of the X-ray data on M33 has been extended to include a detailed study of the morpholgoy and spectral characteristics of the X-ray emission, and the results are reported. A low surface brightness, extended emission in the plane of the galaxy is detected. The X-ray luminosity of this component, about 10 to the 38th egs/s, is comparable to the total luminosity of the bright sources observed in the same region. Its radial distribution is similar to that of the blue light. The spectrum of the extended emission shows two distinct components: a hard one, with a temperature above 3 keV and a soft one with a temperature below 1 keV. The X-ray spectrum of the nuclear source, which is inconsistent with any of the known spectra of X-ray binary sources, can be fitted with either a low-temperature thermal emission or a steep power law model.

Trinchieri, G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Progressive Damage Analysis of Post-Buckled Stiffened Panels under Static Compressive Loading

The validation of progressive damage analysis methods requires experimental data that captures the initiation of damage, its evolution with continued loading, and the morphology of damage throughout its evolution. In support of the NASA Advanced Composites Project, several validation specimens of increasing complexity have been tested and characterized in order to provide the data required to assess the capabilities of several progressive damage analysis methods for fiber-reinforced composite materials. The analytical capabilities of interest for this validation program include networks of interacting matrix cracks and delaminations in post-buckled stiffened structures. A series of single stringer compression specimens was tested and characterized at NASA Langley Research Center. The experimental data from these tests are compared with progressive damage finite element analysis results. Test/analysis comparisons are made in terms of load/displacement histories, damage morphology, and damage size versus load metrics.

Frank A Leone↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Nature of Space Weathering in Samples From Asteroid (162173) Ryugu Revealed By Coordinated Analysis

Space weathering, driven primarily by micrometeorite bombardment and solar wind ion irradiation, alters the morphology, microstructure, and chemistry of the surface regolith on airless bodies. The accumulation of microstructural and chemical space weathering features, including melt deposits, amorphous rims, and nanophase iron-bearing particles (npFe), are associated with alterations of the spectral properties of the regolith. In particular, space weathering changes the spectral slope and reflectance of surface materials, and causes the attenuation of characteristic absorption bands in the visible to near-infrared wave-lengths, as well as a shift towards longer wavelengths of the Christiansen feature (CF)in thermal infrared spectra. Previous studies of space weathering characteristics have focused on siliceous bodies like the Moon and S-type asteroid Itokawa. However, observations of asteroid Ryugu by the JAXA Hayabusa2 spacecraft and subsequent analyses of returned samples revealed carbonaceous and hydrated materials. These samples provided our first opportunity to constrain the effects of space weathering processes on primitive, C-type asteroids. Analyses of returned samples to understand the space weathering of carbonaceous materials are important for accurately interpreting remote sensing observations of carbonaceous asteroids. In addition, the analysis of Hayabusa2 samples from Ryugu paved the way for the analysis of samples from the asteroid Bennu, re-turned by the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission. As space weathering impacts the microstructure, chemistry, and spectral characteristics of asteroidal surfaces, here we report the results of a coordinated analytical study of the micro-and nano-scale signatures of space weathering in samples returned from Ryugu.

L E Melendez↗
NASA NTRS1976

Directivity and stimulation in Jovian decametric radiation

Analysis of an 18-year synoptic monitoring record compiled at the University of Texas Radio Astronomy Observatory (UTRAO) reveals the existence of distinct Io-controlled and Io-independent source mechanisms which differ in second-order morphology and in intrinsic emission directivity. After a discussion of statistical models and estimation, the UTRAO 1974 analysis catalog is described, Io-controlled and Io-independent sources are defined, and their morphology is described and compared. The sources are distinguished on the basis of their directivity, and the conditions for Io control are discussed.

Bozyan, F. A.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Morphometric Characterization of Lunar Landing Sites

As ambitious surface exploration of the Moon commences in the 2020s, it is important to develop reliable and objective metrics for understanding the quality of future landing sites. A key prerequisite for any exploration and utilization of the lunar surface is a safe landing. One of the most important methods to provide understanding of potential metrics for landing site safety in the lunar context is the systematic comparison of candidate and historic landing sites. The goal of this project is to determine the morphometric parameters of the lunar surface at 16 successful lunar landing sites where adequate data exists to execute a quantitative comparison using various parameters. Quantitative analysis of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) data should inform mission planning activities by providing morphologic metrics for landing sites including slope, Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI), and rock abundance. These comparisons will assist mission planners and exploration scientists by providing “calibration points” for using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) data to successfully plan and execute lunar powered descents in the future. The metrics included in this analysis describe the form of the terrain and can be calculated for any potential future landing site. Another objective of this project is to determine how the derived morphologic parameters for the same landing site change between common pixel scales. In ideal lighting conditions, 2m/px Narrow Angle Camera Digital Terrain Models (NAC DTMs) can be assembled using stereoscopic imagery from two or more concentric orbits of the LRO. However, due to low light conditions near the lunar poles, the highest quality data for many potential lunar landing sites comes from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). Therefore, we seek to assess how the derived slope and TRI values change as a function of changes in the DTM postings from 2m/px to 5m/px.

J M McCallion↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Gaseous Content of the Universe at Zeta less than 1.6

Together with graduate student Hsiao-Wen Chen, I have measured and analyzed structural and morphological parameters of 38 galaxies in eight fields for which sensitive measurements of corresponding Ly(alpha) absorption toward background QSOs are available. These measurements are based on Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) observations obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and provide a first look at how the incidence and extent of tenuous gas around galaxies depends on galaxy luminosity, size, and morphological type and on geometry of the impact. The primary result of the analysis is that the amount of gas encountered along the line of sight depends on the galaxy impact parameter and B-band luminosity but does not depend strongly on the galaxy average surface brightness, disk-to-bulge ratio, or redshift. This result confirms and improves upon an anti-correlation between Ly(alpha) absorption equivalent width and galaxy impact parameter found previously. More importantly, this result provides the first quantitative means of relating statistics of faint galaxies to statistics of Ly(alpha) absorption systems. which we plan to exploit to constrain the luminosity function of galaxies beyond the realm of current surveys. Results have been submitted for publication and will greatly improve our statistical conclusions . Together with graduate student Noriaki Yahata. I have measured and classified spectral properties of over 1000 faint galaxies and stars obtained in our low-resolution spectroscopic survey. The goal of this project is two-fold: (1) to exhaustively characterize the spectral properties of all faint galaxies that comprise our current survey, and (2) to gain experience with our measurement and classification code. which ultimately will be used on a data base of 20,000 galaxies to be obtained with the Two-Degree Field (2df) spectrograph at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). The results will ultimately be used for many goals, but so far we have concentrated on using the results to make a binary classification of the galaxies (i.e. early type versus late type) and to then exploit the density-morphology relationship to obtain a crude density indicator. The primary result of the analysis is that the incidence and extent of tenuous gas around galaxies shows no strong preference for local galaxy environment, at least over the range of densities spanned by the current observations. Along similar lines, two instances of Ly(alpha) absorption lines that arise in groups or clusters were examined. Analysis demonstrates that some can produce corresponding absorption lines and that LY(alpha) absorption lines do not avoid a high-density environment. A new measure of the galaxy-absorber cross-correlation function defines the statistical criterion by which galaxies and absorber pairs are to be matched. I have identified a damped Ly(alpha) absorption system at redshift z equals approximately 0.16, the lowest redshift confirmed to date. The most important results of the analysis are learning that the metal abundances of the absorption system are less than 10 percent of the solar metal abundance and that the absorbing gas is not rotating with the galaxy disk.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1978

LANDSAT survey of near-shore ice conditions along the Arctic coast of Alaska

The author has identified the following significant results. Winter and spring near-shore ice conditions were analyzed for the Beaufort Sea 1973-77, and the Chukchi Sea 1973-76. LANDSAT imagery was utilized to map major ice features related to regional ice morphology. Significant features from individual LANDSAT image maps were combined to yield regional maps of major ice ridge systems for each year of study and maps of flaw lead systems for representative seasons during each year. These regional maps were, in turn, used to prepare seasonal ice morphology maps. These maps showed, in terms of a zonal analysis, regions of statistically uniform ice behavior. The behavioral characteristics of each zone were described in terms of coastal processes and bathymetric configuration.

Stringer, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Volcanism on Mars

In situ chemical analyses of Martian soil by the Viking lander indicate mafic to ultramafic source rocks, consistent with both remote sensing data indicating the presence of pyroxene and olivine and with petrologic modeling which suggests that Martian lavas are iron-rich and ultramafic. Photogeological analysis of the Martian surface reveals two types of volcanic morphology: (1) central volcanoes, developed by continued and prolonged eruption from a point source vent; and (2) volcanic plains, recognized by mare ridges and flow lobes. When these volcanic morphologies are combined with relative age data, a volcanic history may be derived that is consistent with a moonlike thermal history involving a lithosphere of increasing thickness with time which gradually suppresses the volcanism.

Greely, R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

On the morphology of the scattering medium as seen by MST/ST radars

Much is learned about the morphology of the small scale structures of the atmosphere from analysis of echoes observed by MST radars. The use of physical models enables a synthesis of diverse observations. Each model contains an implicit assumption about the nature of the irregularity structure of the medium. A comparison is made between the irregularity structure implicit in several models and what is known about the structure of the medium.

Gage, K. S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Experiment K-6-09. Morphological and biochemical investigation of microgravity-induced nerve and muscle breakdown. Part 1: Investigation of nerve and muscle breakdown during spaceflight; Part 2: Biochemical analysis of EDL and PLT muscles

The present findings on rat hindlimb muscles suggest that skeletal muscle weakness induced by prolonged spaceflight can result from a combination of muscle fiber atrophy, muscle fiber segmental necrosis, degeneration of motor nerve terminals and destruction of microcirculatory vessels. Damage was confined to the red adductor longus (AL) and soleus muscles. The midbelly region of the AL muscle had more segmental necrosis and edema than the ends. Macrophages and neutrophils were the major mononucleated cells infiltrating and phagocytosing the cellular debris. Toluidine blue-positive mast cells were significantly decreased in Flight AL muscles compared to controls; this indicated that degranulation of mast cells contributed to tissue edema. Increased ubiquitination of disrupted myofibrils may have promoted myofilament degradation. Overall, mitochondria content and SDH activity were normal, except for a decrease in the subsarcolemmal region. The myofibrillar ATPase activity shifted toward the fast type in the Flight AL muscles. Some of the pathological changes may have occurred or been exacerbated during the 2 day postflight period of readaptation to terrestrial gravity. While simple atrophy should be reversible by exercise, restoration of pathological changes depends upon complex processes of regeneration by stem cells. Initial signs of muscle and nerve fiber regeneration were detected. Even though regeneration proceeds on Earth, the space environment may inhibit repair and cause progressive irreversible deterioration during long term missions. Muscles obtained from Flight rats sacrificed immediately (within a few hours) after landing are needed to distinguish inflight changes from postflight readaptation.

Riley, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Comparative morphology of configurations with reduced part count derived from the octahedral-tetrahedral truss

Morphology (the study of structure and form) of the octahedral-tetrahedral (octet) truss is described. Both the geometry and symmetry of the octet truss are considered. Morphological techniques based on symmetry operations are presented which enable the derivation of reduced-part-count truss configurations from the octet truss by removing struts and nodes. These techniques are unique because their Morphological origination and they allow for the systematic generation and analysis of a large variety of structures. Methods for easily determining the part count and redundancy of infinite truss configurations are presented. Nine examples of truss configurations obtained by applying the derivation techniques are considered. These configurations are structurally stable while at the same time exhibiting significant reductions in part count. Some practical and analytical considerations, such as structural performance, regarding the example reduced-part-count truss geometries are briefly discussed.

Lalvani, Haresh↗
NASA NTRS1994

Nucleation, growth, and strain relaxation of lattice-mismatched 3-5 semiconductor epitaxial layers

We have investigated the early stages of evolution of highly strained 2-D InAs layers and 3-D InAs islands grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on (100) and (111)B GaAs substrates. The InAs epilayer/GaAs substrate combination has been chosen because the lattice-mismatch is severe (approximately 7.2 percent), yet these materials are otherwise very similar. By examining InAs-on-GaAs composites instead of the more common In(x)Ga(1-x)As alloy we remove an additional degree of freedom (x) and thereby simplify data interpretation. A matrix of experiments is described in which the MOCVD growth parameters - susceptor temperature, Thin flux, and AsH3 flux - have been varied over a wide range. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electron microprobe analysis have been employed to observe the thin film surface morphology. In the case of 3-D growth, we have extracted activation energies and power-dependent exponents that characterize the nucleation process. As a consequence, optimized growth conditions have been identified for depositing approximately 250 A thick (100) and (111)B oriented InAs layers with relatively smooth surfaces. Together with preliminary data on the strain relaxation of these layers, the above results on the evolution of thin InAs films indicate that the (111)B orientation is particularly promising for yielding lattice-mismatched films that are fully relaxed with only misfit dislocations at the epilayer/substrate interface.

Welser, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Morphology, near-infrared luminosity, and mass of the Galactic bulge from COBE DIRBE observations

Near-infrared images of the Galactic bulge at 1.25, 2.2, 3.5, and 4.9 microns obtained by the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) onboard the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite are used to characterize its morphology and to determine its infrared luminosity and mass. Earlier analysis of the DIRBE observations (Weiland et al. 1994) provided supporting evidence for the claim made by Blitz & Spergel (1991) that the bulge is bar-shaped with its near end in the first Galactic quadrant. Adopting various triaxial analytical functions to represent the volume emissivity of the source, we confirm the barlike nature of the bulge and show that triaxial Gaussian-type functions provide a better fit to the data than other classes of functions, including an axisymmetric spheroid. The introduction of a `boxy' geometry, such as the one used by Kent, Dame, & Fazio (1991) improves the fit to the data. Our results show that the bar is rotated in the plane with its near side in the first Galactic quadrant creating an angle of 20 deg +/- 10 deg between its major axis and the line of sight to the Galactic center. Typical axis ratios of the bar are (1:0.33 +/- 0.11:0.23 +/- 0.08), resembling the geometry of prolate spheroids. There is no statistically significant evidence for an out-of-plane tilt of the bar at 2.2 microns, and marginal evidence for a tilt of approximately equal 2 deg at 4.9 microns. The introduction of a roll around the intrinsic major axis of the bulge improves the `boxy' appearance of some functions. A simple integration of the observed projected intensity of the bulge gives a bulge luminosity of 1.2 x 10(exp 9), 4.1 x 10(exp 8), 2.3 x 10(exp 8), and 4.3 x 10(exp 7) solar luminosity, respectively, at 1.25, 2.2, 3.5, and 4.9 microns wavelength for a Galactocentric distance of 8.5 kpc. The 2.2 microns luminosity function of the bulge population in the direction of Baade's window yields a bolometric luminosity of L(sub bol) = 5.3 x 10(exp 9) solar luminosity. Stellar evolutionary models relate this luminosity to the number of main-sequence progenitor stars that currently populate the red giant branch. Combined with the recent determination of the main-sequence turnoff mass for the bulge by the Hubble Space Telescope (Holtzman et al. 1993) we derive a photometrically determined bulge mass of approximately equal to 1.3 x 10(exp 10) solar mass for a Salpeter initial mass function extended down to 0.1 solar mass.

Dwek, E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Nucleation, Growth, and Strain Relaxation of Lattice-Mismatched III-V Semiconductor Epitaxial Layers

We have investigated the early stages of evolution of highly strained 2-D InAs layers and 3-D InAs islands grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on (100) and (111) B GaAs substrates. The InAs epilayer / GaAs substrate combination has been chosen because the lattice-mismatch is severe (approx. 7.20%), yet these materials are otherwise very similar. By examining InAs-on-GaAs composites Instead of the more common In(x)Ga(1-x)As alloy, we remove an additional degree of freedom (x) and thereby simplify data interpretation. A matrix of experiments is described in which the MOCVD growth parameters -- susceptor temperature, TMIn flux, and AsH3 flux -- have been varied over a wide range. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electron microprobe analysis have been employed to observe the thin film surface morphology. In the case of 3-D growth, we have extracted activation energies and power-dependent exponents that characterize the nucleation process. As a consequence, optimized growth conditions have been identified for depositing approx. 250 A thick (100) and (111)B oriented InAs layers with relatively smooth surfaces. Together with preliminary data on the strain relaxation of these layers, the above results on the evolution of thin InAs films indicate that the (111)B orientation is particularly promising for yielding lattice-mismatched films that are fully relaxed with only misfit dislocations at the epilayer / substrate interface.

Welser, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Molecular microbial diversity of a spacecraft assembly facility

In ongoing investigations to map and archive the microbial footprints in various components of the spacecraft and its accessories, we have examined the microbial populations of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Spacecraft Assembly Facility (JPL-SAF). Witness plates made up of spacecraft materials, some painted with spacecraft qualified paints, were exposed for approximately 7 to 9 months at JPL-SAF and examined the particulate materials collected for the incidence of total cultivable aerobic heterotrophs and heat-tolerant (80 degrees C for 15-min.) spore-formers. The results showed that the witness plates coated with spacecraft qualified paints attracted more dust particles than the non-coated stainless steel witness plates. Among the four paints tested, witness plates coated with NS43G accumulated the highest number of particles, and hence attracted more cultivable microbes. The conventional microbiological examination revealed that the JPL-SAF harbors mainly Gram-positive microbes and mostly spore-forming Bacillus species. Most of the isolated microbes were heat resistant to 80 degrees C and proliferate at 60 degrees C. The phylogenetic relationships among 23 cultivable heat-tolerant microbes were examined using a battery of morphological, physiological, molecular and chemotaxonomic characterizations. By 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the isolates fell into seven clades: Bacillus licheniformis, B. pumilus, B. cereus, B. circulans, Staphylococcus capitis, Planococcus sp. and Micrococcus lylae. In contrast to the cultivable approach, direct DNA isolation, cloning and 16S rDNA sequencing analysis revealed equal representation of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms.

Industry↗