Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Radiation effects on electronics”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

Geant4 Predictions of Energy Spectra in Typical Space Radiation Environment

Accurate knowledge of energy spectra inside spacecraft is important for protecting astronauts as well as sensitive electronics from the harmful effects of space radiation. Such knowledge allows one to confidently map the radiation environment inside the vehicle. The purpose of this talk is to present preliminary calculations for energy spectra inside a spherical shell shielding and behind a slab in typical space radiation environment using the 3D Monte-Carlo transport code Geant4. We have simulated proton and iron isotropic sources and beams impinging on Aluminum and Gallium arsenide (GaAs) targets at energies of 0.2, 0.6, 1, and 10 GeV/u. If time permits, other radiation sources and beams (_, C, O) and targets (C, Si, Ge, water) will be presented. The results are compared to ground-based measurements where available.

Sabra, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Behavior Prediction Tools Strengthen Nanoelectronics

Several years ago, NASA started making plans to send robots to explore the deep, dark craters on the Moon. As part of these plans, NASA needed modeling tools to help engineer unique electronics to withstand extremely cold temperatures. According to Jonathan Pellish, a flight systems test engineer at Goddard Space Flight Center, "An instrument sitting in a shadowed crater on one of the Moon s poles would hover around 43 K", that is, 43 kelvin, equivalent to -382 F. Such frigid temperatures are one of the main factors that make the extreme space environments encountered on the Moon and elsewhere so extreme. Radiation is another main concern. "Radiation is always present in the space environment," says Pellish. "Small to moderate solar energetic particle events happen regularly and extreme events happen less than a handful of times throughout the 7 active years of the 11-year solar cycle." Radiation can corrupt data, propagate to other systems, require component power cycling, and cause a host of other harmful effects. In order to explore places like the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mars, NASA must use electronic communication devices like transmitters and receivers and data collection devices like infrared cameras that can resist the effects of extreme temperature and radiation; otherwise, the electronics would not be reliable for the duration of the mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Connecting Mission Profiles and Radiation Vulnerability Assessment

Radiation vulnerability assessment early in spacecraft development is cheaper and faster than in late development phases. RGENTIC and SEAM are two software platforms that can be coupled to provide this type of early assessment. Specifically, RGENTIC is a tool that outputs descriptions of radiation risks based on a selected mission environment and the system’s electronic part portfolio, while SEAM models how radiation-induced faults in electronic parts propagate through a system. In this work, we propose a spacecraft evaluation flow where RGENTIC’s outputs, which are radiation vulnerabilities of electronic parts for a given mission, become inputs to SEAM, resulting in an automatic part-type template palette presented to users so that they can easily begin modeling the occurrence and propagation of radiation-induced faults in their spacecraft. In this context, fault propagation modeling shows how radiation effects impact the spacecraft’s electronics.

Richard H. Nederlande↗
NASA NTRS1992

1992 IEEE Annual Conference on Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects, 29th, New Orleans, LA, July 13-17, 1992, Proceedings

The papers presented in this volume provide an overview of recent theoretical and experimental research related to nuclear and space radiation effects. Topics dicussed include single event phenomena, radiation effects in particle detectors and associated electronics for accelerators, spacecraft charging, and space environments and effects. The discussion also covers hardness assurance and testing techniques, electromagnetic effects, radiation effects in devices and integrated circuits, dosimetry and radiation facilities, isolation techniques, and basic mechanisms.

Van Vonno, Nick W.↗
NASA NTRS2010

K-shell Photoionization of Na-like to Cl-like Ions of Mg, Si, S, Ar, and Ca

We present R-matrix calculations of photoabsorption and photoionization cross sections across the K edge of Mg, Si, S, Ar, and Ca ions with more than 10 electrons. The calculations include the effects of radiative and Auger damping by means of an optical potential. The wave functions are constructed from single-electron. orbital bases obtained using a Thomas-Fermi-Dirac statistical model potential. Configuration interaction is considered among all states up to n = 3. The damping processes affect the resonances converging to the K-thresholds causing them to display symmetric profiles of constant width that smear the otherwise sharp edge at the photoionization threshold. These data are important for the modeling of features found in photoionized plasmas.

Witthoeft, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Simulated space environmental effects on a polyetherimide and its carbon fiber-reinforced composites

The selection of materials for spacecraft construction requires identification of candidate materials which can perform reliably in the space environment. Understanding the effects of the space environment on the materials is an important step in the selection of candidate materials. This work examines the effects of energetic electrons, thermal cycling, electron radiation in conjunction with thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen on a thermoplastic polyetherimide and its carbon-fiber-reinforced composites. Composite materials made with non-sized fibers as well as materials made with fibers sized with an epoxy were evaluated. The mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the materials were studied and spectroscopic techniques were used to investigate the mechanisms for the observed effects. Considerations for future material development are suggested.

Kern, Kristen T.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Generation of plasma waves by thick-target electron beams, and the expected radiation signature

The production of plasma waves by a nonthermal beam of high-energy electrons injected into a background thermal plasma was investigated. The coupled kinetic equations for nonthermal electrons were solved, and the level of the plasma waves produced by the bump-on-tail instability arising as a result of the Coulomb collisions of nonthermal electrons with background plasma was estimated. In addition, the radiation signatures of these waves were examined. It is shown that the wave-particle interactions have a significant effect on the overall distribution of the electrons and that it is unlikely that such effects can be discerned in the observed bremsstrahlung or synchrotron radiation of the nonthermal electrons. However, a significant fraction of the energy lost by the beam is transferred to plasma waves and is then dissipated by the thermal plasma.

Hamilton, Russell J.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Road Vehicle Functional Safety in Ground-Level Radiation Environments

This presentation gives an overview of the natural space radiation environment, the ground-level radiation environment, and single-event effects (SEEs). We then discuss the impact of SEEs for road vehicle functional safety and issues with commercial electronic components in these high-reliability systems. Finally, we introduce some forward-looking concepts that the radiation effects and automotive electronics communities will have to address as aggressive technology insertion continues.

Pellish, Jonathan↗
NASA NTRS1972

Radiation effects in soils from five lunar missions.

Optical and high-voltage electron microscopy were used to study radiation-produced defects. There is no systematic decrease in solar flare track distributions in lunar fines even to a depth of 2.5 m. The soil gradually accumulates in thickness; stirring by impacts is usually on a small scale. The accumulation rate at Luna 16 site is far lower than at the Apollo sites; the mean track density in micron-size grains there exceeds one trillion per sq cm; more than 90% of those grains are metamict; the Luna 16 site is at high longitude where electrostatic charging and transport of soil by geomagnetic tail electrons are minimal. A large fraction of soil grains on sloping ground have been isotropically irradiated, suggesting a tumbling downhill motion.-

Phakey, P. P.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Mission Radiation Environment Modeling and Analysis: Avionics Trade Study for GCD Rad-Neuro Project

The two main objectives of this trade study are characterizing the mission radiation environment for multiple Design Reference Missions (DRM) and analysis of radiation effects on avionics with the goal of producing radiation tolerant Neuromorphic Computing processor chips with innovative radiation-induced fault mitigation. The NASA process for defining radiation requirements for flight avionics is applied to this domain. The effects of trapped protons and electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts predominates in Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) and the solar wind, solar flares and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) are the dominant radiation challenge in the open space between the planets of our solar system. The nature and energy of the particles that cause circuit upset and failure is very different in the two regimes. Two results are produced from the radiation models: determining the Total Integrated Dose (TID) experienced by avionics for a given DRM and predicting the Single Event Effects (SEE) rates for avionics during high rate exposure. These tools are applied to existing semiconductors and can be used for predicting the radiation performance of future semiconductors based on early radiation testing of new devices.

Space Radiation↗
NASA NTRS1985

Effects of a finite plasma temperature on electron-cyclotron maser emission

Auroral kilometric radiation, Jupiter's decametric radio emission, and microwave spike bursts have all been attributed to the semirelativistic maser instability. The effect of a finite plasma temperature on the emission from this instability is investigated. Temperature effects reduce the frequency of the x mode and thereby enable fundamental x-mode radiation to occur at higher omega sub p/Omega sub e (where omega sub p is the plasma frequency and Omega sub e is the electron-cyclotron frequency). When the plasma frequency is sufficiently high to suppress x-mode growth, z-mode growth then dominates. The z-mode radiation is, however, subject to electron-cyclotron damping, and this damping can cause heating of the plasma in the vicinity of the source region. In this case, x-mode radiation can be generated even though initial conditions might favor z-mode growth.

Winglee, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Radiation Effects on Emerging Technologies: Implications of Space Weather Risk Management

As NASA and its space partners endeavor to develop a network of satellites capable of supporting humankind's needs for advanced space weather prediction and understanding, one of the key challenges is to design a space system to operate in the natural space radiation environment In this paper, we present a description of the natural space radiation environment, the effects of interest to electronic or photonic systems, and a sample of emerging technologies and their specific issues. We conclude with a discussion of operations in the space radiation hazard and considerations for risk management.

LaBel, Kenneth A.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Standards for Radiation Effects Testing: Ensuring Scientific Rigor in the Face of Budget Realities and Modern Device Challenges

An overview is presented of the space radiation environment and its effects on electrical, electronic, and electromechanical parts. Relevant test standards and guidelines are listed. Test standards and guidelines are necessary to ensure best practices, minimize and bound systematic and random errors, and to ensure comparable results from different testers and vendors. Test standards are by their nature static but exist in a dynamic environment of advancing technology and radiation effects research. New technologies, failure mechanisms, and advancement in our understanding of known failure mechanisms drive the revision or development of test standards. Changes to standards must be weighed against their impact on cost and existing part qualifications. There must be consensus on new best practices. The complexity of some new technologies exceeds the scope of existing test standards and may require development of a guideline specific to the technology. Examples are given to illuminate the value and limitations of key radiation test standards as well as the challenges in keeping these standards up to date.

Test Standard↗