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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 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Transition from the Unipolar Region to the Sector Zone: Voyager 2, 2013 and 2014

We discuss magnetic field and plasma observations of the heliosheath made by Voyager 2 (V2) during 2013 and 2014 near solar maximum. A transition from a unipolar region to a sector zone was observed in the azimuthal angle λ between ∼2012.45 and 2013.82. The distribution of λ was strongly singly peaked at 270{sup ∘} in the unipolar region and double peaked in the sector zone. The δ-distribution was strongly peaked in the unipolar region and very broad in the sector zone. The distribution of daily averages of the magnetic field strength B was Gaussian in the unipolar region and lognormal in the sector zone. The correlation function of B was exponential with an e-folding time of ∼5 days in both regions. The distribution of hourly increments of B was a Tsallis distribution with nonextensivity parameter q = 1.7 ± 0.04 in the unipolar region and q = 1.44 ± 0.12 in the sector zone. The CR–B relationship qualitatively describes the 2013 observations, but not the 2014 observations. A 40 km s{sup −1} increase in the bulk speed associated with an increase in B near 2013.5 might have been produced by the merging of streams. A “D sheet” (a broad depression in B containing a current sheet moved past V2 from days 320 to 345, 2013. The R- and N-components of the plasma velocity changed across the current sheet.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Maximum respiration rates in hyporheic zone sediments are primarily constrained by organic carbon concentration and secondarily by organic matter chemistry

Abstract. River corridors are fundamental components of the Earth system, and their biogeochemistry can be heavily influenced by processes in subsurface zones immediately below the riverbed, referred to as the hyporheic zone. Within the hyporheic zone, organic matter (OM) fuels microbial respiration, and OM chemistry heavily influences aerobic and anaerobic biogeochemical processes. The link between OM chemistry and respiration has been hypothesized to be mediated by OM molecular diversity, whereby respiration is predicted to decrease with increasing diversity. Here we test the specific prediction that aerobic respiration rates will decrease with increases in the number of unique organic molecules (i.e., OM molecular richness, as a measure of diversity). We use publicly available data across the United States from crowdsourced samples taken by the Worldwide Hydrobiogeochemical Observation Network for Dynamic River Systems (WHONDRS) consortium. Our continental-scale analyses rejected the hypothesis of a direct limitation of respiration by OM molecular richness. In turn, we found that organic carbon (OC) concentration imposes a primary constraint over hyporheic zone respiration, with additional potential influences of OM richness. We specifically observed respiration rates to decrease nonlinearly with the ratio of OM richness to OC concentration. This relationship took the form of a constraint space with respiration rates in most systems falling below the constraint boundary. A similar, but slightly weaker, constraint boundary was observed when relating respiration rate to the inverse of OC concentration. These results indicate that maximum respiration rates may be governed primarily by OC concentration, with secondary influences from OM richness. Our results also show that other variables often suppress respiration rates below the maximum associated with the richness-to-concentration ratio. An important focus of future research will identify physical (e.g., sediment grain size), chemical (e.g., nutrient concentrations), and/or biological (e.g., microbial biomass) factors that suppress hyporheic zone respiration below the constraint boundaries observed here.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1974

Studies of liquid floating zones on SL-IV, the third Skylab mission

The behavior of liquid floating zones in a zero-gravity environment was studied by Dr. E. Gibson on SL-4. These experiments were designed from the results of previous work on floating zones in a simulated zero-gravity model. Molten floating zones are used on earth for the crystal growth and zone refining of reactive materials. The Skylab studies give some insight into the problems associated with the development of the technique for the future space processing of materials. Preliminary results are presented on the stability of the liquid zone surface under static, rotational and vibrational conditions without gravitational constraints.

Carruthers, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Studies of rotating liquid floating zones on Skylab IV

Liquid zones of water, soap solution and soap foam were deployed between two aligned circular disks which were free to rotate about the zone axis in the microgravity environment of Skylab IV. Such a configuration is of interest in the containerless handling of melts for possible future space processing crystal growth experiments. Three basic types of zone surface deformation and instability were observed for these rotational conditions; axisymmetric shape changes under single disk rotation, nonaxisymmetric, whirling, C-modes for long zones with equal rotation of both disks, and capillary wave phenomena for short zones with equal rotation of both disks. The sources of these instabilities and the conditions promoting them are analyzed in detail from video tape recordings of the Skylab experiments.

Carruthers, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Digitizing zone maps, using modified LARSYS program

A method for digitizing zone maps is presented, starting with colored images and producing a final one-channel digitized tape. This method automates the work previously done interactively on the Image-100 and Data Analysis System computers of the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Earth Observations Division (EOD). A color-coded map was digitized through color filters on a scanner to form a digital tape in LARSYS-2 or JSC Universal format. The taped image was classified by the EOD LARSYS program on the basis of training fields included in the image. Numerical values were assigned to all pixels in a given class, and the resulting coded zone map was written on a LARSYS or Universal tape. A unique spatial filter option permitted zones to be made homogeneous and edges of zones to be abrupt transitions from one zone to the next. A zoom option allowed the output image to have arbitrary dimensions in terms of number of lines and number of samples on a line. Printouts of the computer program are given and the images that were digitized are shown.

Giddings, L.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Effect of crack initiation, stable crack growth and unstable crack propagation on the crack-tip plastic zone

A technique for measuring the plastic zones associated with initial crack-tip yielding, subcritical crack growth, and unstable fracture is discussed. The results of the measurement of the locus of these yield regions, on center-cracked sheet and compact tension specimens of 7075-T6, 7075-T651, and 2024-T3 aluminum, are reported in this paper. It was found that a very accurate representation of the strains was obtained by this method and that the results added significant insight into the fracture process. The plastic zones were found to be approximately eight times wider in 2024-T3 than in the 7075-T6 sheets. The yield zones approached a maximum value after unstable fracture was attained and maintained that size through the fast fracture region. As expected, the plastic zones in the compact tension specimen were associated only with the formation of the shear lips and no plastic zones were observed in the fatigue precracked regions of either the center-cracked or compact-tension specimens.

Poulose, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Effect of primary-zone equivalence ratio on pollutant formation

Test were conducted to determine the effect of primary-zone equivalence ratio on the formation of smoke and other gaseous pollutants in an experimental can combustor. Several fuel injection techniques were examined at primary-zone equivalence ratios from 0.8 to 2.0. The main emphasis was on reducing fuel-rich-combustion smoke levels. Two of the four fuel injection configurations studied produced smoke levels below a smoke number of 20 at a primary-zone equivalence ratio of about 1.7. As the fuel mixing and atomization were recorded at primary-zone equivalence ratios as high as 2.0. The gaseous emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen were quite sensitive to the fuel injection configuration as well as to the primary-zone equilvalence ratio.

Claus, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A study of inner zone electron data and their comparison with trapped radiation models

A summary and intercomparison of recent inner radiation zone electron data are presented. The morphology of the inner radiation zone is described and the data compared with the current generation of inner zone trapped electron models. An analytic representation of the inner zone equatorial pitch angle distribution is presented. This model was based upon data from eight satellites and was used to reduce all data to the form of equatorial flux. Although no Starfish-free high energy electron measurements were available from the inner portion of the inner radiation zone, it was found that the AE-6 model provided a good description of the present solar maximum environment.

Teague, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

A double Benioff zone beneath the central Aleutians - An unbending of the lithosphere

Seismicity located using the Adak seismograph network shows the Benioff zone below a depth of 100 km consists of two thin zones of earthquakes about 25 km apart that merge at a depth of 175 km. Focal mechanisms in the upper zone are consistently down-dip compression, while those of the lower zone are down-dip tension. An elastic-plastic model of the lithosphere predicts that these two zones reflect the stresses in the elastic core of the lithosphere due to unbending.

Engdahl, E. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Accretion by rotating magnetic neutron stars. II - Radial and vertical structure of the transition zone in disk accretion

The radial and vertical structure of the transition zone at the magnetospheric boundary of an aligned rotating neutron star accreting matter from a Keplerian disk are calculated. The results obtained indicate that: (1) the inner edge of the disk is located where the integrated magnetic stress acting on the disk plasma becomes comparable to the integrated material stress associated with its inward radial drift and orbital motion; (2) the stellar magnetic field threads the disk near its inner edge via the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, turbulent diffusion, and reconnection, producing a broad transition zone between the unperturbed disk flow and corotating magnetosphere; (3) the transition zone consists of two qualitatively different regions, viz., a broad outer transition zone where the motion is Keplerian and a narrow inner zone, or boundary layer, where the departure from Keplerian motion is substantial; (4) the stellar magnetic field is largely but not entirely screened by currents flowing in the boundary layer; and (5) there are no steady-flow solutions for sufficiently fast stellar rotation.

Ghosh, P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Global zones of energetic particle precipitation

The paper identifies global zones of energetic particle precipitation in the nighttime atmosphere during disturbed magnetic conditions in rocket, satellite, and ground-based measurements. The known equatorial zone of precipitated energetic ions and neutrals is found at altitudes above 170 km, with its origin in the double-charge-exchange process of hydrogen and helium with the ring current. The flux of electrons increases linearly with altitude in the region 100-300 km and correlates with the 391.4 nm radiation intensity and magnetic activity. Finally, it is shown that the South Atlantic magnetic anomaly provides additional support for the identification of distinct low and mid-latitude zones; poleward from the plasmapause the precipitation flux is nearly isotropic and variable, and it consists of electrons and ions with the maximum intensity of the proton auroral zone occurring about 5 deg equatorward of the maximum of the electron auroral zone.

Voss, H. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Fresnel zone structure in planetary occultations

The structures of the Fresnel zones of an occulting body with a substantial atmosphere are analyzed. The first Fresnel zone is defined as the set of all contiguous points connected to the transmitter and receiver via paths with a combined length within one half wavelength of the stationary value, and calculated by the application of the Huygens-Fresnel principle to a wave front frozen in time as it traverses the region of interest, taking into account wave front curvature of waves undergoing refraction. Calculations of the Fresnel zones of a planet determined by the meeting of wave fronts represented as tori reveal that the zone along the propagation path traversing the nearest portion of the limb to the transmitter has a shape similar to an ellipse, while that of the far zone resembles the letter X. The phase delay along the farside path is found to be a stationary point rather than a minimum, since delay is distributed in the form of a hyperbolic paraboloid near the ray and in the form of a torus intersection for greater separations. Examples are presented for S band propagation deep in the atmospheres of Venus and Jupiter.

Croft, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Lithospheric flexure at fracture zones

Studies attempting to demonstrate that lithospheric flexure occurs across the Pioneer and Mendocino fracture zones, and that the flexural topography is a topographic expression at these fracture zones, are presented. The flexure is modelled and compared with predicted depths with five bathymetric profiles which cross the two fracture zones at different ages. The model uses a thin elastic plate overlying an incompressible fluid half-space, and incorporates a temperature-dependent effective elastic thickness. Several conclusions were derived from this study. First, it is found that no significant slip on the fossil fault planes of the Mendocino and Pioneer fracture zones exists. In addition, the flexural amplitude is determined to increase with age. Finally, it is concluded that there is elastic coupling between the Mendocino and Pioneer fracture zones since the separation is less than a flexural wavelength.

Sandwell, D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Component testing of a ground based gas turbine steam cooled rich-burn primary zone combustor for emissions control of nitrogeneous fuels

This effort summarizes the work performed on a steam cooled, rich-burn primary zone, variable geometry combustor designed for combustion of nitrogeneous fuels such as heavy oils or synthetic crude oils. The steam cooling was employed to determine its feasibility and assess its usefulness as part of a ground based gas turbine bottoming cycle. Variable combustor geometry was employed to demonstrate its ability to control primary and secondary zone equivalence ratios and overall pressure drop. Both concepts proved to be highly successful in achieving their desired objectives. The steam cooling reduced peak liner temperatures to less than 800 K. This low temperature offers the potential of both long life and reduced use of strategic materials for liner fabrication. These degrees of variable geometry were successfully employed to control air flow distribution within the combustor. A variable blade angle axial flow air swirler was used to control primary zone air flow, while the secondary and tertiary zone air flows were controlled by rotating bands which regulated air flow to the secondary zone quench holes and the dilutions holes respectively.

Schultz, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Kinematics at the intersection of the Garlock and Death Valley fault zones, California: Integration of TM data and field studies. LANDSAT TM investigation proposal TM-019

Processing and interpretation of Thematic Mapper (TM) data, extensive field work, and processing of SPOT data were continued. Results of these analyses led to the testing and rejecting of several of the geologic/tectonic hypotheses concerning the continuation of the Garlock Fault Zone (GFZ). It was determined that the Death Valley Fault Zone (DVFZ) is the major through-going feature, extending at least 60 km SW of the Avawatz Mountains. Two 5 km wide fault zones were identified and characterized in the Soda and Bristol Mountains, forming a continuous zone of NW trending faulting. Geophysical measurements indicate a buried connection between the Avawatz and the Soda Mountains Fault Zone. Future work will involve continued field work and mapping at key locations, further analyses of TM data, and conclusion of the project.

Abrams, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1987

Emerging flux, magnetic reconnection, plasma turbulence and waves in the transition zone of the solar atmosphere

Ultraviolet spectroscopy of the solar transition zone, especially Spacelab 2 results, is reviewed. Emerging magnetic flux is considered as the energy source of the solar corona and the solar wind. The conversion of magnetic into kinetic energy is facilitated in the transition zone because of unique conditions. Radiation losses are sufficient to create fast instabilities. Observed nonthermal velocities in spectra of the transition zone indicate the existence of strong plasma oscillations and turbulence. The small filling factor of the transition zone indicates a highly filamentary structure of density, magnetic field strength, and currents, which results in rapid reconnection time scales. Particle acceleration and the heating of the corona are placed in the areas of strong plasma oscillations of the transition zone.

Brueckner, G. E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Europa, tidally heated oceans, and habitable zones around giant planets

Tidal dissipation in the satellites of a giant planet may provide sufficient heating to maintain an environment favorable to life on the satellite surface or just below a thin ice layer. Europa could have a liquid ocean which may occasionally receive sunlight through cracks in the overlying ice shell. In such a case, sufficient solar energy could reach liquid water that organisms similar to those found under Antarctic ice could grow. In other solar systems, larger satellites with more significant heat flow could represent environments that are stable over an order of eons and in which life could perhaps evolve. A zone around a giant planet is defined in which such satellites could exist as a tidally-heated habitable zone. This zone can be compared to the habitable zone which results from heating due to the radiation of a central star. In this solar system, this radiatively-heated habitable zone contains the earth.

Reynolds, Ray T.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The effect of Co alloying content on the kinetics of reaction zone growth in tungsten fiber reinforced superalloy composites

A Co-free modified superalloy similar in composition to Waspaloy is investigated in an effort to understand the effect of Co on reaction zone growth kinetics and verify the chemistry dependence of reaction zone growth in the matrix of tungsten fiber reinforced superalloy composites. The values of the parabolic rate constant, characterizing the kinetics of reaction zone growth, for the Waspaloy matrix and the C-free alloy as well as five other alloys from a previous study confirm the dependence of reaction zone growth kinetics on cobalt content of the matrix. The Co-free alloy composite exhibits the slowest reaction zone growth among all tungsten fiber reinforced composites studied to date.

Rodriguez, A.↗