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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1997

Retrieval of Soil Moisture and Roughness from the Polarimetric Radar Response

The main objective of this investigation was the characterization of soil moisture using imaging radars. In order to accomplish this task, a number of intermediate steps had to be undertaken. In this proposal, the theoretical, numerical, and experimental aspects of electromagnetic scattering from natural surfaces was considered with emphasis on remote sensing of soil moisture. In the general case, the microwave backscatter from natural surfaces is mainly influenced by three major factors: (1) the roughness statistics of the soil surface, (2) soil moisture content, and (3) soil surface cover. First the scattering problem from bare-soil surfaces was considered and a hybrid model that relates the radar backscattering coefficient to soil moisture and surface roughness was developed. This model is based on extensive experimental measurements of the radar polarimetric backscatter response of bare soil surfaces at microwave frequencies over a wide range of moisture conditions and roughness scales in conjunction with existing theoretical surface scattering models in limiting cases (small perturbation, physical optics, and geometrical optics models). Also a simple inversion algorithm capable of providing accurate estimates of soil moisture content and surface rms height from single-frequency multi-polarization radar observations was developed. The accuracy of the model and its inversion algorithm is demonstrated using independent data sets. Next the hybrid model for bare-soil surfaces is made fully polarimetric by incorporating the parameters of the co- and cross-polarized phase difference into the model. Experimental data in conjunction with numerical simulations are used to relate the soil moisture content and surface roughness to the phase difference statistics. For this purpose, a novel numerical scattering simulation for inhomogeneous dielectric random surfaces was developed. Finally the scattering problem of short vegetation cover above a rough soil surface was considered. A general scattering model for grass-blades of arbitrary cross section was developed and incorporated in a first order random media model. The vegetation model and the bare-soil model are combined and the accuracy of the combined model is evaluated against experimental observations from a wheat field over the entire growing season. A complete set of ground-truth data and polarimetric backscatter data were collected. Also an inversion algorithm for estimating soil moisture and surface roughness from multi-polarized multi-frequency observations of vegetation-covered ground is developed.

Sarabandi, Kamal↗
DOE OSTI2019

Optical and Structural Properties of Ag and c-Si Nanostructures Formed During the Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching of Silicon

This study consisting of two parts is concerned with the features of the three-stage process of the metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) of silicon. This process is used to fabricate silicon nanostructures. In the first part of this work, a layer of self-assembled Ag nanoparticles chemically deposited from a solution on the surface of single-crystal silicon (c-Si) (MACE stage 1) was studied, and the second part includes of investigation of Si nanostructures formed in stages 2 and 3. By means of spectroscopic ellipsometry (in the range of wavelengths λ = 250–900 nm), the pseudodielectric functions of the nanostructures were determined and compared for all the three stages of the MACE process. In addition, for the Si nanostructures, the parameters of layers (the thickness and void fraction) were calculated in the context of the multilayer optical model, with the use of Bruggeman’s effective-medium approximation and fitting procedures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Coulomb Description of High-Energy Charge-Exchange Monopole Excitations in Medium-Heavy Spherical Nuclei

The recently proposed approach to the description of high-energy charge-exchange monopole excitations in medium-heavy spherical nuclei is implemented to quantitatively estimate the main damping parameters of the related giant resonances including the isobaric analog resonance. The approach consists in incorporating the “Coulomb description” of isospin-forbidden processes into the particle-hole dispersive optical model. The results obtained for a few parent nuclei with Z=50 and Z=82 are compared with the respective experimental data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lander Lighting Solution to Reduce Pilot & Autonomous Approach Errors

The south pole lighting environment will have harsh low inclination sunlight, making overhead judgement of surface features difficult. Autonomous solutions are great, however, the need for visual monitoring and independent go/no-go decisions remain. Our project proposes that lunar landing systems will be better served by including a powerful landing light system that improves visibility of surfaces from overhead by illuminating the ground at critical distances for the crew to make last minute decisions regarding an approach. The project utilized computer-based optical modeling software to predict requirements for a potential landing light system. The analysis based the lamp prediction from commercially available LED chip sets and lamp optics. The goal was to illustrate a method to raise the surface contrast of a landing site within an acceptable contrast threshold for most camera systems and human observers to recognize hazards that would not be noticed with low inclination sunlight alone. The Apollo lunar landings benefitted from overhead sun or dark conditions. The surface lighting at the Lunar South Pole is a harsh environment where surfaces are lit from a low inclination angle by the sun (from the side). This change in lighting condition precipitates a need for updated lunar landing systems that facilitate improved recognition of landing sites, and thereby increase pilot awareness of landing hazards. The reliance on LIDAR and other autonomous mechanisms alone is risky given the known usage of visual monitoring for operator concurrence on current spacecraft programs and present-day autonomous land-based vehicles. Visual monitoring via cameras or windows requires the surface contrast to be within 3 orders of magnitude for reasonable recognition of objects. Artificial overhead illumination, when sufficiently sized, provides a means to even out contrast problems created by low inclination sunlight, potentially reducing piloting errors. Current vehicle requirements do not specify this type of guidance for the purpose of increasing mission success. An optical ray-trace simulation model was developed in Zemax Optics Studio to predict the best combination of LED power, LED optics, lamp quantity, and lamp location to raise the surface contrast to within 2 orders of magnitude from 3 orders required to further increased visibility and reduce risk. The project considered the following design constraints: potential base diameter of lander, approach distance(s) for a go-no-go decision point (200 meter), solar inclination angle (2-7), lunar surface reflectance (10%), LED chip sets, LED focusing optics, LED power, lamp quantity, lamp locations, and illumination diameter of lunar surface landing zone. The results can be used to establish minimum design constraints for vehicle landing light systems. With a solar inclination angle ranging from 2-7 degrees, the horizontal illumination of the lunar surface is attenuated by about 10% when compared to overhead illumination from the Sun. This modifies the sun's maximum of 130,000 lux to 13,000 lux horizontal illuminance. The artificial lighting system was designed to provide an 18-meter-wide illumination zone, to create viewing clearances around a 6-meter-wide lander. The system provides an average illuminance of 300 lux, meeting the 2 orders of magnitude criteria. The solution utilized modern Chip On Board LEDs, that each utilized 17 watts, with focusing Total Internal Reflection (TIR) lenses. A lighting system of 300 LEDs was arrayed along the "bottom" of a “lander”. With 17 watts per LED, the system is estimated to require 5100 watts. This is a large amount of power, but it would only be needed during critical phases during the landing. LED lighting systems can be dimmed, and it is assumed that as the lander arrives closer to the landing site, the lighting system power can be adjusted as needed to produce the necessary surface illuminance. The designed reduction of contrast improves reliability of safety assessments using real time visible light camera systems and out the window viewing by the crew.

T A Clark↗
DOE OSTI2013

Study of the morphology and optical properties of anodic oxide layers on InAs (111)III

The effect of the electrolyte composition on the surface morphology and the dispersion dependences of the refractive index and extinction coefficient of {approx}20-nm-thick anodic layers on InAs (111)III substrates is studied by atomic force microscopy and spectral ellipsometry. It is shown that oxidation in electrolytes with different acidities does not modify the surface morphology of the initial InAs substrates. The films formed upon oxidation exhibit close dispersion dependences, despite the difference in the chemical composition between the films. This makes possible the high-precision monitoring of the thickness of anodic layers on InAs substrates by means of ellipsometry with the optical model of a single-layer isotropic film on an absorbing substrate.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optical properties of anodically degraded ZnO

We discuss the optical properties of non-degraded and anodically degraded boron-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:B) deposited by low-pressure chemical vapour deposition on soda-lime glass. The optical model used to simulate the infrared reflectance in the wavelength range between 1.2 and 25 μm is based on the Maxwell-Garnett effective-medium theory. The model is sensitive to the conditions at the grain boundaries of the investigated polycrystalline ZnO:B films. We confirm that the presence of defect-rich grain boundaries, especially after degradation, causes a highly resistive ZnO:B film. Furthermore, indications of a degraded zinc oxide layer next to the ZnO:B/glass interface with different refractive index are found. We present evidence for the creation of oxygen vacancies, based on Raman investigations, which correlate with a shift of the optical absorption edge of the ZnO:B. Investigations with scanning and transmission electron microscopy show microvoids at the grain boundaries after anodic degradation. This indicates that the grain/grain interfaces are the principle location of defects after degradation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2010

Characterization of Orbital Debris Photometric Properties Derived from Laboratory-Based Measurements

To better characterize and model optical data acquired from ground-based telescopes, the Optical Measurements Center (OMC) at NASA/JSC attempts to emulate illumination conditions seen in space using equipment and techniques that parallel telescopic observations and source-target-sensor orientations. The OMC uses a 75 Watt Xenon arc lamp as a solar simulator, an SBIG CCD camera with standard Johnson/Bessel filters, and a robotic arm to simulate an object's position and rotation. The laboratory uses known shapes, materials suspected to be consistent with the orbital debris population, and three phase angles to best match the lighting conditions of the telescope based data. The fourteen objects studied in the laboratory are fragments or materials acquired through ground-tests of scaled-model satellites/rocket bodies as well as material samples in more/less "flight-ready" condition. All fragments were measured at 10 increments in a full 360 rotation at 6 , 36 , and 60 phase angles. This paper will investigate published color photometric data for a series of orbital debris targets and compare it to the empirical photometric measurements generated in the OMC. Using the data acquired over specific rotational angles through different filters (B, V, R, I), a color index is acquired (B-R, R-I). Using these values and their associated lightcurves, this laboratory data is compared to observational data obtained on the 1 m telescope of the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AUIB), the 0.9 m operated by the Small- and Medium-Aperture Research Telescope System (SMARTS) Consortium and the Curtis-Schmidt 0.6 m Michigan Orbital Debris Space Debris Telescope both located at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). An empirical based optical characterization model will be presented to provide preliminary correlations between laboratory based and telescope-based data in the context of classification of GEO debris objects.

Cowardin, H.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optical bandgap of ultra-thin amorphous silicon films deposited on crystalline silicon by PECVD

An optical study based on spectroscopic ellipsometry, performed on ultrathin hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layers, is presented in this work. Ultrathin layers of intrinsic amorphous silicon have been deposited on n-type mono-crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The layer thicknesses along with their optical properties –including their refractive index and optical loss- were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) in a wavelength range from 250 nm to 850 nm. The data was fitted to a Tauc-Lorentz optical model and the fitting parameters were extracted and used to compute the refractive index, extinction coefficient and optical bandgap. Furthermore, the a-Si:H film grown on silicon was etched at a controlled rate using a TMAH solution prepared at room temperature. The optical properties along with the Tauc-Lorentz fitting parameters were extracted from the model as the film thickness was reduced. The etch rate for ultrathin a-Si:H layers in TMAH at room temperature was found to slow down drastically as the c-Si interface is approached. From the Tauc-Lorentz parameters obtained from SE, it was found that the a-Si film exhibited properties that evolved with thickness suggesting that the deposited film is non-homogeneous across its depth. It was also found that the degree of crystallinity and optical (Tauc) bandgap increased as the layers were reduced in thickness and coming closer to the c-Si substrate interface, suggesting the presence of nano-structured clusters mixed into the amorphous phase for the region close to the crystalline silicon substrate. Further results from Atomic Force Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy confirmed the presence of an interfacial transitional layer between the amorphous film and the underlying substrate showing silicon nano-crystalline enclosures that can lead to quantum confinement effects. Quantum confinement is suggested to be the cause of the observed increase in the optical bandgap of a-Si:H films close to the a-Si:H/cSi interface.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Advanced Elastic/Inelastic Nuclear Data Development Project

The optical model is used to analyze the elastic and inelastic scattering of nucleons, deuterons, hellions, tritons, and alpha particles by the nuclei. Since this paper covers primarily neutron-nucleus scattering, the focus will be limited to only that interaction. For the sake of this model, the nucleus is described as a blob of nuclear matter with properties based upon its number of nucleons. This infers that a single potential can describe the interaction of particles with different energies with different nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Comparison of experimental data with predictions of various models for silicon and aluminum fragmentation under the effect of high-energy cosmic rays

The accuracy attained in theoretically estimating the yields of isotopes and isobars and their energy, charge, and mass distributions in silicon fragmentation that occurs in spacecraft electronics under the effect of cosmic-ray protons is an important factor in forecasting the probability for single-event upsets in the electronics and the reliability of spacecraft operation in general. In previous studies of our group, it was shown that the results of the calculations are highly sensitive to the choice of parameters for opticalmodel potentials. In addition to cross sections for elastic and inelastic proton scattering and charge, mass, and energy distributions of heavy nuclear-reaction products, the results of our calculations for doubledifferential spectra of protons originating from the interaction of highly energetic (30-400 MeV) protons with aluminum and double-differential spectra of other particles (neutrons and alpha particles) arising in competing channels of the p + {sup 27}Al reaction are also described in the present article. The calculations in question were performed on the basis of the EMPIRE-II-19 code by using various optical-model potentials, including the Becchetti-Greenlees potential for the (p, n) channel, the Wilmore-Hodgson potential for the (p, n) channel, the Madland potential for the (p, p) channel, the Koning-Delaroche potential for the (p, p) channel, and the McFadden-Satchler potential for the (p, {alpha}) channel. A comparative analysis of the double-differential spectra obtained for outgoing protons, neutrons, and alpha particles experimentally and in the calculations of various authors was performed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Properties of high-energy isoscalar monopole excitations in medium-heavy mass spherical nuclei

The recently developed particle-hole dispersive optical model is applied to describe properties of high-energy isoscalar monopole excitations in medium-heavy mass spherical nuclei. In particular, the double transition density averaged over the energy of the isoscalar monopole excitations is considered for {sup 208}Pb in a wide energy interval, which includes the isoscalar giant monopole resonance and its overtone. The energy-averaged strength functions of these resonances are also analyzed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Direct + Semidirect E1 Photoneutron Reactions: Semimicroscopic Description

The particle-hole dispersive optical model is implemented to describe together E1 photo-absorption and direct + semidirect photoneutron reactions accompanied by excitation of the giant dipole resonance. Being based on this description, a quantitative estimation of the partial and total branching ratios for direct one-neutron decay of the mentioned giant resonance in a few medium-heavy neutron-closed-shell nuclei is obtained. Calculation results are compared with corresponding experimental data.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Detection of a MoSe{sub 2} secondary phase layer in CZTSe by spectroscopic ellipsometry

We demonstrate the application of Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) for identification of secondary phase MoSe{sub 2} in polycrystalline Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} (CZTSe) samples. A MoSe{sub 2} reference sample was analyzed, and its optical constants (ε{sub 1} and ε{sub 2}) were extracted by SE analysis. This dataset was implemented into an optical model for analyzing SE data from a glass/Mo/CZTSe sample containing MoSe{sub 2} at the back side of the absorber. We present results on the n and k values of CZTSe and show the extraction of the thickness of the secondary phase MoSe{sub 2} layer. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were applied to confirm the SE results.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Elastic scattering and total reaction cross section for the {sup 6}He+{sup 58}Ni system

Elastic scattering measurements of {sup 6}He + {sup 58}Ni system have been performed at the laboratory energy of 21.7 MeV. The {sup 6}He secondary beam was produced by a transfer reaction {sup 9}Be ({sup 7}Li, {sup 6}He) and impinged on {sup 58}Ni and {sup 197}Au targets, using the Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facility, RIBRAS, installed in the Pelletron Laboratory of the Institute of Physics of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. The elastic angular distribution was obtained in the angular range from 15° to 80° in the center of mass frame. Optical model calculations have been performed using a hybrid potential to fit the experimental data. The total reaction cross section was derived.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Elastic scattering measurements for {sup 7}Be+{sup 27}Al system at RIBRAS facility

Elastic scattering angular distribution measurements of {sup 7}Be+{sup 27}Al system were performed at the laboratory energy of 15.6 MeV. The {sup 7}Be secondary beam was produced by the proton transfer reaction {sup 3}He({sup 6}Li,{sup 7}Be) and impinged on {sup 27}Al and {sup 197}Au targets, using the Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facility, RIBRAS. The elastic angular distribution was obtained within the angular range of 15{sup 0} - 80{sup 0} at the center of mass frame. Optical model calculations have been performed using the Woods- Saxon form factors and the Sao Paulo potential to fit the experimental data. The total reaction cross section was derived.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Special features of single-particle proton spectra of nickel, zinc, and germanium isotopes in the vicinity of the proton drip line

The single-particle proton spectra of the neutron-deficient isotopes {sup 50,52}Ni, {sup 56,58,60,62}Zn, and {sup 60,62,64}Ge were calculated on the basis of the dispersive optical model whose parameters were extrapolated from the region of stable isotopes. The resulting parameter values lead to agreement between the total number of protons in bound states and the charge number Z of the respective nucleus. The results of the calculations are indicative of a weakly magic character of the {sup 58}Zn nucleus, which has a traditional magic number of N = 28 and a nearly magic number of Z = 30, and the {sup 64}Ge nucleus, for which N = Z = 32.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗