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At least 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Spacecraft charging during ion beam emissions in sunlight

During ion beam emissions from the SCATHA satellite, the potential of the negatively charged satellite body shows a sinusoidal oscillation frequency of once-per-spin of the satellite. The minimum occurs when the ion beam is sunward. The processes that may be responsible for the voltage modulation are considered. Neutralization of ion beam space charge by photoelectrons is examined. The photoelectrons are accelerated by the negative potential of the satellite. Effects of electron impact ionization, excitation of metastable states, and photoionization of xenon neutral atoms in the ion beam are studied in detail. Critical ionization velocity interaction is unlikely under the condition considered.

Lai, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Heavy-ion induced single-event upset in integrated circuits

The cosmic ray environment in space can affect the operation of Integrated Circuit (IC) devices via the phenomenon of Single Event Upset (SEU). In particular, heavy ions passing through an IC can induce sufficient integrated current (charge) to alter the state of a bistable circuit, for example a memory cell. The SEU effect is studied in great detail in both static and dynamic memory devices, as well as microprocessors fabricated from bipolar, Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) and N channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (NMOS) technologies. Each device/process reflects its individual characteristics (minimum scale geometry/process parameters) via a unique response to the direct ionization of electron hole pairs by heavy ion tracks. A summary of these analytical and experimental SEU investigations is presented.

Zoutendyk, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Limits to the lunar atmosphere

Apollo UV spectrometer experiment set limits on the density of oxygen of less than 500/cu cm, and the Apollo Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment data imply a value less than 50/cu cm above the subsolar point. These limits are surprisingly small relative to the measured value for sodium. A simple consideration of sources and sinks predicts significantly greater densities of oxygen. It is possible but doubtful that the Apollo measurements occurred during an epoch in which source rates were small. A preferential loss process for oxygen on the darkside of the moon is considered in which ionization by electron capture in surface collisions leads to escape through acceleration in the local electric field. Cold trapping in permanently shadowed regions as a net sink is considered and discounted, but the episodic nature of cometary insertion may allow formation of ice layers which act as a stabilized source of OH. On the basis of an assumed meteoroid impact source, a possible emission brightness of 50 R in the OH(A - X)(0,0) band above the lunar bright limb is predicted.

Morgan, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Solar wind models

The understanding of the solar wind is based upon Parker's (1958) description of a thermally driven subsonic - supersonic outflow from a fully ionized electron-proton corona. The basic physical processes of thermally driven solar wind models are discussed. Also studied are the effect of alpha particles in the corona on the solar wind proton flux. The acceleration of the solar wind by Alfven waves is discussed.

Leer, Egil↗
NASA NTRS1990

A comparison of three regions of Puppis A

High resolution X-ray spectral observations of Puppis A were performed with the FPCS on the Einstein Observatory at three regions of the remnant: the shock front, the bright eastern knot, and the interior. Plasma diagnostics of lines from OVII and OVIII constrain the values of electron temperature, ionization timescale, and hydrogen column density. Results of the diagnostics for these three regions are compared. A nonequilibrium analysis of previously published fluxes of oxygen lines shows that the interior has not yet reached ionization equilibrium.

Fischbach, K. F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Radio occultation observations of the ionospheres of Mars and Venus

The availability of a large body of radio occultation data for the Mars and Venus ionospheres makes possible comparative studies of their structures and temporal behavior. On Venus, the nightside ionosphere is produced by the transport of ionization from the dayside, which operates at solar maximum when the ionopause is high, and impact ionization by energetic electrons, which operates at all times. On Mars, transport from the dayside would seem to be inhibited for the same reason as for Venus at solar minimum, although sufficient flux of energetic electrons is present to generate nightside ionization. The Venus ionosphere at solar minimum, and that of Mars at all times, are not in a state of diffusive equilibrium above the chemical equilibrium regions.

Kliore, Arvydas J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The solar wind interaction with Venus

The Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) mission has played a key role in establishing the nature of the solar wind interaction with Venus. Although earlier probes had determined that Venus presented an obstacle much smaller than the size of earth's magnetosphere to the solar wind, they did not carry out in situ measurements pertaining to solar wind interaction studies at low enough altitudes to determine why. They also did not provide datasets of sufficient duration to study the variability of the interaction of both short (one day) and long (solar cycle) timescales. The first 600 of the nearly 5000 orbits of PVO magnetometer data have been used to determine a very low upper limit on the intrinsic dipolar magnetic moment of Venus. The consequence of that low magnetic moment is that the solar wind interacts directly with the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. Relative to a dipolar field obstacle, the ionospheric obstacle is rather incompressible. A bow shock is observed to stand in front of the nearly Venus-sized ionospheric obstacle at a comparatively steady subsolar altitude of approximately 1.5 R(v) (Venus radii). This shock decelerates the supersonic solar wind plasma so that it can flow around the obstacle. It was found to change its average position in the terminator plane from about 2.4 R(v) to 2.1 R(v) as the solar cycle progressed from the 1978 orbit insertion near solar maximum through the 1986-87 solar minimum, and back again during the latest solar activity increase. Between the bow shock and the ionosphere proper, the slowed solar wind plasma flow diverges near the subsolar point and makes its way across the terminator where it reaccelerates and continues anti-Sunward. The solar wind magnetic field, which is in effect frozen into the flowing plasma, is distorted in this 'magnetosheath' region so that it appears to hang up or drape over the dayside ionosphere before it slips around with the flow. These features of the solar wind interaction are also seen when the obstacle is a dipole magnetic field, but there are two important distinctions. In the wake of the Venus obstacle one finds an induced magnetic tail composed of varying interplanetary fields rather than the constant fields of intrinsic origin. This magnetotail is further seen to be populated by Heavy (0+) ions that are evidently escaping from the planet at significant (approximately 10(exp -25) s(exp -1)) rates. These heavy ions are also observed in the dayside magnetosheath. The interpretation is that ions are produced by both photoionization and solar wind electron impact ionization of the upper neutral atmosphere that extends into the magnetosheath.

Luthmann, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Characterization of polymer decomposition products by laser desorption mass spectrometry

Laser desorption mass spectrometry has been used to characterize the ash-like substances formed on the surfaces of polymer matrix composites (PMC's) during exposure on LDEF. In an effort to minimize fragmentation, material was removed from the sample surfaces by laser desorption and desorbed neutrals were ionized by electron impact. Ions were detected in a time-of-flight mass analyzer which allows the entire mass spectrum to be collected for each laser shot. The method is ideal for these studies because only a small amount of ash is available for analysis. Three sets of samples were studied including C/polysulfone, C/polyimide and C/phenolic. Each set contains leading and trailing edge LDEF samples and their respective controls. In each case, the mass spectrum of the ash shows a number of high mass peaks which can be assigned to fragments of the associated polymer. These high mass peaks are not observed in the spectra of the control samples. In general, the results indicate that the ash is formed from decomposition of the polymer matrix.

Pallix, Joan B.↗
NASA NTRS1994

First measurement of helium on Mars: Implications for the problem of radiogenic gases on the terrestrial planets

The 108 photons of the Martian He 584 A airglow detected by the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite during a two-day exposure (22-23 Jan. 1993) correspond to the effective disk average intensity of 43 (+/-) 10 Rayleigh. Radiative transfer calculations, using a model atmosphere appropriate to the conditions of the observation and having an exospheric temperature of 210 (+/-) 20 K, result in an He mixing ratio of 1.1 (+/-) 0.4 ppm in the lower atmosphere. Nonthermal escape of helium is due to the following: electron impact ionization and pickup of He(+) by the solar wind; collisions with hot oxygen atoms; and charge exchange with molecular species with corresponding column loss rates of 1.4 x 10(exp 5), 3 x 10(exp 4), and 7 x 10(exp 3) cm(exp -2)s(exp -1), respectively. The lifetime of helium on Mars is 5 x 10(exp 4) yr. The He outgassing rate, coupled with the Ar-40 atmospheric abundance and with the K:U:Th ratio measured in the surface rocks, is used as input to a simple two-reservoir degassing model which presumes the loss of all argon accumulated in the atmosphere during the first Byr by large-scale impacts. The model results in total planet mass ratios of 10(exp -5) g/g for K, 2.3 x 10(exp -9) g/g for U, 8.5 x 10(exp -9) g/g for Th, 4 x 10(exp -10) g/g for He, and 1.5 x 10(exp -9) g/g for Ar-40. The predicted radiogenic heat flux is 2 erg cm(exp -2)s(exp -1). Similar modeling for Venus results in total plant mass ratios of 4.7 x 10(exp -5) g/g for K, 6.7 x 10(exp -9) g/g for U, 2.2 x 10(exp -8) g/g for Th, 1.3 x 10(exp -9) for He, 6.7 x 10(exp -9) g/g for Ar-40, and a radiogenic heat flux of 15 erg cm(exp -2)s(exp -1). The implications of these results are discussed. The modeling shows that the radioactive elements were not distributed uniformly in the protoplanetary nebula, and their relative abundances differ very much in the terrestrial planets.

Bowyer, S.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Semikinetic modeling and observations of high-latitude plasma outflow

In one fo the most exciting areas of progress, we have now developed a dynamic semikinetic model for examining the synergistic effects of waves and magnetospheric hot plasma populations on the outflowing ionospheric plasma. We have done this by imposing hot biMaxwellian ion and electron distributions at the top of our auroral simulation flux tube (4 R(sub e)), as well as a spectrum of waves with altitude which perpendicularly heats the ionospheric ions. We have also addressed the quasi-statistical properties of out flowing O(+) through bulk parameter analysis of DE-1/RIMS observations when DE-1 was in the midaltitude polar cap magnetosphere. A very exciting paper which was both submitted and appeared during this period in JGR concerned the centrifugal acceleration effect on the polar wind. During this year, we also developed the extension of our GSK code to include the lower ionosphere and associated processes. Finally, perhaps our most exciting project currently is a study of F-region upflows using a modification of the FLIP ionospheric fluid dynamics model of Richards and Torr to allow for the effects of soft electron precipitation ionization and convection-driven ion heating, and performed comparisons with satellite and radar data. A list of reference papers that have been published is listed.

Horwitz, James L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

First measurement of helium on Mars: Implications for the problem of radiogenic gases on the terrestrial planets

108 +/- 11 photons of the martian He 584-A airglow detected by the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) satellite during a 2-day exposure (January 22-23, 1993) correspond to the effective disk average intensity of 43 +/- 10 Rayleigh (Ra). Radiative transfer calculations, using a model atmosphere appropriate to the conditions of the observation and having an exospheric temperature of 210 +/- 20 K, result in a He mixing ratio of 1.1 +/- 0.4 ppm in the lower atmosphere. Nonthermal escape of helium is due to electron impact ionization and pickup of He(+) by the solar wind, to collisions with hot oxygen atoms, and to charge exchange with molecular species with corresponding column loss rates of 1.4 x 10(exp 5), 3 x 10(exp 4), and 7 x 10(exp 3)/sq cm/s, respectively. The lifetime of helium on Mars is 5 x 10(exp 4) years. the He outgassing rate, coupled with the Ar-40 atmospheric abundance and with the K:U:Th ratio measured in the surface rocks, is used as input to a single two-reservoir degassing model which is applied to Mars and then to Venus. A similar model with known abundances if K, U, and Th is applied to Earth. The models for Earth and Mars presume loss of all argon accumulated in the atmospheres during the first billion years by large-scale meteorite and planetesimal impacts. The models show that the degassing coefficients for all three planets may be approximated by function delta = delta(sub 0) x (t(sub 0)/t)(exp 1/2) with delta(sub 0) = 0.1, 0.04, and 0.0125 Byr for Earth, Venus, and Mars, respectively. After a R(exp 2) correction this means that outgassing processes on Venus and Mars are weaker than on Earth by factors of 3 and 30, respectively. Mass ratios of U and Th are almost the same for all three planets, while potassiumis depleted by a factor of 2 in Venus and Mars. Mass ratio of helium and argon are close to 5 x 10(exp -9) and 2 x 10(exp -8) g/g in the interiors of all three planets. The implications of these results are discussed.

Krasnopolsky, V. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A model of Triton's role in Neptune's magnetosphere

Escape of neutral hydrogen (H) and nitrogen (N) from Triton's maintains a large neutral cloud, called the Triton torus, in Neptune's magnetosphere. We have developed the first detailed Monte Carlo simulation model of the Triton torus that includes the collisionality, the complex geometry, the injection of two neutral species from Triton (H and N), and the combined effects of photoionization, electron impact ionization, and charge exchange. Ionization in Neptune's plasma sheet was modeled using Voyager plasma observations. Collisions cause both the H and N neutral clouds to become more radially extended, both toward Neptune and out beyond the magnetopause, as well as more extended in latitude, when compared with collisionless models. Moreover, collisions of H with the much more massive N greatly enhance the collisional ejection of H from the system and into Neptune's atmosphere. This effect decreases the probability of H ionization within the magnetosphere relative to that for N, and furthermore causes model results for two-species injection from Triton to differ significantly from those for H injection alone. For a hydrogen escape rate from Triton of 5 x 10(exp 25)/s, as given by photo-chemical models of Triton's upper atmosphere, a nitrogen escape rate of 5 x 10(exp 24)/s gives proton and N(+) sources of 5.6 x 10(exp 24)/s and 3.3 x 10(exp 24)/s, respectively, whose ratio is close to the observed ratio of protons to heavies. A nitrogen escape rate of 2 x 10(exp 25)/s, yields an N(+) source more than twice that of protons, inconsistent with the Voyager data.

Decker, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Three-Dimensional Multiscale MHD Model of Cometary Plasma Environments

First results of a three-dimensional multiscale MHD model of the interaction of an expanding cometary atmosphere with the magnetized solar wind are presented. The model starts with a supersonic and super-Alfvenic solar wind far upstream of the comet (25 Gm upstream of the nucleus) with arbitrary interplanetary magnetic field orientation. The solar wind is continuously mass loaded with cometary ions originating from a 10-km size nucleus. The effects of photoionization, electron impact ionization, recombination, and ion-neutral frictional drag are taken into account in the model. The governing equations are solved on an adaptively refined unstructured Cartesian grid using our new multiscale upwind scalar conservation laws-type numerical technique (MUSCL). We have named this the multiscale adaptive upwind scheme for MHD (MAUS-MHD). The combination of the adaptive refinement with the MUSCL-scheme allows the entire cometary atmosphere to be modeled, while still resolving both the shock and the diamagnetic cavity of the comet. The main findings are the following: (1) Mass loading decelerates the solar wind flow upstream of the weak cometary shock wave (M approximately equals 2, M(sub A) approximately equals 2), which forms at a subsolar standoff distance of about 0.35 Gm. (2) A cometary plasma cavity is formed at around 3 x 10(exp 3) km from the nucleus. Inside this cavity the plasma expands outward due to the frictional interaction between ions and neutrals. On the nightside this plasma cavity considerably narrows and a relatively fast and dense cometary plasma beam is ejected into the tail. (3) Inside the plasma cavity a teardrop-shaped inner shock is formed, which is terminated by a Mach disk on the nightside. Only the region inside the inner shock is the 'true' diamagnetic cavity. (4) The model predicts four distinct current systems in the inner coma: the density peak current, the cavity boundary current, the inner shock current, and finally the cross-tail current. (5) The calculated plasma parameters (magnetic field, plasma density, speed, and temperature) are in very good agreement with published Giotto observations.

Gombosi, Tamas I.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Ar Atmosphere: Implications for Structure and Composition of Mercury's Crust

We examine the possibilities of sustaining an argon atmosphere by diffusion from the upper 10 km of crust, and alternatively by effusion from a molten or previously molten area at great depth . Ar-40 in the atmospheres of the planets is a measure of potassium abundance in the interiors since Ar-40 is a product of radiogenic decay of K-40 by electron capture with the subsequent emission of a 1.46 eV gamma-ray. Although the Ar-40 in the earth's atmosphere is expected to have accumulated since the late bombardment, Ar-40 in surface-bounded exospheres is eroded quickly by photoionization and electron impact ionization. Thus, the argon content in the exospheres of the Moon, Mercury and probably Europa is representative of current effusion rather than accumulation over the lifetime of the body. Argon content will be a function of K content, temperature, grain size distribution, connected pore volume and possible seismic activity. Although Mercury and the Moon differ in many details, we can train the solutions to diffusion equations to predict the average lunar atmosphere. Then these parameters can be varied for Hermean conditions. Assuming a lunar crustal potassium abundance of 300 ppm, the observed argon atmosphere requires equilibrium between the argon production in the upper 9 Km of the moon (1.135 x 10(exp -3) cm(exp -3) s(exp -1)) and its loss. Hodges et al. conclude that this loss rate and the observed time variability requires argon release through seismic activity, tapping a deep argon source. An important observation is that the extreme surface of the Moon is enhanced in argon rather than depleted, as one would expect from outgassing of radiogenic argon. Manka and Michel concluded that ion implantation explains the surface enhancement of Ar-40. About half of the argon ions produced in the lunar atmosphere would return to the surface, where they would become embedded in the rocks. Similarly, at Mercury we expect the surface rocks to be enhanced in Ar-40 wherever the magnetosphere has been open over time. Thus the measurement of surface composition will reveal the long-term effects of solar wind-magnetosphere interaction. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Killen, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Reference Atmosphere for Mercury

We propose that Ar-40 measured in the lunar atmosphere and that in Mercury's atmosphere is due to current diffusion into connected pore space within the crust. Higher temperatures at Mercury, along with more rapid loss from the atmosphere will lead to a smaller column abundance of argon at Mercury than at the Moon, given the same crustal abundance of potassium. Because the noble gas abundance in the Hermean atmosphere represents current effusion, it is a direct measure of the crustal potassium abundance. Ar-40 in the atmospheres of the planets is a measure of potassium abundance in the interiors, since Ar-40 is a product of radiogenic decay of K-40 by electron capture with the subsequent emission of a 1.46 eV gamma-ray. Although the Ar-40 in the Earth's atmosphere is expected to have accumulated since the late bombardment, Ar-40 in the atmospheres of Mercury and the Moon is eroded quickly by photoionization and electron impact ionization. Thus, the argon content in the exospheres of the Moon and Mercury is representative of current effusion rather than accumulation over the lifetime of the planet.

Killen, Rosemary M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Review of the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) Experiment

Many space propulsion concepts exist that use matter-antimatter reactions. Current antiproton production rates are enough to conduct proof-of-principle evaluation of these concepts. One enabling technology for such experiments is portable storage of low energy antiprotons, to transport antiprotons to experimental facilities. To address this need, HiPAT is being developed, with a design goal of containing 10(exp 12) particles for up to 18 days. HiPAT is a Penning-Malmberg trap with a 4 Tesla superconductor, 20kV electrodes, radio frequency (RF) network, and 10(exp -13) Torr vacuum. 'Normal' matter is being used to evaluate the system. An electron beam ionizes background gas in situ, and particle beams are captured dynamically. The experiment examines ion storage lifetimes, RF plasma diagnostics, charge exchange with background gases, and dynamic ion beam capture.

Martin, James J.↗