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NASA NTRS1993

Hydrodynamics of Relativistic Fireballs

Many models of gamma-ray bursts involve a fireball, which is an optically thick concentration of radiation energy with a high ratio of energy density to rest mass. We examine analytically and numerically the evolution of a relativistic fireball. We show that, after an early rearrangement phase, most of the matter and energy in the fireball is concentrated within a narrow shell. The shell propagates at nearly the speed of light, with a frozen radial profile, and according to a simple set of scaling laws. The spectrum of the escaping radiation is harder at early times and softer later on. Depending on the initial energy-to-mass ratio, the final outcome of a fireball is either photons with roughly the initial temperature or ultrarelativistic baryons. In the latter case, the energy could be converted back to gamma-rays via interaction with surrounding material.

Piran, Tsvi↗

NASA NTRS1994

Comet Shoemaker-Levy Impact: Briefing

A panel discussion held on May 18, 1994, about the impact of the P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) comet with Jupiter and its observable effects on Jupiter's atmosphere, rings, satellites, and magnetosphere, is presented. Before the panel discussion animations show the first nuclei impact, collision with Jupiter's night side (5 of the 22 known fragments of P/Shoemaker-Levy 9; N, P2, P1, Q2, and Q1), and simulated views of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact with Jupiter (from Earth and Galileo spacecraft) were presented. The panelists are: Dr. Eugene Shoemaker (from Lowell Observatory and US Geological Survey), the moderator and Shoemaker-Levy co-discoverer; Dr. Hal Weaver (from Space Telescope Science Institute); Dr. Lucy McFadden (from University of California-San Diego and the University of Maryland); Dr Melissa McGrath (from Space Telescope Science Institute); and Dr. Heidi Hammel (from Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Topics discussed include: interactions of cometary material with Jupiter's atmosphere, dynamical parameters of Jupiter's troposphere and stratosphere, and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Observations of the SL9 Impacts on Jupiter's Atmosphere.The panel answered some of the audience's questions at the end of the discussion. This video, Part 2 (of 2), is a continuation of Part 1. It presents the second part of the question and answer session and a replay of the animations.

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NASA NTRS1994

Comet Shoemaker-Levy Impact: Briefing

A panel discussion held on May 18, 1994, about the impact of the P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) comet with Jupiter and its observable effects on Jupiter's atmosphere, rings, satellites, and magnetosphere, is presented. Before the panel discussion animations show the first nuclei impact, collision with Jupiter's night side (5 of the 22 known fragments of P/Shoemaker-Levy 9; N, P2, P1, Q2, and Q1), and simulated views of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact with Jupiter (from Earth and Galileo spacecraft) were presented. The panelists are: Dr. Eugene Shoemaker (from Lowell Observatory and US Geological Survey), the moderator and Shoemaker-Levy co-discoverer; Dr. Hal Weaver (from Space Telescope Science Institute); Dr. Lucy McFadden (from University of California-San Diego and the University of Maryland); Dr Melissa McGrath (from Space Telescope Science Institute); and Dr. Heidi Hammel (from Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Topics discussed include: interactions of cometary material with Jupiter's atmosphere, dynamical parameters of Jupiter's troposphere and stratosphere, and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Observations of the SL9 Impacts on Jupiter's Atmosphere.The panel answered some of the audience's questions at the end of the discussion. This video, Part 1 (of 2), presents the panel discussion and part of the question and answer session.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2002

Compositional Remote Sensing of Icy Planets and Satellites Beyond Jupiter

The peak of the solar energy distribution occurs at visual wavelengths and falls off rapidly in the infrared. This fact, improvements in infrared detector technology, and the low surface temperatures for most icy objects in the outer solar system have resulted in the bulk of telescopic and spacecraft observations being performed at visual and near-infrared wavelengths. Such observations, begun in the early 1970's and continuing to present, have provided compositional information regarding the surfaces of the satellites of Saturn and Uranus, Neptune's moon Triton, Pluto, Pluto's moon Charon, Centaur objects, and Kuiper belt objects. Because the incident sunlight penetrates the surface and interacts with the materials present there, the measured reflected sunlight contains information regarding the surface materials, and the ratio of the reflected to incident sunlight provides a mechanism of identifying the materials that are present.

Roush, T. L.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Compositional Remote Sensing of Icy Planets and Satellites Beyond Jupiter

Roush, Ted L.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Total Ionizing Dose Effects in MOS Oxides and Devices

The development of military and space electronics technology has traditionally been heavily influenced by the commercial semiconductor industry. The development of MOS technology, and particularly CMOS technology, as dominant commercial technologies has occurred entirely within the lifetime of the NSREC. For this reason, it is not surprising that the study of radiation interactions with MOS materials, devices and circuits has been a major theme of this conference for most of its history. The basic radiation problem in a MOS transistor is illustrated. The application of an appropriate gate voltage causes a conducting channel to form between the source and drain, so that current flows when the device is turned on. In Fig. lb, the effect of ionizing radiation is illustrated. Radiation-induced trapped charge has built up in the gate oxide, which causes a shift in the threshold voltage (that is, a change in the voltage which must be applied to turn the device on). If this shift is large enough, the device cannot be turned off, even at zero volts applied, and the device is said to have failed by going depletion mode.

Oldham, Timothy R.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Measurement of Recoil Losses and Ranges for Spallation Products Produced in Proton Interactions with Al, Si, Mg at 200 and 500 MeV

Cosmic rays interact with extraterrestrial materials to produce a variety of spallation products. If these cosmogenic nuclides are produced within an inclusion in such material, then an important consideration is the loss of the product nuclei, which recoil out of the inclusion. Of course, at the same time, some atoms of the product nuclei under study may be knocked into the inclusion from the surrounding material, which is likely to have a different composition to that of the inclusion [1]. For example, Ne-21 would be produced in presolar grains, such as SiC, when irradiated in interstellar space. However, to calculate a presolar age, one needs to know how much 21Ne is retained in the grain. For small grains, the recoil losses might be large [2, 3] To study this effect under laboratory conditions, recoil measurements were made using protons with energies from 66 - 1600 MeV on Si, Al and Ba targets [3, 4, 5].

Sisterson, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Discovery of an Afterglow Extension of the Prompt Phase of Two Gamma Ray Bursts Observed by Swift

Contemporaneous BAT and XRT observations of two recent well-covered GRBs observed by Swift, GRB 050315 and GRB 050319, show clearly a prompt component of the afterglow emission. The rapid slewing capability of the spacecraft enables X-ray observations immediately after the burst, typically approximately 100 s following the initiation of the prompt gamma-ray phase. By fitting a power law form to the gamma-ray spectrum, we extrapolate the time dependent fluxes measured by the BAT, in the energy band 15 - 350 keV, into the spectral regime observed by the XRT, 0.2 - 10 keV, and examine the functional form of the rate of decay of the two light curves. We find that the BAT and XRT light curves merge to form a unified curve. There is a period of steep decay up to approximately 300 s, followed by a flatter decay. The duration of the steep decay, approximately 100 s in the source frame after correcting for cosmological time dilation, agrees with a theoretical estimate for the deceleration time of the relativistic ejecta as it interacts with circumstellar material. For GRB 050315, the steep decay can be characterized by an exponential form, where T(sub e),(BAT)approximately equal to 24 plus or minus 2 s, and T(sub e)(XRT) approximately equal to 35 plus or minus 2 s. For GRB 050319 a power law decay -d lnf/d lnt = n, where n approximately equal to 3, provides a reasonable fit. The early time X-ray fluxes are consistent with representing the lower energy tail of the prompt emission, and provide our first quantitative measure of the decay of the prompt gamma-ray emission over a large dynamic range. The initial steep decay is expected from the high latitude emission from a curved shell of relativistic plasma illuminated only for a short interval. The overall conclusion is that the prompt phase of GRBs lasts for hundreds of seconds longer than previously thought.

Barthelmy, S. D.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Discovery of an Afterglow Extension of the Prompt Phase of Two Gamma Ray Bursts Observed by Swift

Contemporaneous BAT and XRT observations of two recent well-covered GRBs observed by Swift, GRB 050315 and GRB 050319, show clearly a prompt component joining the onset of the afterglow emission. The rapid slewing capability of the spacecraft enables X-ray observations immediately after the burst, typically ~ 100 s following the initiation of the prompt y-ray phase. By fitting a power law form to the y-ray spectrum, we extrapolate the time dependent fluxes measured by the BAT, in the energy band 15 - 350 keV, into the spectral regime observed by the XRT 0.2 - 10 keV, and examine the functional form of the rate of decay of the two light curves. We find that the BAT and XRT light curves merge to form a unified curve. There is a period of steep decay up to ~ 300 s, followed by a flatter decay. The duration of the steep decay, ~ 100 s in the source frame after correcting for cosmological time dilation, agrees roughly with a theoretical estimate for the deceleration time of the relativistic ejecta as it interacts with circumstellar material. For GRB 050315, the steep decay can be characterized by an exponential form, where one e-folding decay time Te (BAT)~ = 24 f 2 s, and Te,(XRT)~ = 35 f 2 s. For GRB 050319, a power law decay - d l n f / d l n t = n, where n approx. ~ = 3, provides a reasonable fit. The early time X-ray fluxes are consistent with representing the lower energy tail of the prompt emission, and provide our first quantitative measure of the decay of the prompt y-ray emission over a large dynamic range in flux. The initial steep decay is expected due to the delayed high latitude photons from a curved shell of relativistic plasma illuminated only for a short interval. The overall conclusion is that the prompt phase of GRBs remains observable for hundreds of seconds longer than previously thought.

Bathelmy, S. D.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Emissive Probes to Determine the Plasma Potential of the Plumes of Various Electric Thrusters

A significant problem in the use of electric thrusters in spacecraft is the formation of low-energy ions in the thruster plume. Low-energy ions are formed in the plume via random collisions between high-velocity ions ejected from the thruster and slow-moving neutral atoms of propellant effusing from the engine. The sputtering of spacecraft materials due to interactions with low-energy ions may result in erosion or contamination of the spacecraft. The trajectory of these ions is determined primarily by the plasma potential of the plume. Thus, accurate characterization of the plasma potential is essential to predicting low-energy ion contamination. Emissive probes were utilized to determine the plasma potential. When the ion and electron currents to the probe are balanced, the potential of such probes float to the plasma potential. Two emissive probes were fabricated; one utilizing a DC power supply, another utilizing a rectified AC power source. Labview programs were written to coordinate and automate probe motion in the thruster plume. Employing handshaking interaction, these motion programs were synchronized to various data acquisition programs to ensure precision and accuracy of the measurements. Comparing these experimental values to values from theoretical models will allow for a more accurate prediction of low-energy ion interaction.

Chen, Erinna M.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Dust and Other Recent Discoveries in SN 1987A

Supernova 1987 A in the Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the most intensively studied objects in the universe and a Rosetta Stone for understanding the explosions of massive stars. Now almost 25 years old, SN 1987 A is a very young supernova remnant, a phase previously unobserved in any other supernova. In this talk I will discuss recent observations from the far ultraviolet to the far-infrared with HST, the VLT, and the Herschel Space Observatory. These data reveal new insights into the composition, geometry, and heating of the explosion debris, the shock interaction with circumstellar material, and dust in the SN 1987 A system.

Sonneborn, George↗

NASA NTRS2012

Space Weather Impacts on Spacecraft Design and Operations in Auroral Charging Environments

Spacecraft in low altitude, high inclination (including sun-synchronous) orbits are widely used for remote sensing of the Earth s land surface and oceans, monitoring weather and climate, communications, scientific studies of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, and a variety of other scientific, commercial, and military applications. These systems are episodically exposed to environments characterized by a high flux of energetic (approx.1 to 10 s kilovolt) electrons in regions of very low background plasma density which is similar in some ways to the space weather conditions in geostationary orbit responsible for spacecraft charging to kilovolt levels. While it is well established that charging conditions in geostationary orbit are responsible for many anomalies and even spacecraft failures, to date there have been relatively few such reports due to charging in auroral environments. This presentation first reviews the physics of the space environment and its interactions with spacecraft materials that control auroral charging rates and the anticipated maximum potentials that should be observed on spacecraft surfaces during disturbed space weather conditions. We then describe how the theoretical values compare to the observational history of extreme charging in auroral environments and discuss how space weather impacts both spacecraft design and operations for vehicles on orbital trajectories that traverse auroral charging environments.

Minow, Joseph I.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Computational Transport Modeling of High-Energy Neutrons Found in the Space Environment

The high charge and high energy (HZE) particle radiation environment in space interacts with spacecraft materials and the human body to create a population of neutrons encompassing a broad kinetic energy spectrum. As an HZE ion penetrates matter, there is an increasing chance of fragmentation as penetration depth increases. When an ion fragments, secondary neutrons are released with velocities up to that of the primary ion, giving some neutrons very long penetration ranges. These secondary neutrons have a high relative biological effectiveness, are difficult to effectively shield, and can cause more biological damage than the primary ions in some scenarios. Ground-based irradiation experiments that simulate the space radiation environment must account for this spectrum of neutrons. Using the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Code System (PHITS), it is possible to simulate a neutron environment that is characteristic of that found in spaceflight. Considering neutron dosimetry, the focus lies on the broad spectrum of recoil protons that are produced in biological targets. In a biological target, dose at a certain penetration depth is primarily dependent upon recoil proton tracks. The PHITS code can be used to simulate a broad-energy neutron spectrum traversing biological targets, and it account for the recoil particle population. This project focuses on modeling a neutron beamline irradiation scenario for determining dose at increasing depth in water targets. Energy-deposition events and particle fluence can be simulated by establishing cross-sectional scoring routines at different depths in a target. This type of model is useful for correlating theoretical data with actual beamline radiobiology experiments. Other work exposed human fibroblast cells to a high-energy neutron source to study micronuclei induction in cells at increasing depth behind water shielding. Those findings provide supporting data describing dose vs. depth across a water-equivalent medium. This poster presents PHITS data suggesting an increase in dose, up to roughly 10 cm depth, followed by a continual decrease as neutrons come to a stop in the target.

Cox, Brad↗

NASA NTRS2012

SN 1987A: The Supernova of the Century

Supernova 1987 A in the Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the most intensively studied objects in the universe and a Rosetta Stone for understanding the explosions of massive stars. Approaching its 25th anniversary, SN 1987 A is a very young supernova remnant, a phase previously unobserved in any other supernova. The supernova of the 20th Century is now the supernova remnant of the 21st Century. In this talk I will discuss recent observations from the far-ultraviolet to the far-infrared with HST, the VLT, Spitzer, and the Herschel Space Observatory. These data reveal new insights into the composition, geometry, and heating of the explosion debris, the shock interaction with circumstellar material, and dust in the SN 1987 A system.

Sonneborne, George↗

NASA NTRS2012

Electric Propulsion Induced Secondary Mass Spectroscopy

A document highlights a means to complement remote spectroscopy while also providing in situ surface samples without a landed system. Historically, most compositional analysis of small body surfaces has been done remotely by analyzing reflection or nuclear spectra. However, neither provides direct measurement that can unambiguously constrain the global surface composition and most importantly, the nature of trace composition and second-phase impurities. Recently, missions such as Deep Space 1 and Dawn have utilized electric propulsion (EP) accelerated, high-energy collimated beam of Xe+ ions to propel deep space missions to their target bodies. The energies of the Xe+ are sufficient to cause sputtering interactions, which eject material from the top microns of a targeted surface. Using a mass spectrometer, the sputtered material can be determined. The sputtering properties of EP exhaust can be used to determine detailed surface composition of atmosphereless bodies by electric propulsion induced secondary mass spectroscopy (EPI-SMS). EPI-SMS operation has three high-level requirements: EP system, mass spectrometer, and altitude of about 10 km. Approximately 1 keV Xe+ has been studied and proven to generate high sputtering yields in metallic substrates. Using these yields, first-order calculations predict that EPI-SMS will yield high signal-to-noise at altitudes greater than 10 km with both electrostatic and Hall thrusters.

Amini, Rashied↗

NASA NTRS2012

Extreme Spacecraft Charging in Polar Low Earth Orbit

Spacecraft in low altitude, high inclination (including sun-synchronous) orbits are widely used for remote sensing of the Earth's land surface and oceans, monitoring weather and climate, communications, scientific studies of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, and a variety of other scientific, commercial, and military applications. These systems episodically charge to frame potentials in the kilovolt range when exposed to space weather environments characterized by a high flux of energetic (~10 s kilovolt) electrons in regions of low background plasma density which is similar in some ways to the space weather conditions in geostationary orbit responsible for spacecraft charging to kilovolt levels. We first review the physics of space environment interactions with spacecraft materials that control auroral charging rates and the anticipated maximum potentials that should be observed on spacecraft surfaces during disturbed space weather conditions. We then describe how the theoretical values compare to the observational history of extreme charging in auroral environments. Finally, a set of extreme DMSP charging events are described varying in maximum negative frame potential from ~0.6 kV to ~2 kV, focusing on the characteristics of the charging events that are of importance both to the space system designer and to spacecraft operators. The goal of the presentation is to bridge the gap between scientific studies of auroral charging and the need for engineering teams to understand how space weather impacts both spacecraft design and operations for vehicles on orbital trajectories that traverse auroral charging environments.

Colson, Andrew D.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Extreme Spacecraft Charging in Polar Low Earth Orbit

Spacecraft in low altitude, high inclination (including sun -synchronous) orbits are widely used for remote sensing of the Earth fs land surface and oceans, monitoring weather and climate, communications, scientific studies of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, and a variety of other scientific, commercial, and military applications. These systems episodically charge to frame potentials in the kilovolt range when exposed to space weather environments characterized by a high flux of energetic (approx.10 fs kilovolt) electrons in regions of low background plasma density. Auroral charging conditions are similar in some ways to the space weather conditions in geostationary orbit responsible for spacecraft charging to kilovolt levels. We first review the physics of space environment interactions with spacecraft materials that control auroral charging rates and the anticipated maximum potentials that should be observed on spacecraft surfaces during disturbed space weather conditions. We then describe how the theoretical values compare to the observational history of extreme charging in auroral environments. Finally, a set of extreme DMSP charging events are described varying in maximum negative frame potential from approx.0.6 kV to approx.2 kV, focusing on the characteristics of the charging events that are of importance both to the space system designer and to spacecraft operators. The goal of the presentation is to bridge the gap between scientific studies of auroral charging and the need for engineering teams to understand how space weather impacts both spacecraft design and operations for vehicles on orbital trajectories that traverse auroral charging environments.

Colson, Andrew D.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Investigation of a Tricarbide Grooved Ring Fuel Element for a Nuclear Thermal Rocket

Deep space exploration, especially that of Mars, is on the horizon as the next big challenge for space exploration. Nuclear propulsion, through which high thrust and efficiency can be achieved, is a promising option for decreasing the cost and logistics of such a mission. Work on nuclear thermal engines goes back to the days of the NERVA program. Currently, nuclear thermal propulsion is under development again in various forms to provide a superior propulsion system for deep space exploration. The authors have been working to develop a concept nuclear thermal engine that uses a grooved ring fuel element as an alternative to the traditional hexagonal rod design. The authors are also studying the use of carbide fuels. The concept was developed in order to increase surface area and heat transfer to the propellant. The use of carbides would also raise the temperature limitations of the reactor. It is hoped that this could lead to a higher thrust to weight nuclear thermal engine. This paper describes the modeling of neutronics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics of this alternative nuclear fuel element geometry. Fabrication experiments of grooved rings from carbide refractory metals are also presented along with material characterization and interactions with a hot hydrogen environment.

Taylor, Brian D.↗