SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “PLASMA COMPOSITION”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 37 records · Page 2

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1983

Hot plasma composition results from the S3-3 spacecraft

The S3-3 satellite discovered the principal auroral acceleration region at altitudes of about 1 R(E) over the auroral zone. Intense fluxes of upward flowing O(+) and H(+) ions with keV energies were commonly observed in this region of the magnetosphere. The detailed morphology of these upflowing ions is described, including their latitude, local time, altitude, and magnetic activity dependences and their relationship to the trapped keV electron population. The first measurements of the composition of the trapped keV ions in the radiation belts are also described, showing the importance of the ionospheric source term to the storm time population of ions with energies equal to or less than 16 keV/e.

Sharp, R. D.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Initial hot plasma composition results from the Dynamics Explorer

Initial observations from the energetic ion composition spectrometer on the DE-1 spacecraft have found mass or charge dependent processes to be operating in the vicinity of an inverted-V event in the auroral acceleration region, above the polar cap ionosphere, and in the mid-altitude dayside cusp. Separate color spectrograms for the different ion species provide a synoptic picture of these processes that can contribute significantly to our understanding of both the solar wind and the ionosphere as sources of energetic magnetospheric ions.

Shelley, E. G.↗

NASA NTRS1995

STS-46 plasma composition measurements using the EOIM-3 mass spectrometer

One of the active instruments incorporated into the Evaluation of Oxygen Interactions with Materials - 3 experiment was a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The primary objectives for this instrument, which was built by the Air Force Phillips Laboratory and was a veteran of the STS-4 flight in 1982, were to quantify the flux of atomic oxygen striking the test surfaces in the EOIM-3 payload and to detect surface reaction products from the materials in the carousel. Other speakers in this session have covered the results of these experiments. Prior to the 40-hour-long dedicated EOIM-3 mission segment at the end of the STS-46 flight, the authors used the mass spectrometer to make measurements of ion and neutral gas composition in the shuttle environment. About 25 hours of data were collected during a variety of mission events, including Eureca deployment at high altitude and many tethered satellite system operations.

Hunton, Donald E.↗

NASA NTRS2022

Plasma Composition Measurements in an Active Region from Solar Orbiter/SPICE and Hinode/EIS

A key goal of the Solar Orbiter mission is to connect elemental abundance measurements of the solar wind enveloping the spacecraft with extreme-UV (EUV) spectroscopic observations of their solar sources, but this is not an easy exercise. Observations from previous missions have revealed a highly complex picture of spatial and temporal variations of elemental abundances in the solar corona. We have used coordinated observations from Hinode and Solar Orbiter to attempt new abundance measurements with the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument, and benchmark them against standard analyses from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). We use observations of several solar features in active region (AR) 12781 taken from an Earth-facing view by EIS on 2020 November 10, and SPICE data obtained one week later on 2020 November 17, when the AR had rotated into the Solar Orbiter field of view. We identify a range of spectral lines that are useful for determining the transition region and low-coronal-temperature structure with SPICE, and demonstrate that SPICE measurements are able to differentiate between photospheric and coronal magnesium/neon abundances. The combination of SPICE and EIS is able to establish the atmospheric composition structure of a fan loop/outflow area at the AR edge. We also discuss the problem of resolving the degree of elemental fractionation with SPICE, which is more challenging without further constraints on the temperature structure, and comment on what that can tell us about the sources of the solar wind and solar energetic particles.

Solar physics↗

NASA NTRS1992

Plasma etching a ceramic composite

Plasma etching is found to be a superior metallographic technique for evaluating the microstructure of a ceramic matrix composite. The ceramic composite studied is composed of silicon carbide whiskers (SiC(sub W)) in a matrix of silicon nitride (Si3N4), glass, and pores. All four constituents are important in evaluating the microstructure of the composite. Conventionally prepared samples, both as-polished or polished and etched with molten salt, do not allow all four constituents to be observed in one specimen. As-polished specimens allow examination of the glass phase and porosity, while molten salt etching reveals the Si3N4 grain size by removing the glass phase. However, the latter obscures the porosity. Neither technique allows the SiC(sub W) to be distinguished from the Si3N4. Plasma etching with CF4 + 4 percent O2 selectively attacks the Si3N4 grains, leaving SiC(sub W) and glass in relief, while not disturbing the pores. An artifact of the plasma etching reaction is the deposition of a thin layer of carbon on Si3N4, allowing Si3N4 grains to be distinguished from SiC(sub W) by back scattered electron imaging.

Hull, David R.↗

NASA NTRS1969

Theoretical investigation of the composition and line emission characteristics of argon-tungsten and argon-uranium plasmas

Composition and line emission characteristics of ionized tungsten, uranium, and argon

Krascella, N. L.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Composition Measurements at the Magnetopause and in the Plasma Mantle

This final report describes activities under NASA grant NAGW-4049 to Lockheed Missiles and Space Company. The report covers the entire period of the grant from 15 August 1994 to 31 January 1998. The original grant was for 3 years ending in August 1997; however the grant was extended 6 months to accomodate additional data analysis that added significantly to the scientific results. This is a grant under the NASA Supporting Research and Technology Program for the analysis and interpretation of the combined scientific data from the ISEE-1 Plasma Composition Experiment and the AMPTE/CCE Hot Plasma Composition Experiment. These combined data sets were used in a study of the Earth's magnetopause to develop a fundamental understanding of plasma entry and dynamics at the boundary and formation and maintenance of the low latitude boundary layer under a variety of solar wind and magnetospheric conditions and at a wide range of local times.

Gary, S. P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

High latitude field aligned light ion flows in the topside ionosphere deduced from ion composition and plasma temperatures

Using a comprehensive ionospheric data set comprised of all available ion composition and plasma temperature measurements from satellites, the vertical distributions of ion composition and plasma temperatures are defined from middle latitudes up into the polar cap for summer conditions for altitudes below about 1200 km. These data are sufficient to allow a numerical estimation of the latitudinal variation of the light ion outflows from within the plasmasphere to the polar wind regions. The altitude at which significant light ion outflow begins is found to be lower during solar minimum conditions than during solar maximum. The H(+) outward speeds are of the order of 1 km/s near 1100 km during solar maximum but attain several km/s speeds for solar minimum. He(+) shows a similar altitude development of flow but attains polar cap speeds much less than 1 km/s at altitudes below 1100 km, particularly under solar maximum conditions. Outward flows are also found in the topside F-region for noontime magnetic flux tubes within the plasmasphere.

Grebowsky, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Self-lubricating plasma-sprayed composites for sliding contact bearings to 900 C

Plasma-sprayed composites which have good oxidation-resistance and self-lubricating characteristics to 900 C were developed. The composites are a Nichrome matrix containing dispersed glass for oxidation protection and calcium fluoride for lubrication. They are applied to bearing surfaces in layers about 0.050 cm thick by plasma-spraying; the layers are then machined to a thickness of 0.025 cm. Oscillating bearing tests were performed in air to 900 C at unit radial loads up to 3.5 times 10 to the 7th power Newtons per square meter (5000 psi) and a thrust load of 1960 Newtons (440 lb). Bearings with a composite liner in the bore were in good condition after over 50,000 oscillating cycles accumulated during repeated bearing temperature cycles between 25 and 900 C.

Sliney, H. E.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Ion composition measurement techniques for space plasmas

Plasmas found in space range from the solar wind with a typical temperature of 100,000-1,000,000 K, about 400 km/s bulk flow speed, and high ionization (charge states) of ions, to the hot, slowly moving plasmas in the outer magnetospheres of the giant planets, to the cold, corotating plasmas in inner magnetospheres. Space plasma instruments and techniques are reviewed, with an emphasis on hot plasma composition measurements. Starting with Faraday Cup detectors some 30 years ago, plasma instruments have evolved to the present time-of-flight systems with excellent mass resolution and three-dimensional viewing capabilities.

Gloeckler, George↗

NASA NTRS1988

Comparison of plasma sheet ion composition with the IMF and solar wind plasma

Plasma sheet energetic ion data (0.1- to 16 keV/e) obtained by the Plasma Composition Experiment on ISEE-1 between 10 and 23 earth radii are compared with concurrent IMF and solar wind plasma data. The densities of H(+) and He(++) ions in the plasma sheet are found to be the highest, and the most nearly proportional to the solar wind density, when the IMF B(z) is not northward. The density of terrestrial O(+) ions increases strongly with increasing magnitude of the IMF, in apparent agreement with the notion that the IMF plays a fundamental role in the electric coupling between the solar wind and the ionosphere.

Lennartsson, W.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Temperature dependence of the biaxial modulus, intrinsic stress and composition of plasma deposited silicon oxynitride films

Silicon oxynitride films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition. The elemental composition was varied between silicon nitride and silicon dioxide: SiO(0.3)N(1.0), SiO(0.7)N(1.6), SiO(0.7)N(1.1), and SiO(1.7)N(0.%). These films were annealed in air, at temperatures of 40-240 C above the deposition temperature (260 C), to determine the stability and behavior or each composition. the biaxial modulus, biaxial intrinsic stress, and elemental composition were measured at discrete intervals within the annealing cycle. Films deposited from primarily ammonia possessed considerable hydrogen (up to 38 at.%) and lost nitrogen and hydrogen at anneal temperatures (260-300 C) only marginally higher than the deposition temperature. As the initial oxygen content increased a different mechanism controlled the behavior or the film: The temperature threshold for change rose to approximately equal to 350 C and the loss of nitrogen was compensated by an equivalent rise in the oxygen content. The transformation from silicon oxynitride to silica was completed after 50 h at 400 C. The initial biaxial modulus of all compositions was 21-3- GPa and the intrinsic stress was -30 to 85 MPa. Increasing the oxygen content raised the temperature threshold where cracking first occurred; the two film compositions with the highest initial oxygen content did not crack, even at the highest temperature (450 C) investigated. At 450 C the biaxial modulus increased to approximately equal to 100 GPa and the intrinsic stress was approximately equal to 200 MPa. These increases could be correlated with the observed change in the film's composition. When nitrogen was replaced by oxygen, the induced stress remained lower than the biaxial strength of the material, but, when nitrogen and hydrogen were lost, stress-relieving microcracking occurred.

Harding, David R.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Formation of Heliospheric Arcs of Slow Solar Wind

A major challenge in solar and heliospheric physics is understanding the origin and nature of the so-called slow solar wind. The Sun's atmosphere is divided into magnetically open regions, known as coronal holes, where the plasma streams out freely and fills the solar system, and closed regions, where the plasma is confined to coronal loops. The boundary between these regions extends outward as the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). Measurements of plasma composition strongly imply that much of the slow wind consists of plasma from the closed corona that escapes onto open field lines, presumably by field-line opening or by interchange reconnection. Both of these processes are expected to release closed-field plasma into the solar wind within and immediately adjacent to the HCS. Mysteriously, however, slow wind with closed-field plasma composition is often observed in situ far from the HCS. We use high-resolution, three-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations to calculate the dynamics of a coronal hole with a geometry that includes a narrow corridor flanked by closed field and is driven by supergranule-like flows at the coronal-hole boundary. These dynamics produce giant arcs of closed-field plasma that originate at the open-closed boundary in the corona, but extend far from the HCS and span tens of degrees in latitude and longitude at Earth. We conclude that such structures can account for the long-puzzling slow-wind observations.

Higginson, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Plasma IMS Composition Measurements for Europa, Ganymede, and the Jovian System

NASA and ESA are now planning a reduced version of the joint Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM), potentially including a radically descoped Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) but still with magnetometer and plasma instruments. Similar field and plasma instrumentation would also reside on ESA's Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO), which conceivably could carry out multiple flybys of Europa before entering orbit at Ganymede. We are developing the 3D Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) designed to measure both major and minor ion species within the high radiation environment of Jupiter's magnetosphere and the icy Galilean moons. The IMS covers the energy range from 10 eV to 30 keY, wide field-of-view (FOV) capability and 10-60 sec time resolution for major ions. This instrument has two main goals: 1) measure the plasma interaction between Europa and Jupiter's magnetosphere and 2) infer the global surface composition to trace elemental and significant isotopic levels; these goals are also applicable for in-situ measurements at Ganymede and Callisto, and remotely everywhere via the iogenic plasma for 10. The first goal supports the magnetometer (MAG) measurements, primarily directed at detection of Europa's sub-surface ocean, while the second goal gives information about transfer of material between the Galilean moons, e.g. mainly from 10 to the other moons, and further allows detection of oceanic materials emergent to the moon surfaces from subsurface layers putatively including salt water oceans. Outgassed exospheric materials are probed by the IMS by measuring pickup ions accelerated up to spacecraft altitudes of approximately 100-200 km in electric fields extending through the local magnetospheric environment and moon exosphere to the surface. Our 3D hybrid kinetic model of the moon-magnetosphere interaction is used to construct a global model of electric and magnetic fields for tracing of pickup ion trajectories back to the sources at approximate surface resolution of 100 km. We show that Europa's exospheric ionosphere is dominated by pickup ions with energies of 100-1000 eV. We also expect field aligned polar ion outflows driven by ionospheric electrons via the polarization electric field at Europa; the IMS will observe such outflows and thus sample the ionosphere below spacecraft orbit altitude approximately 100 km. Based on previous Ganymede studies, we also comment on IMS applications to a Ganymede orbiter. The IMS and the Europa interaction model are respectively being developed with support from NASA's Astrobiology Instrument Development (ASTID) and Outer Planets Research (OPR) programs.

Sittler, E. C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Plasma IMS Composition Measurements for Europa, Ganymede, and the Jovian Systems

NASA and ESA are now planning a reduced version of the joint Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM), potentially including a radically descoped Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) but still with magnetometer and plasma instruments. Similar field and plasma instrumentation would also reside on ESA's Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO), which conceivably could carry out multiple flybys of Europa before entering orbit at Ganymede. We are developing the 3D Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) designed to measure both major and minor ion species within the high radiation environment of Jupiter s magnetosphere and the icy Galilean moons. The IMS covers the energy range from 10 eV to 30 keV, wide field-ofview (FOV) capability and 10-60 sec time resolution for major ions. This instrument has two main goals: 1) measure the plasma interaction between Europa and Jupiter s magnetosphere and 2) infer the global surface composition to trace elemental and significant isotopic levels; these goals are also applicable for in-situ measurements at Ganymede and Callisto, and remotely everywhere via the iogenic plasma for Io. The first goal supports the magnetometer (MAG) measurements, primarily directed at detection of Europa's sub-surface ocean, while the second goal gives information about transfer of material between the Galilean moons, e.g. mainly from Io to the other moons, and further allows detection of oceanic materials emergent to the moon surfaces from subsurface layers putatively including salt water oceans. Outgassed exospheric materials are probed by the IMS by measuring pickup ions accelerated up to spacecraft altitudes of approximately 100-200 km in electric fields extending through the local magnetospheric environment and moon exosphere to the surface. Our 3D hybrid kinetic model of the moon-magnetosphere interaction is used to construct a global model of electric and magnetic fields for tracing of pickup ion trajectories back to the sources at approximate surface resolution of 100 km. We show that Europa's exospheric ionosphere is dominated by pickup ions with energies of 100-1000 eV. We also expect field aligned polar ion outflows driven by ionospheric electrons via the polarization electric field at Europa; the IMS will observe such outflows and thus sample the ionosphere below spacecraft orbit altitude approximately 100 km. Based on previous Ganymede studies, we also comment on IMS applications to a Ganymede orbiter. The IMS and the Europa interaction model are respectively being developed with support from NASA's Astrobiology Instrument Development (ASTID) and Outer Planets Research (OPR) programs.

Sittler, E.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Plasma Ion Composition Measurements for Europa

Jupiter magnetospheric interactions and surface composition, both important to subsurface ocean detection for the Galilean icy moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, can be measured using plasma ion mass spectrometry on either an orbiting spacecraft or one designed for multiple flybys of these moons. Detection of emergent oceanic materials at the Europa surface is more likely than at Ganymede and Callisto. A key challenge is to resolve potential intrinsic Europan materials from the space weathering patina of iogenic species implanted onto the sensible surface by magnetospheric interactions. Species resolved measurements of pickup ion currents are also critical to extraction of oceanic induced magnetic fields from magnetospheric interaction background dominated by these currents. In general the chemical astrobiological potential of Europa should be determined through the combination of surface, ionospheric, and pickup ion composition measurements. The requisite Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) for these measurements would need to work in the high radiation environment of Jupiter's magnetosphere between the orbits of Europa and Ganymede, and beyond. A 3D hybrid model of the moon magnetosphere interaction is also needed to construct a global model of the electric and magnetic fields, and the plasma environment, around Europa. Europa's ionosphere is probably usually dominated by hot pickup ions with 100-1000 eV temperatures, excursions to a "classical" cold ionosphere likely being infrequent. A field aligned ionospheric wind driven by the electron polarization electric field should arise and be measurable.

Plasma↗

NASA NTRS2010

Plasma IMS Composition Measurements for Europa and the Other Galilean Moons

NASA and ESA are planning the joint Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) to the Jupiter system with specific emphasis to Europa and Ganymede, respectively. The Japanese Space Agency is also planning an orbiter mission to explore Jupiter's magnetosphere and the Galilean satellites. For NASA's Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) we are developing the 3D Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) with two main goals which can also be applied to the other Galilean moons, 1) measure the plasma interaction between Europa and Jupiter's magnetosphere and 2) infer the 4 pi surface composition to trace elemental and significant isotopic levels. The first goal supports the magnetometer (MAG) measurements, primarily directed at detection of Europa's sub-surface ocean, while the second gives information about transfer of material between the Galilean moons, and between the moon surfaces and subsurface layers putatively including oceans. The measurement of the interactions for all the Galilean moons can be used to trace the in situ ion measurements of pickup ions back to either Europa's or Ganymede's surface from the respectively orbiting spacecraft. The IMS instrument, being developed under NASA's Astrobiology Instrument Development Program, would maximally achieve plasma measurement requirements for JEO and EJSM while moving forward our knowledge of Jupiter system composition and source processes to far higher levels than previously envisaged. The composition of the global surfaces of Europa and Ganymede can be inferred from the measurement of ejected neutrals and pick-up ions using at minimum an in situ payload including MAG and IMS also fully capable of meeting Level 1 mission requirements for ocean detection and survey. Elemental and isotopic analysis of potentially extruded oceanic materials at the moon surfaces would further support the ocean objectives. These measurements should be made from a polar orbiting spacecraft about Europa or Ganymede at height 100 km. The ejecta produced by sputtering of the surfaces of Europa and Ganymede has been shown to be representative of the surface composition. Level 2 science on surface geology and composition can then be further enhanced by addition of the following: 3D Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INNS), 3D plasma electron spectrometer (ELS), and hot plasma energetic particle instrument. The measurement approach is to alternate between times measuring pickup ions and times measuring plasma and magnetic field parameters along the spacecraft trajectory. By measuring the pickup ion energy, arrival direction and mass-per-charge, the ion can be traced back along the ejection trajectory to the approximate area of origin if the 3-D electric field and magnetic field are known. In situ observations of plasma flow velocities and vector magnetic fields can be used to determine the local convective electric field (E = -VXB) along the spacecraft trajectory. By combining this information with models of the magnetospheric interaction with Europa, one can generate 3D maps of the electric and magnetic field and compute the trajectories of the pickup ions back to the surface or exospheric points of origin. In the case of Ganymede there is the additional complexity of its own internal dipole magnetic field, while Io's volcanic activity introduces the complexity of a highly structured denser atmosphere. Callisto with its less globally extended exosphere will have a simpler interaction than for Europa (i.e., more like our moon). We will discuss these differences in light of the above proposed technique. Finally, the INNS observations and neutral exosphere models are needed to estimate production rates of pickup ions. The hot plasma measurements are needed to correct for sputtering rates which can be time dependent and electron plasma observations for electron impact ionization rates. Instrument characteristics, field-of-view requirements, modes of operation and effects of radiation on instrument functionality will be discussed.

Sittler, Edward↗

NASA NTRS2010

Plasma IMS Composition Measurements for Europa and Ganymede

Sittler, E.↗