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At least 37 records · Page 2

Nearly simultaneous observations of chromospheric and coronal radiative losses of cool stars

The flux-flux relationships of cool stars are studied on the basis of nearly simultaneous measurements of Ca II H+K, Mg II h+k, and soft X-ray fluxes. A linear relationship is derived between IUE Mg II h+k fluxes and Mount Wilson Ca II H+K fluxes which were obtained within 36 hr of each other for a sample of 26 F5-K3 main-sequence stars. Nearly simultaneous EXOSAT soft X-ray fluxes are compared with Ca II H+K fluxes for a sample of 20 dwarfs and gaints with spectral types ranging from F6 to K2, and 72 additional cool stars for which noncontemporaneous Ca II H+K and EINSTEIN soft X-ray fluxes are available are compared. It is confirmed that a nonradiatively heated chromosphere exists on even the least active main-sequence stars. This basal chromosphere is probably independent of stellar magnetic activity.

Schrijver, C. J.↗

Radiation Losses Due to Tapering of a Double-Core Optical Waveguide

The theoretical model we designed parameterizes the power losses as a function of .the profile shape for a tapered, single mode, optical dielectric coupler. The focus of this project is to produce a working model that determines the power losses experienced by the fibers when light crosses a taper region. This phenomenon can be examined using coupled mode theory. The optical directional coupler consists of a parallel, dual-channel, waveguide with minimal spacing between the channels to permit energy exchange. Thus, power transfer is essentially a function of the taper profile. To find the fields in the fibers, the approach used was that of solving the Helmholtz equation in cylindrical coordinates involving Bessel and modified Bessel functions depending on the location.

Lyons, Donald R.↗

Study of the Beam Losses and the Radiation Levels in the Electrostatic Septum for Slowextraction at 8 GEV

Extraction of beam from the Fermilab Delivery Ring for the Mu2e Experiment is hindered by large radiative losses initiated within the electrostatic septum (ESS) components of the resonant extraction system (RES). Of particular concern are beam losses causing potential damages to the support components of the RES, diminished intensity for experimental statistics, and high radiation levels in the area of the RES. Here we present the detailed study of beam energy deposition and radiation levels of components and surrounding regions of the ESS in the RES at Fermilab using the MARS Monte Carlo code system.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Collisional-Radiative Nonequilibrium and Precursor Effects in a Nitrogen Shock Wave

Improvements to a plasma code with a Collisional-Radiative (CR) non-equilibrium model are made, allowing for a more accurate description of the physical processes. The code allows for non-Boltzmann distributions of the electronic excited states by convecting separately each excited state, as a pseudo-specie. Each molecular state has also its own vibrational temperature, while a global rotational temperature is assumed. The free electron temperature is different from those of the excited states, and the electron heat conduction is also included. The CR model also uses a unique coupling between chemistry and vibrational energy (C-V coupling), which is fully coherent, and has the property of establishing thermal equilibrium as well as chemical equilibrium, on its own. We have also included a coupling between electronic excitations and vibrational energy (X-V coupling), which can have a strong influence on the vibrational temperature of some states. The recent improvements include the multi- temperature dependence of the chemical rates for associative ionization, as well as the estimation of the internal energies transferred during this process. Additionally, the distribution of energy into different translational modes (electron and heavy particles) is now correctly modeled. This provides a very rapid heating mechanism for the free electrons, since it is found that the electrons are generated with an average thermal energy of the same order as the heavy particle translational energy. This effect was observed by Gorelov et al in a recent paper, and lead to pronounced peaks in electron temperature immediately behind the shock. We will attempt ro reproduce this phenomenon. The last modification concerns the inclusion of the radiative terms into the calculations, thus enabling us to observe the effect of radiative losses and radiation transport. Preliminary tests have shown that the radiative losses are not negligible, i.e. the shock velocity drops when the radiative emission is included. In addition, we have observed some precursor excitation and ionization phenomena. These may be important at high shock velocities, and this will be investigated in detail. Precursor phenomena were also observed (in air) by Gorelov et al, and our results (for pure nitrogen) will be qualitatively compared with theirs.

Cambier, Jean-Luc↗

MHD stability of compressible coronal loops with radiative energy loss

The effect of radiative energy loss on the stability of compressible plasma in coronal loops is studied. By taking the limit as poloidal wavenumber m approaches infinity, stability conditions for local modes are derived. It was found that the radiation effect can trigger MHD instabilities of coronal loops which are in ideally marginally stable states. Compressibility is a stabilizing effect for ideal MHD local modes because the compression of magnetic field lines exerts a restoring force by increasing magnetic pressure. Compression of plasma induces two modes in a radiatively unstable plasma, magnetosonic and condensation modes. Compressibility affects the stability of ideally stable (or unstable) coronal plasmas through magnetosonic modes, which are a stabilizing (destabilizing) effect for ideally stable (unstable) plasmas. For coronal plasmas in ideally marginally stable states, condensation as well as magnetosonic modes can trigger MHD instability. Because of these two modes, the effect of radiation on compressible coronal plasmas is more destabilizing than it is on incompressible plasmas when the plasmas are in ideal MHD unstable or marginally stable states.

An, C.-H.↗

A probabilistic approach to radiative energy loss calculations for optically thick atmospheres - Hydrogen lines and continua

An approximate probabilistic radiative transfer equation and the statistical equilibrium equations are simultaneously solved for a model hydrogen atom consisting of three bound levels and ionization continuum. The transfer equation for L-alpha, L-beta, H-alpha, and the Lyman continuum is explicitly solved assuming complete redistribution. The accuracy of this approach is tested by comparing source functions and radiative loss rates to values obtained with a method that solves the exact transfer equation. Two recent model solar-flare chromospheres are used for this test. It is shown that for the test atmospheres the probabilistic method gives values of the radiative loss rate that are characteristically good to a factor of 2. The advantage of this probabilistic approach is that it retains a description of the dominant physical processes of radiative transfer in the complete redistribution case, yet it achieves a major reduction in computational requirements.

Canfield, R. C.↗

Novel Radiomitigator for Radiation-Induced Bone Loss

Radiation-induced bone loss can occur with radiotherapy patients, accidental radiation exposure and during long-term spaceflight. Bone loss due to radiation is due to an early increase in oxidative stress, inflammation and bone resorption, resulting in an imbalance in bone remodeling. Furthermore, exposure to high-Linear Energy Transfer (LET) radiation will impair the bone forming progenitors and reduce bone formation. Radiation can be classified as high-LET or low-LET based on the amount of energy released. Dried Plum (DP) diet prevents bone loss in mice exposed to total body irradiation with both low-LET and high-LET radiation. DP prevents the early radiation-induced bone resorption, but furthermore, we show that DP protects the bone forming osteoblast progenitors from high-LET radiation. These results provide insight that DP re-balances the bone remodeling by preventing resorption and protecting the bone formation capacity. This data is important considering that most of the current osteoporosis treatments only block the bone resorption but do not protect bone formation. In addition, DP seems to act on both the oxidative stress and inflammation pathways. Finally, we have preliminary data showing the potential of DP to be radio-protective at a systemic effect and could possible protect other tissues at risk of total body-irradiation such as skin, brain and heart.

countermeasure↗

A Theoretical Evaluation of Secondary Atomization Effects on Engine Performance for Aluminum Gel Propellants

A one-dimensional model of a gel-fueled rocket combustion chamber has been developed. This model includes the processes of liquid hydrocarbon burnout, secondary atomization. aluminum ignition, and aluminum combustion. Also included is a model of radiative heat transfer from the solid combustion products to the chamber walls. Calculations indicate that only modest secondary atomization is required to significantly reduce propellant burnout distances, aluminum oxide residual size and radiation heat wall losses. Radiation losses equal to approximately 2-13 percent of the energy released during combustion were estimated. A two-dimensional, two-phase nozzle code was employed to estimate radiation and nozzle two-phase flow effects on overall engine performance. Radiation losses yielded a 1 percent decrease in engine I(sub sp). Results also indicate that secondary atomization may have less effect on two-phase losses than it does on propellant burnout distance and no effect if oxide particle coagulation and shear induced droplet breakup govern oxide particle size. Engine I(sub sp) was found to decrease from 337.4 to 293.7 seconds as gel aluminum mass loading was varied from 0-70 wt percent. Engine I(sub sp) efficiencies, accounting for radiation and two-phase flow effects, on the order of 0.946 were calculated for a 60 wt percent gel, assuming a fragmentation ratio of 5.

Mueller, D. C.↗

The effects of radiative heat loss on microgravity flame spread

The effect of radiative heat loss from the surface of a solid material burning in a zero gravity environment in an opposed flow is studied through the use of a numerical model. Radiative heat loss is found to decrease the flame spread rate, the boundary layer thickness, and pyrolysis lengths. Blowoff extinction is predicted to occur at slower opposesd flow velocities than would occur if the radiative loss is not present. The radiative heat fluxes are comparable to the conduction fluxes, indicating the significance of the surface energy loss.

Fakheri, Ahmad↗

A comparative study between shielded and open coplanar waveguide discontinuities

A comparative study between open and shielded coplanar waveguide (CPW) discontinuities is presented. The space domain integral equation method is used to characterize several discontinuities such as the open-end CPW and CPW series stubs. Two different geometries of CPW series stubs (straight and bent stubs) are compared with respect to resonant frequency and radiation loss. In addition, the encountered radiation loss due to different CPW shunt stubs is evaluated experimentally. The notion of forced radiation simulation is presented, and the results of such a simulation are compared to the actual radiation loss obtained rigorously. It is shown that such a simulation cannot give reliable results concerning radiation loss from printed circuits.

Dib, Nihad I.↗

Lower limits for non-radiative recombination loss in organic donor/acceptor complexes

Understanding the factors controlling radiative and non-radiative transition rates for charge transfer states in organic systems is important for applications ranging from organic photovoltaics (OPV) to lasers and LEDs. Here we explore the role of charge-transfer (CT) energetics, lifetimes, and photovoltaic properties in the limit of very slow non-radiative rates by using a model donor/acceptor system with photoluminescence dominated by thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). This blend exhibits an extremely high photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQY = ~22%) and comparatively long PL lifetime, while simultaneously yielding appreciable amounts of free charge generation (photocurrent external quantum efficiency EQE of 24%). In solar cells, this blend exhibits non-radiative voltage losses of only ~0.1 V, among the lowest reported for an organic system. Notably, we find that the non-radiative decay rate, k nr , is on the order of 10 5 s -1 , approximately 4–5 orders of magnitude slower than typical OPV blends, thereby confirming that high radiative efficiency and low non-radiative voltage losses are achievable by reducing k nr . Furthermore, despite the high radiative efficiency and already comparatively slow k nr , we find that k nr is nevertheless much faster than predicted by Marcus–Levich–Jortner two-state theory and we conclude that CT-local exciton (LE) hybridization is present. Our findings highlight that it is crucial to evaluate how radiative and non-radiative rates of the LE states individually influence the PLQY of charge-transfer states, rather than solely focusing on the PLQY of the LE. This conclusion will guide material selection in achieving low non-radiative voltage loss in organic solar cells and high luminescence efficiency in organic LEDs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Flare loop radiative hydrodynamics. III - Nonlocal radiative transfer effects

The study has three goals. The first is to demonstrate that processes exist whose intrinsic nonlocal nature cannot be represented by local approximations. The second is to elucidate the physical nature and origins of these nonlocal processes. The third is to suggest that the methods and results described here may prove useful in constructing semiempirical models of the chromosphere by means more efficient than trial and error. Matrices are computed that describe the effect of a temperature perturbation at an arbitrary point in the loop on density, hydrogen ionized fraction, total radiative loss rate, and radiative loss rate of selected hydrogen lines and continua at all other points. It is found that the dominant nonlocal radiative transfer effects can be separated into flux divergence coefficient effects and upper level population effects. The former are most important when the perturbation takes place in a region of significant opacity. Upper level population effects arise in both optically thick and thin regions in response to nonlocal density, ionization, and interlocking effects.

Canfield, R. C.↗

Ignition and combustion characteristics of metallized propellants, phase 2

Experimental and analytical investigations focusing on aluminum/hydrocarbon gel droplet secondary atomization and its effects on gel-fueled rocket engine performance are being conducted. A single laser sheet sizing/velocimetry diagnostic technique, which should eliminate sizing bias in the data collection process, has been designed and constructed to overcome limitations of the two-color forward-scatter technique used in previous work. Calibration of this system is in progress and the data acquisition/validation code is being written. Narrow-band measurements of radiant emission, discussed in previous reports, will be used to determine if aluminum ignition has occurred in a gel droplet. A one-dimensional model of a gel-fueled rocket combustion chamber, described in earlier reports, has been exercised in conjunction with a two-dimensional, two-phase nozzle code to predict the performance of an aluminum/hydrocarbon fueled engine. Estimated secondary atomization effects on propellant burnout distance, condensed particle radiation losses to the chamber walls, and nozzle two phase flow losses are also investigated. Calculations indicate that only modest secondary atomization is required to significantly reduce propellant burnout distances, aluminum oxide residual size, and radiation heat losses. Radiation losses equal to approximately 2-13 percent of the energy released during combustion were estimated, depending on secondary atomization intensity. A two-dimensional, two-phase nozzle code was employed to estimate radiation and nozzle two phase flow effects on overall engine performance. Radiation losses yielded a one percent decrease in engine Isp. Results also indicate that secondary atomization may have less effect on two-phase losses than it does on propellant burnout distance and no effect if oxide particle coagulation and shear induced droplet breakup govern oxide particle size. Engine Isp was found to decrease from 337.4 to 293.7 seconds as gel aluminum mass loading was varied from 0-70 wt percent. Engine Isp efficiencies, accounting for radiation and two phase flow effects, on the order of 0.946 were calculated for a 60 wt percent gel, assuming a fragmentation ratio of five.

Mueller, D. C.↗

Radiative Heat Loss Measurements During Microgravity Droplet Combustion in a Slow Convective Flow

Radiative heat loss from burning droplets in a slow convective flow under microgravity conditions is measured using a broad-band (0.6 to 40 microns) radiometer. In addition, backlit images of the droplet as well as color images of the flame were obtained using CCD cameras to estimate the burning rates and the flame dimensions, respectively. Tests were carried out in air at atmospheric pressure using n-heptane and methanol fuels with imposed forced flow velocities varied from 0 to 10 centimeters per second and initial droplet diameters varied from 1 to 3 millimeters. Slow convective flows were generated using three different experimental configurations in three different facilities in preparation for the proposed International Space Station droplet experiments. In the 2.2 Second Drop-Tower Facility a droplet supported on the leading edge of a quartz fiber is placed within a flow tunnel supplied by compressed air. In the Zero-Gravity Facility (five-second drop tower) a tethered droplet is translated in a quiescent ambient atmosphere to establish a uniform flow field around the droplet. In the KC 135 aircraft an electric fan was used to draw a uniform flow past a tethered droplet. Experimental results show that the burn rate increases and the overall flame size decreases with increases in forced-flow velocities over the range of flow velocities and droplet sizes tested. The total radiative heat loss rate, Q(sub r), decreases as the imposed flow velocity increases with the spherically symmetric combustion having the highest values. These observations are in contrast to the trends observed for gas-jet flames in microgravity, but consistent with the observations during flame spread over solid fuels where the burning rate is coupled to the forced flow as here.

Hicks, Michael C.↗