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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1986

Astrophysics

The instrumentation, accomplishments and future activities in space astrophysics observations are explored. The Solrad, Orbiting Solar Observatory, Solar Maximum Mission, Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer, Uhuru, HEAO-2, IRAS and ESA SAS spacecraft missions and data are summarized. Observations which identified the black hole in Cygnus-1 are described and known gravity-controlled phenomena in the universe are reviewed. Observations at different electromagnetic wavelengths and by particle detectors are outlined, and proposed gravity wave and neutrino detectors are discussed. The implications of the angular, spectral and temporal resolution, polarization, spectral range and observational limits of the instrumentation and data are considered. Current topics of interest in studies of the cosmic background radiation, distance scales, quasars and pulsars, star formation, and coronal heating are outlined. Finally, the design features and observational goals of the NASA Great Observatories space platforms are described.

Gilman, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Parametric instabilities of large amplitude Alfven waves with obliquely propagating sidebands

This paper presents a brief report on properties of the parametric decay and modulational, filamentation, and magnetoacoustic instabilities of a large amplitude, circularly polarized Alfven wave. We allow the daughter and sideband waves to propagate at an arbitrary angle to the background magnetic field so that the electrostatic and electromagnetic characteristics of these waves are coupled. We investigate the dependance of these instabilities on dispersion, plasma/beta, pump wave amplitude, and propagation angle. Analytical and numerical results are compared with numerical simulations to investigate the full nonlinear evolution of these instabilities.

Vinas, A. F.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Controllable Bidirectional dc Power Sources For Large Loads

System redesigned for greater efficiency, durability, and controllability. Modern electronically controlled dc power sources proposed to supply currents to six electromagnets used to position aerodynamic test model in wind tunnel. Six-phase bridge rectifier supplies load with large current at voltage of commanded magnitude and polarity. Current-feedback circuit includes current-limiting feature giving some protection against overload.

Tripp, John S.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Multi-Sensor Mud Detection

Robust mud detection is a critical perception requirement for Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) autonomous offroad navigation. A military UGV stuck in a mud body during a mission may have to be sacrificed or rescued, both of which are unattractive options. There are several characteristics of mud that may be detectable with appropriate UGV-mounted sensors. For example, mud only occurs on the ground surface, is cooler than surrounding dry soil during the daytime under nominal weather conditions, is generally darker than surrounding dry soil in visible imagery, and is highly polarized. However, none of these cues are definitive on their own. Dry soil also occurs on the ground surface, shadows, snow, ice, and water can also be cooler than surrounding dry soil, shadows are also darker than surrounding dry soil in visible imagery, and cars, water, and some vegetation are also highly polarized. Shadows, snow, ice, water, cars, and vegetation can all be disambiguated from mud by using a suite of sensors that span multiple bands in the electromagnetic spectrum. Because there are military operations when it is imperative for UGV's to operate without emitting strong, detectable electromagnetic signals, passive sensors are desirable. JPL has developed a daytime mud detection capability using multiple passive imaging sensors. Cues for mud from multiple passive imaging sensors are fused into a single mud detection image using a rule base, and the resultant mud detection is localized in a terrain map using range data generated from a stereo pair of color cameras.

Rankin, Arturo L.↗

NASA NTRS2015

A Fiber-Optic Current Sensor for Lightning Measurement Applications

An optical-fiber sensor based on Faraday Effect is developed for measuring total lightning electric current. It has many unique capabilities not possible with traditional current sensors. Designed for aircraft installation, the sensor is lightweight, non-conducting, structure-conforming, and is immune to electromagnetic interference, hysteresis and saturation. It can also be used on windmills, lightning towers, and can help validate lightning detection network measurements. Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate when the fiber is exposed to a magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Thus, the magnetic field strength can be determined from the light polarization change. By forming closed fiber loops and applying Ampere's law, measuring the total light rotation yields the total current enclosed. The broadband, dual-detector, reflective polarimetric scheme allows measurement of both DC component and AC waveforms with about 60 dB dynamic range. Three sensor systems were built with different sensitivities from different laser wavelengths. Operating at 850nm, the first system uses twisted single-mode fiber and has a 150 A - 150 KA range. The second system operates at 1550nm, uses spun polarization maintaining fiber, and can measure 400 A - 400 KA. Both systems were validated with rocket-triggered lightning measurements and achieved excellent results when compared to a resistive shunt. The third system operates at 1310nm, uses spun polarization maintaining fiber, and can measure approximately 300 A - 300 KA. High current measurements up to 200 KA were demonstrated at a commercial lightning test facility. The system was recently installed on an aircraft and flown near icing weather conditions.

Nguyen, Truong X.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Dipole response in Te 128 , 130 below the neutron threshold

Numerous studies of the ground-state decay of the pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) have been carried out in the past. However, data on the decay of the PDR to low-lying excited states is still very scarce due to limitations of the sensitivity to weak branching transitions of experimental setups. Here, we present a detailed examination of the low-energy dipole response of 128 Te and 130 Te below their neutron separation thresholds of 8.8 and 8.5 MeV, respectively. Photonuclear reactions with the subsequent γ-ray spectroscopy of the decay channel with continuous-energy bremsstrahlung at varying endpoint energies and linearly polarized quasimonochromatic γ-ray beams with energies ranging from 2.7 to 8.9 MeV in steps of roughly 250 keV were used for probing the decay behavior of the low-energy dipole response in 128Te and 130Te. In addition, (γ,γ' γ") reactions were used to study the population of low-lying states of 128 Te. Spin-parity quantum numbers and reduced transition probabilities are determined for individual photo-excited states. The analysis of average decay properties for nuclear levels in narrow excitation-energy bins enable the extraction of photoabsorption cross sections, average branching ratios to the $2$$^{+}_{1}$ state, and the distinction between E1 and M1 transitions to the ground state and to the $2$$^{+}_{1}$ state accounting for resolved and unresolved transitions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Dual-polarization Dirac cones in a simple 2D square lattice photonic crystal

We report on dual-polarization Dirac cones in a simple square lattice two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) based on transmission at accidental degeneracies centered at the k = 0 symmetry ( Γ <#comment/> ) point. Finite difference time domain simulations are used to identify the material and geometric parameters for Dirac-like dispersion. A configuration that produces a Dirac-like point for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations at the same frequency is presented. The PC dispersion shows the expected threefold degenerate linear branch crossings at the Dirac-like point. Full-field electromagnetic wave simulations exhibit some common behaviors of devices based on Dirac-like dispersion, such as cloaking and waveguiding. The configuration works for a considerable range of the parameter space, and thus is experimentally realizable with a wide range of materials.

Rodríguez, J. A. (ORCID:0000000178926207)↗

NASA NTRS1978

Plasma waves in the polar cusp - Observations from Hawkeye 1

Based on data from the Hawkeye 1 spacecraft in the polar-cusp vicinity, the characteristics of plasma waves are studied. Four types of plasma waves are identified: (1) a band of ULF-ELF magnetic noise, (2) broadband electrostatic emissions with maximum intensities at 10-50 Hz, (3) electrostatic electron cyclotron waves near electron gyrofrequency, and (4) whistler mode auroral hiss emissions. Only ULF-ELF noise is a reliable index of the polar cusp region. Since ULF-ELF magnetic noise extends only to the local electron gyrofrequency, it is suggested that the noise consists of whistler-mode electromagnetic waves. Possible mechanisms for this noise include the whistler-mode cyclotron-resonance, Kelvin-Helmholtz, and drift-wave instabilities. It is felt that a current-driven electrostatic instability causes the broadband electrostatic noise.

Gurnett, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Self-modulational formation of pulsar microstructures

A nonlinear plasma theory for self modulation of pulsar radio pulses is discussed. A nonlinear Schroedinger equation is derived for strong electromagnetic waves propagating in an electron positron plasma. The nonlinearities arising from wave intensity induced particle mass variation may excite the modulational instability of circularly and linearly polarized pulsar radiation. The resulting wave envelopes can take the form of periodic wave trains or solitons. These nonlinear stationary waveforms may account for the formation of pulsar microstructures.

Chian, A. C.-L.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Plasma wave observations with the Dynamics Explorer 1 spacecraft

This paper reviews the results from the plasma wave instrument on the Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE-1) spacecraft. The DE-1 spacecraft was launched on August 3, 1981, into an elliptical polar orbit with initial perigee and apogee radial distances of 1.09 and 4.65 earth radii. In the roughly six years since the launch of the spacecraft, DE-1 has provided basic new information on a wide variety of magnetospheric plasma wave phenomena. These include auroral kilometric radiation, auroral hiss, Z mode radiation, narrow-band electromagnetic emissions associated with equatorial upper hybrid waves, whistler mode emissions, wave-particle interactions stimulated by ground VLF transmitters, equatorial ion-cyclotron emissions, ion Bernstein-mode emissions, and electric field turbulence along the auroral field lines. A brief review of the basic plasma wave modes that can exist in the equatorial and polar regions of the magnetosphere is first given. After the basic terminology is established, each of the above areas of plasma wave research is discussed in detail, first by reviewing the state of knowledge at the time of the DE-1 launch, and then by describing the contribution made by DE-1 in the six years since the spacecraft was launched.

Gurnett, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Radar glory from buried craters on icy moons

Three ice-covered moons of Jupiter, in comparison with rocky planets and earth's moon, produce radar echoes of astounding strengths and bizarre polarizations. Scattering from buried craters can explain these and other anomalous properties of the echoes. The role of such craters is analogous to that of the water droplets that create the apparition known as 'the glory', the optically bright region surrounding an observer's shadow on a cloud. Both situations involve the electromagnetic phenomenon of total internal reflection at a dielectric interface, operating in a geometry that strongly favors exact backscattering. Dim surface craters are transformed into bright glory holes by being buried under somewhat denser material, thereby increasing the intensity of their echoes by factors of hundreds. The dielectric interface thus formed at the crater walls nicely accounts for the unusual polarizations of the echoes.

Eshleman, Von R.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Interaction of radio frequency waves with cylindrical density filaments: scattering and radiation pressure

The propagation of radio-frequency (RF) waves in tokamaks can be affected by filamentary structures, or blobs, that are present in the edge plasma and the scrape-off layer. The difference in the permittivity between the surrounding plasma and interior of a filament leads to reflection, refraction and diffraction of the waves. This, in turn, can affect the power flow into the core of the plasma and reduce the efficiency of heating and/or current generation. The scattering of RF waves, lower hybrid, helicon and ion cyclotron waves, by a single cylindrical filament, embedded in a background plasma, is studied using a full-wave analytical theory developed previously (Ram & Hizanidis, Phys. Plasmas , vol. 23, 2016, 022504). The theory assumes that the plasma in and around a filament is homogeneous and cold. A detailed scattering analysis reveals a variety of common features that exist among the three distinctly different RF waves. These common attributes can be inferred intuitively based on an examination of the cold plasma dispersion relation. The physical intuition is a useful step to understanding experimental observations on scattering, as well as results from simulations that include general forms of edge plasma turbulence. While a filament can affect the propagation of RF waves, the radiation force exerted by the waves can influence the filament. The force on a filament is determined using the Maxwell stress tensor. In 1905, Poynting was the first to evaluate and measure the radiation force on an interface separating two different dielectric media (Poynting, London Edinburgh Dublin Philos. Mag. J. Sci. , vol. 9, 1905, pp. 393–406). For ordinary light propagating in vacuum and incident on a glass surface, Poynting noted that the surface is ‘pulled’ towards the vacuum. In a magnetized cold plasma, there are two independent wave modes. Even if only one of these modes is excited by an RF antenna, a filament will couple power to the other mode: a consequence of electromagnetic boundary conditions. This facet of scattering has consequences on the radiation force that go beyond Poynting's seminal contribution. The direction of the force depends on the polarization of the incident wave and on the mode structure of the waves inside and in the vicinity of a filament. It can either pull the filament toward the RF source or push it away. For slow lower hybrid waves, filaments with densities greater than the ambient density are pulled in, while filaments with lower densities are pushed out, thereby enhancing the density in front of the antenna. In the case of fast helicon and ion cyclotron waves, the direction of the force depends on the plasma and wave parameters; in particular, on the ambient density. The radiation force, in all three frequency ranges, is large enough to affect the motion of a filament and could be measured experimentally. This also suggests the possibility of modifying the edge turbulence using RF waves.

Physics↗

DOE OSTI2022

Interaction of radio frequency waves with cylindrical density filaments -- scattering and radiation pressure

The propagation of radio-frequency (RF) waves in tokamaks can be affected by filamentary structures, or blobs, that are present in the edge plasma and the scrape-off layer. The difference in the permittivity between the surrounding plasma and interior of a filament leads to reflection, refraction and diffraction of the waves. This, in turn, can affect the power flow into the core of the plasma and reduce the efficiency of heating and/or current generation. The scattering of RF waves, lower hybrid, helicon and ion cyclotron waves, by a single cylindrical filament, embedded in a background plasma, is studied using a full-wave analytical theory developed previously (Ram & Hizanidis, Phys. Plasmas, vol. 23, 2016, 022504). The theory assumes that the plasma in and around a filament is homogeneous and cold. A detailed scattering analysis reveals a variety of common features that exist among the three distinctly different RF waves. These common attributes can be inferred intuitively based on an examination of the cold plasma dispersion relation. The physical intuition is a useful step to understanding experimental observations on scattering, as well as results from simulations that include general forms of edge plasma turbulence. While a filament can affect the propagation of RF waves, the radiation force exerted by the waves can influence the filament. The force on a filament is determined using the Maxwell stress tensor. In 1905, Poynting was the first to evaluate and measure the radiation force on an interface separating two different dielectric media (Poynting, London Edinburgh Dublin Philos. Mag. J. Sci., vol. 9, 1905, pp. 393–406). For ordinary light propagating in vacuum and incident on a glass surface, Poynting noted that the surface is ‘pulled’ towards the vacuum. In a magnetized cold plasma, there are two independent wave modes. Even if only one of these modes is excited by an RF antenna, a filament will couple power to the other mode: a consequence of electromagnetic boundary conditions. This facet of scattering has consequences on the radiation force that go beyond Poynting's seminal contribution. The direction of the force depends on the polarization of the incident wave and on the mode structure of the waves inside and in the vicinity of a filament. It can either pull the filament toward the RF source or push it away. For slow lower hybrid waves, filaments with densities greater than the ambient density are pulled in, while filaments with lower densities are pushed out, thereby enhancing the density in front of the antenna. In the case of fast helicon and ion cyclotron waves, the direction of the force depends on the plasma and wave parameters; in particular, on the ambient density. The radiation force, in all three frequency ranges, is large enough to affect the motion of a filament and could be measured experimentally. This also suggests the possibility of modifying the edge turbulence using RF waves.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NASA NTRS1975

Apollo 12, 15, and 16 lunar surface magnetometer experiment data analysis

The polarization of magnetometer signals detected at the Apollo 15 Hadley site by the lunar surface magnetometer has been studied to determine the source of the signal anisotropy which is observed and caused by the polarization. Instrument and data chain malfunction (cross-talk) seems ruled out. The source appears real and apparently connected with the Imbrium basin using reasonable inferences regarding the electromagnetic structure of the Moon. A theory is developed using moons with holes and conducting caps where the Imbrium basin is; results of calculations are consistent, though not unique, in specifying an anomaly in the electrical conductivity underlying Mare Imbrium. Distinct differences are noted from plasma sheet and diamagnetic cavity transfer functions, but the lobes appear, as for all other data, not to be vacuum for study of the moon. A discussion is given of problems connected with transfer of data, software, and theoretical programs from NASA Ames Research Center to the University of Arizona, and a summary is given of the conversion from IBM to CDC formats.

Sonett, C. P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A semikinetic model for early stage plasmasphere refilling. II - Effects of wave-particle interactions

The paper treats the early stages of plasmasphere refilling along an initially depleted L = 4 magnetic flux tube through a semikinetic model, with special attention given to the effects of wave-particle interactions in which stochastic diffusion of ions in perpendicular velocity due to equatorially concentrated electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves plays a central role. Characteristic individual ion trajectories are examined, as well as the devolution of bulk parameters and ion distribution functions when equal 'polar wind' streams are injected at the northern and southern ionospheres. In the ion trajectories, relatively modest and realistic perpendicular electric field power levels are found to lead to decreased mirror latitudes, substantial acceleration, and equatorial entrainment of these ions. A substantial equatorial density depletion is also found, in agreement with the results of Olsen (1992).

Lin, J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Instrument interface description for NOAA 2000 instruments with European morning spacecraft and/or NOAA-OPQ spacecraft

The purpose is to describe at a high level the common interface provisions and constraints placed on the NOAA-2000 instruments and the interfacing spacecraft elements in the following areas: electrical interface, mechanical interface, thermal interface, magnetic interface, electromagnetic compatibility, structural/mechanical environmental interface, contamination control, and the ionizing radiation environment. The requirements reflect the fact that these instruments must be compatible with a number of different polar orbiting satellite vehicles including the NOAA-OPQ satellites and the EUMETSAT METOP satellites.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2006

Polarization Rotation and the Third Stokes Parameter: The Effects of Spacecraft Attitude and Faraday Rotation

The third Stokes parameter of ocean surface brightness temperatures measured by the WindSat instrument is sensitive to the rotation angle between the polarization vectors at the ocean surface and the instrument. This rotation angle depends on the spacecraft attitude (roll, pitch, yaw) as well as the Faraday rotation of the electromagnetic radiation passing through the Earth's ionosphere. Analyzing the WindSat antenna temperatures, we find biases in the third Stokes parameter as function of the along-scan position of up to 1.5 K in all feedhorns. This points to a misspecification of the reported spacecraft attitude. A single attitude correction of -0.16deg roll and 0.18deg pitch for the whole instrument eliminates all the biases. We also study the effect of Faraday rotation at 10.7 GHz on the accuracy of the third Stokes parameter and the sea surface wind direction retrieval and demonstrate how this error can be corrected using values from the International Reference Ionosphere for the total electron content when computing Faraday rotation.

Meissner, Thomas↗

DOE OSTI2023

Energetic Electron Precipitation Driven by Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves from ELFIN’s Low Altitude Perspective

We review comprehensive observations of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave-driven energetic electron precipitation using data collected by the energetic electron detector on the Electron Losses and Fields InvestigatioN (ELFIN) mission, two polar-orbiting low-altitude spinning CubeSats, measuring 50-5000 keV electrons with good pitch-angle and energy resolution. EMIC wave-driven precipitation exhibits a distinct signature in energy-spectrograms of the precipitating-to-trapped flux ratio: peaks at >0.5 MeV which are abrupt (bursty) (lasting ~17 s, or ΔL ~ 0.56) with significant substructure (occasionally down to sub-second timescale). We attribute the bursty nature of the precipitation to the spatial extent and structuredness of the wave field at the equator. Multiple ELFIN passes over the same MLT sector allow us to study the spatial and temporal evolution of the EMIC wave - electron interaction region. Case studies employing conjugate ground-based or equatorial observations of the EMIC waves reveal that the energy of moderate and strong precipitation at ELFIN approximately agrees with theoretical expectations for cyclotron resonant interactions in a cold plasma. Using multiple years of ELFIN data uniformly distributed in local time, we assemble a statistical database of ~50 events of strong EMIC wave-driven precipitation. Most reside at L ~ 5 – 7 at dusk, while a smaller subset exists at L ~ 8 – 12 at post-midnight. The energies of the peak-precipitation ratio and of the half-peak precipitation ratio (our proxy for the minimum resonance energy) exhibit an L-shell dependence in good agreement with theoretical estimates based on prior statistical observations of EMIC wave power spectra. The precipitation ratio’s spectral shape for the most intense events has an exponential falloff away from the peak (i.e., on either side of ~ 1.45 MeV). It too agrees well with quasi-linear diffusion theory based on prior statistics of wave spectra. It should be noted though that this diffusive treatment likely includes effects from nonlinear resonant interactions (especially at high energies) and nonresonant effects from sharp wave packet edges (at low energies). Sub-MeV electron precipitation observed concurrently with strong EMIC wave-driven >1 MeV precipitation has a spectral shape that is consistent with efficient pitch-angle scattering down to ~ 200-300 keV by much less intense higher frequency EMIC waves at dusk (where such waves are most frequent). At ~100 keV, whistler-mode chorus may be implicated in concurrent precipitation. These results confirm the critical role of EMIC waves in driving relativistic electron losses. Nonlinear effects may abound and require further investigation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗