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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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At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Sigma-Holes in Battery Materials Using Iso-Electrostatic Potential Surfaces

The presence of highly electronegative atoms in Li-ion batteries anticipates the formation of σ-hole regions that may strongly affect the ionic conductivity. The σ-hole consists of a region of positive electrostatic potential extending in the direction of the covalent bond between atoms of groups IV–VII due to anisotropic charge distribution. Graphite electrodes in Li-ion batteries that become halogenated due to the electrolyte, as well as some solid electrolyte materials, can exhibit these σ-holes. Since Li-ions should be able to drift in any part of the battery, the fact that they can be attracted and eventually absorbed by regions of strong negative potentials produced by high-electronegativity counterions becomes detrimental to ionic conductivity. Therefore, the presence of positive well-defined regions, repulsive to the Li-ions, might act as lubricant for Li-ions drifting through electrolytes, thus improving the Li-ion conductivity. In addition, the σ-holes might also have a strong effect on the formation of the passivating layer, known as the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at electrode surfaces, which is of paramount importance for the performance of rechargeable batteries. Here we investigate the existence of σ-holes on surfaces of graphite anodes and of a few solid electrolytes by examining the electrostatic potentials calculated using density functional theory

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Modeling Adsorption in Silica Pores via Minkowski Functionals and Molecular Electrostatic Moments

Capillary condensation phenomena are important in various technological and environmental processes. Using molecular simulations, we study the confined phase behavior of fluids relevant to carbon sequestration and shale gas production. As a first step toward translating information from the molecular to the pore scale, we express the thermodynamic potential and excess adsorption of methane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water in terms of the pore’s geometric properties via Minkowski functionals. This mathematical reconstruction agrees very well with molecular simulations data. Our results show that the fluid molecular electrostatic moments are positively correlated with the number of adsorption layers in the pore. Moreover, stronger electrostatic moments lead to adsorption at lower pressures. These findings can be applied to improve pore-scale thermodynamic and transport models.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

PLASMA EFFECTS ON EXTRAGALACTIC ULTRAHIGH-ENERGY COSMIC-RAY HADRON BEAMS IN COSMIC VOIDS. II. KINETIC INSTABILITY OF PARALLEL ELECTROSTATIC WAVES

The linear instability of an ultrarelativistic hadron beam in the unmagnetized intergalactic medium (IGM) is investigated with respect to the excitation of parallel electrostatic and electromagnetic fluctuations. This analysis is important for the propagation of extragalactic ultrarelativistic cosmic rays from their distant sources to Earth. As opposed to the previous paper, we calculate the minimum instability growth time for Lorentz-distributed cosmic rays which traverse the hot IGM. The growth times are orders of magnitude higher than the cosmic-ray propagation time in the IGM. Since the backreaction of the generated plasma fluctuations (plateauing) lasts longer than the propagation time, the cosmic-ray hadron beam can propagate to the Earth without losing a significant amount of energy to electrostatic turbulence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

An electrostatic selection mechanism controls sequential kinase signaling downstream of the T cell receptor

The sequence of events that initiates T cell signaling is dictated by the specificities and order of activation of the tyrosine kinases that signal downstream of the T cell receptor. Using a platform that combines exhaustive point-mutagenesis of peptide substrates, bacterial surface-display, cell sorting, and deep sequencing, we have defined the specificities of the first two kinases in this pathway, Lck and ZAP-70, for the T cell receptor ζ chain and the scaffold proteins LAT and SLP-76. We find that ZAP-70 selects its substrates by utilizing an electrostatic mechanism that excludes substrates with positively-charged residues and favors LAT and SLP-76 phosphosites that are surrounded by negatively-charged residues. This mechanism prevents ZAP-70 from phosphorylating its own activation loop, thereby enforcing its strict dependence on Lck for activation. The sequence features in ZAP-70, LAT, and SLP-76 that underlie electrostatic selectivity likely contribute to the specific response of T cells to foreign antigens.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1965

Vibrating diaphragm measures high electrostatic field strengths

Meter with flexible conductive diaphragm measures electrostatic charge density on a conducting surface in a vacuum. The diaphragm is supported from an insulated conductive support ring rigidly attached to the conductive surface whose electrostatic charge density is to be measured.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1969

Electrostatic displays

Display devices using electrostatic forces, discussing electrostatic printing, magnetic display system, etc

Rice, P.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Electrostatic, short-wavelength, turbulence as the source of ion heating in the solar wind

A mechanism is proposed for the nonthermal ion heating observed in the solar wind at 1 A.U. based on an electrostatic, short wavelength, instability between the ions in the observed colliding plasma streams. The modes lying on a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field thermalize most of the differential energy. The model suggests local electrostatic turbulence, that alpha-particles are heated more than protons, a maximum proton temperature T sub P 1 million k, and for the bulk speed U possibly a sq root of T sub P = aU + b relationship. These predictions are consistent with observations.

Papadoupoulis, K.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Current driven electrostatic and electromagnetic ion cyclotron instabilities

Growth rates and parameter dependences are calculated for the current driven instabilities of electrostatic (with finite-beta corrections) and electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves. For 0.25 (T sub e)/(T sub i) 2.5, ion cyclotron waves have large growth rates, while ion acoustic waves are still stable. In fusion devices, where electrostatic waves may be stable, electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves are unstable for beta sub i 0.001.

Forslund, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Thin electrostatically self-focusing electron streams.

Study of 30 to 380 microampere, 50 to 550 V, 1 to 2 mm, electrostatically self-focusing electron streams (50 cm long) drifting through mercury vapor (at 50 microtorr to 2 millitorr) in a tube with a radius of 6.6 cm. The inside surface of the tube is coated with a transparent layer whose resistivity is 50 ohm-cm per centimeter. In order to determine the charged-particle densities and the potential profile in and around the beam without disturbing the system, a multigrid electrostatic charged particle energy analyzer was used to study separately the energy distributions of both ions and electrons ejected radially from the beam. The results show two energy groupings for electrons. The energy distribution of the high-energy group is produced by ionizing collisions between beam electrons and neutral gas atoms; a group of flow-energy electrons becomes trapped in the potential well within and around the beam, subsequently escaping by collisional mechanisms.

Mccorkle, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Electrostatic camera system functional design study

A functional design study for an electrostatic camera system for application to planetary missions is presented. The electrostatic camera can produce and store a large number of pictures and provide for transmission of the stored information at arbitrary times after exposure. Preliminary configuration drawings and circuit diagrams for the system are illustrated. The camera system's size, weight, power consumption, and performance are characterized. Tradeoffs between system weight, power, and storage capacity are identified.

Botticelli, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Electrostatic waves in the magnetosphere.

Electric dipole antennas on magnetospheric spacecraft measure E field components of many kinds of electromagnetic waves. In addition, lower hybrid resonance emissions are frequently observed well above the ionosphere. The Ogo 5 plasma wave experiment has also detected new forms of electrostatic emissions that appear to interact very strongly with the local plasma particles. Greatly enhanced wave amplitudes have been found during the expansion phases of substorms, and analysis indicates that these emissions produce strong pitch angle diffusion. Intense broadband electrostatic turbulence is also detected at current layers containing steep magnetic field gradients. This current-driven instability is operative at the bow shock and also at field null regions just within the magnetosheath, and at the magnetopause near the dayside polar cusp. The plasma turbulence appears to involve ion acoustic waves, and the wave particle scattering provides an important collisionless dissipation mechanism for field merging.

Scarf, F. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Effects of electrostatic instabilities on planetary and interstellar ions in the solar wind.

It is shown that newly born ions in the solar wind result in unstable electrostatic waves propagating parallel and perpendicular to the interplanetary magnetic field. A description of the longitudinal instability is followed by a discussion of its implications for assimilating newly born ions of interstellar and planetary origin into comotion with the solar wind bulk velocity. The transverse electrostatic instability is then considered and it is shown that its growth rate is of the same order as that for transverse electromagnetic instabilities found by Wu and Davidson (1972).

Hartle, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Diffusion of ring current particles by low-frequency long-wavelength electrostatic oscillations.

The diffusion of charged particles by randomly fluctuating low-frequency long-wavelength electrostatic oscillations in the magnetosphere is investigated as a possible mechanism for transporting ring current particles. The diffusion process is assumed to preserve the first adiabatic invariant. The magnetosphere is represented by a simple model with cylindrical geometry. In the model the ionospheres are assumed to be perfectly conducting and the ring current is assumed to have a Maxwellian distribution of velocities. The electrostatic oscillations are treated as natural modes of the magnetospheric cavity which are driven by variations in the electric potential on the magnetopause. It is concluded that diffusion of ring current protons by this process is not important in the magnetosphere.

Maggs, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A theoretical and experimental investigation of cylindrical electrostatic probes at arbitrary incidence in flowing plasma

The theory for calculating the current collected by a negatively biased cylindrical electrostatic probe at an arbitrary angle of attack in a weakley ionized flowing plasma is presented. The theory was constructed by considering both random and directed motion simultaneous with dynamic coupling of the flow properties and of the electric field of the probe. This direct approach yielded a theory that is more general than static plasma theories modified to account for flow. Theoretical calculations are compared with experimental electrostatic probe data obtained in the free stream of an arc-heated hypersonic wind tunnel. The theoretical calculations are based on flow conditions and plasma electron densities measured by an independent microwave interferometer technique. In addition, the theory is compared with laboratory and satellite data previously published by other investigators. In each case the comparison gives good agreement.

Jenkins, R. V.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Electrostatic transportation of dust on the moon

There is much evidence that the surface transportation of lunar soil has been a major process in the shaping of the lunar surface. Some such transportation has taken place as a result of meteoritic impacts, but theory and laboratory experiments indicate that electrostatic effects resulting from secondary electron emission are the dominant cause of movement of small grains on the surface. The various electrostatic actions are discussed, and a host of unexpected phenomena are described that have turned up in the course of the laboratory experiments.

Gold, T.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A varistor technique to reduce the hazards of electrostatics to electroexplosive devices

Inherent to the design and construction of electroexplosive devices is a vulnerability to inadvertent initiation from electrostatic discharges. The small spacing (approx. 1 mm) between the bridgewire circuits and the body and between bridgewire circuits afford easy breakdown paths for electrostatic voltages. In some cases where metallic component pyrotechnic materials are loaded onto the bridgewire circuits the susceptability to inadvertant initiation is increased. An approach to solving this problem is reported based on the application of a new varistor (nonlinear resistor) material. Certain formulations of metal oxides normally have electrically nonconductive characteristics. However, at selective potentials they become conductive. By proper design and incorporation into electroexplosive devices a variety of breakdown potentials can be achieved. The breakdown potential of the varistor element can be adjusted to meet the requirements of the particular electroexplosive device. The varistor element can also be incorporated in an area isolated from the explosive or pyrotechnic material. Adaptation of this technique to a specific electroexplosive device and the resulting test data are presented.

Menichelli, V. J.↗