Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “biological material”

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.

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

At least 433 records · Page 24

Space research - At a crossroads

Efforts which must be expended if U.S. space research is to regain vitality in the next few years are discussed. Small-scale programs are the cornerstone for big science projects, giving both researchers and students a chance to practice the development of space missions and hardware and identify promising goals for larger projects. Small projects can be carried aloft by balloons, sounding rockets, the Shuttle and ELVs. It is recommended that NASA continue the development of remote sensing systems, and join with other government agencies to fund space-based materials science, space biology and medical research. Increased international cooperation in space projects is necessary for affording moderate to large scale missions, for political reasons, and to maximize available space resources. Finally, the establishment and funding of long-range goals in space, particularly the development of the infrastructure and technologies for the exploration and colonization of the planets, must be viewed as the normal outgrowth of the capabilities being developed for LEO operations.

Mcdonald, Frank B.↗

Dynamic and structural control utilizing smart materials and structures

An account is given of several novel 'smart material' structural control concepts that are currently under development. The thrust of these investigations is the evolution of intelligent materials and structures superceding the recently defined variable-geometry trusses and shape memory alloy-reinforced composites; the substances envisioned will be able to autonomously evaluate emergent environmental conditions and adapt to them, and even change their operational objectives. While until now the primary objective of the developmental efforts presently discussed has been materials that mimic biological functions, entirely novel concepts may be formulated in due course.

Rogers, C. A.↗

Residual acceleration data on IML-1: Development of a data reduction and dissemination plan

The need to record some measure of the low-gravity environment of an orbiting space vehicle was recognized at an early stage of the U.S. Space Program. Such information was considered important for both the assessment of an astronaut's physical condition during and after space missions and the analysis of the fluid physics, materials processing, and biological sciences experiments run in space. Various measurement systems were developed and flown on space platforms beginning in the early 1970's. Similar in concept to land based seismometers that measure vibrations caused by earthquakes and explosions, accelerometers mounted on orbiting space vehicles measure vibrations in and of the vehicle due to internal and external sources, as well as vibrations in a sensor's relative acceleration with respect to the vehicle to which it is attached. The data collected over the years have helped to alter the perception of gravity on-board a space vehicle from the public's early concept of zero-gravity to the science community's evolution of thought from microgravity to milligravity to g-jitter or vibrational environment. Since the advent of the Shuttle Orbiter Program, especially since the start of Spacelab flights dedicated to scientific investigations, the interest in measuring the low-gravity environment in which experiments are run has increased. This interest led to the development and flight of numerous accelerometer systems dedicated to specific experiments. It also prompted the development of the NASA MSAD-sponsored Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS). The first SAMS units flew in the Spacelab on STS-40 in June 1991 in support of the first Spacelab Life Sciences mission (SLS-1). SAMS is currently manifested to fly on all future Spacelab missions.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗

Spiral Survey Expedition: A proposal to organize for the Survey, exploration and eventual colonization of the Milky Way Galaxy

This paper details a plan to explore the galaxy. Areas of interest to an era of cyberspace include the Tech-Index information system for the expedition and the role cyberspace has in increasing expedition productivity and increasing the capabilities of cyberspace by expanding the goals and data set. The paper offers lists of projects for the cybermarket pool. The expedition is described also as a developers tool for cyberspace to acknowledge the scope of the human mind far surpasses present engineering yet guides our direction of energies and materials. Maintaining the biological capability to reproduce the Terran biosphere via Evolution park conservation areas is discussed. The ecological repair of Spaceship Earth and the build up of an interstellar industrial base from simple recyling and educational programs is meshed with a proposed 'reverse engineering cyberspace' plan. A set of constructive contests are proposed with 3 new currencies offered as prizes. The Planet, The Solar System, The Galaxy are 3 areas of focus. Each of these areas are considered in a cyberspectrum of (1) Sentience; (2) Biological diversity; and (3) Energy/Matter resources.

Galloway, Scott↗

Synthesis of Fullerenes in Low Pressure Benzene/Oxygen Diffusion Flames

The interest in fullerenes is strongly increasing since their discovery by Kroto et al. in 1985 as products of the evaporation of carbon into inert gas at low pressure. Due to their all carbon closed-shell structure, fullerenes have many exceptional physical and chemical properties and a large potential for applications such as superconductors, sensors, catalysts, optical and electronic devices, polymers, high energy fuels, and biological and medical materials. This list is still growing, because the research on fullerenes is still at an early stage. Fullerenes can be formed not only in a system containing only carbon and an inert gas, but also in premixed hydrocarbon flames under reduced pressure and fuel rich conditions. The highest yields of fullerenes in flames are obtained under conditions of substantial soot formation. There is a need for more information on the yields of fullerenes under different conditions in order to understand the mechanisms of their formation and to enable the design of practical combustion systems for large-scale fullerene production. Little work has been reported on the formation of fullerenes in diffusion flames. In order to explore the yields of fullerenes and the effect of low pressure in diffusion flames, therefore we constructed and used a low pressure diffusion flame burner in this study.

Hebgen, Peter↗

System and method for confining an object to a region of fluid flow having a stagnation point

A device for confining an object to a region proximate to a fluid flow stagnation point includes one or more inlets for carrying the fluid into the region, one or more outlets for carrying the fluid out of the region, and a controller, in fluidic communication with the inlets and outlets, for adjusting the motion of the fluid to produce a stagnation point in the region, thereby confining the object to the region. Applications include, for example, prolonged observation of the object, manipulation of the object, etc. The device optionally may employ a feedback control mechanism, a sensing apparatus (e.g., for imaging), and a storage medium for storing, and a computer for analyzing and manipulating, data acquired from observing the object. The invention further provides methods of using such a device and system in a number of fields, including biology, chemistry, physics, material science, and medical science.

Schroeder, Charles M.↗

Integrated Optoelectronics for Parallel Microbioanalysis

Miniature, relatively inexpensive microbioanalytical systems ("laboratory-on-achip" devices) have been proposed for the detection of hazardous microbes and toxic chemicals. Each system of this type would include optoelectronic sensors and sensor-output-processing circuitry that would simultaneously look for the optical change, fluorescence, delayed fluorescence, or phosphorescence signatures from multiple redundant sites that have interacted with the test biomolecules in order to detect which one(s) was present in a given situation. These systems could be used in a variety of settings that could include doctors offices, hospitals, hazardous-material laboratories, biological-research laboratories, military operations, and chemical-processing plants.

Stirbl, Robert↗

NASA Space Radiation Program Integrative Risk Model Toolkit

NASA Space Radiation Program Element scientists have been actively involved in development of an integrative risk models toolkit that includes models for acute radiation risk and organ dose projection (ARRBOD), NASA space radiation cancer risk projection (NSCR), hemocyte dose estimation (HemoDose), GCR event-based risk model code (GERMcode), and relativistic ion tracks (RITRACKS), NASA radiation track image (NASARTI), and the On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space (OLTARIS). This session will introduce the components of the risk toolkit with opportunity for hands on demonstrations. The brief descriptions of each tools are: ARRBOD for Organ dose projection and acute radiation risk calculation from exposure to solar particle event; NSCR for Projection of cancer risk from exposure to space radiation; HemoDose for retrospective dose estimation by using multi-type blood cell counts; GERMcode for basic physical and biophysical properties for an ion beam, and biophysical and radiobiological properties for a beam transport to the target in the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory beam line; RITRACKS for simulation of heavy ion and delta-ray track structure, radiation chemistry, DNA structure and DNA damage at the molecular scale; NASARTI for modeling of the effects of space radiation on human cells and tissue by incorporating a physical model of tracks, cell nucleus, and DNA damage foci with image segmentation for the automated count; and OLTARIS, an integrated tool set utilizing HZETRN (High Charge and Energy Transport) intended to help scientists and engineers study the effects of space radiation on shielding materials, electronics, and biological systems.

Kim, Myung-Hee Y.↗

Contamination Knowledge Strategy for the Mars 2020 Sample-Collecting Rover

The Mars 2020 rover will collect carefully selected samples of rock and regolith as it explores a potentially habitable ancient environment on Mars. Using the drill, rock cores and regolith will be collected directly into ultraclean sample tubes that are hermetically sealed and, later, deposited on the surface of Mars for potential return to Earth by a subsequent mission. Thorough characterization of any contamination of the samples at the time of their analysis will be essential for achieving the objectives of Mars returned sample science (RSS). We refer to this characterization as contamination knowledge (CK), which is distinct from contamination control (CC). CC is the set of activities that limits the input of contaminating species into a sample, and is specified by requirement thresholds. CK consists of identifying and characterizing both potential and realized contamination to better inform scientific investigations of the returned samples. Based on lessons learned by other sample return missions with contamination-sensitive scientific objectives, CC needs to be "owned" by engineering, but CK needs to be "owned" by science. Contamination present at the time of sample analysis will reflect the sum of contributions from all contamination vectors up to that point in time. For this reason, understanding the integrated history of contamination may be crucial for deciphering potentially confusing contaminant-sensitive observations. Thus, CK collected during the Mars sample return (MSR) campaign must cover the time period from the initiation of hardware construction through analysis of returned samples in labs on Earth. Because of the disciplinary breadth of the scientific objectives of MSR, CK must include a broad spectrum of contaminants covering inorganic (i.e., major, minor, and trace elements), organic, and biological molecules and materials.

Farley, K. A.↗

Laboratory on the Moon: Equipping and Testing of a Habitat Laboratory for the Scientific Exploration of the Moon by Humans

A human habitat on the Moon is predestined to house a laboratory, especially if it is built for scientific missions on the Moon. This laboratory could be used for (1) conducting experiments utilizing the lunar gravity and prepare experiments to be placed outside the laboratory in the lunar environment, (2) conducting analyses of lunar rock and regolith in high volume, and (3) performing preliminary analyses and screening of samples to be sent to Earth for more detailed, specialized analysis. In the past, spaceflight missions have often been implemented by adding scientific instruments after most of the engineering work is already finished, limiting scientific studies to relatively scattered, insular topics. However, if prepared appropriately, a research laboratory on the Moon can help address scientific questions thoroughly and at a fundamental level. Moreover, the challenge of creating a viable habitat is not only an engineering one, but one that requires input from architects, designers, and psychologists. After all, the crew not only works inside the habitat laboratory, but they spend (close to) their entire time on the Moon inside the habitat and under the isolation and confinement that comes with it. We combine science, engineering, and architecture to create a habitat laboratory that meets their conflicting requirements: The laboratory of the Moon and Mars Base Analog (MaMBA) has been designed with inputs from (1) scientists of selected disciplines, particularly geology, materials science, chemistry, biology, and medicine, (2) space architects specializing on extraterrestrial bases, and (3) engineers for the constraints imposed by the lunar environment. The MaMBA laboratory was built in 2019 into the mock-up of the first MaMBA module (out of six). Subsequently, the laboratory was tested by volunteer scientists for its usability. The scientists used the laboratory for work deemed representative of lunar scientific analyses; the complete test runs lasted one week each, with one test run in June 2019 and the second test run in late September 2019 following some modifications suggested by the scientists. Here, we will present an overview of the scientific topics that we think should be addressed on the Moon, together with a suggestion of scientific instrumentation that would be helpful for such investigations. Moreover, we present the MaMBA laboratory, equipped with the proposed instrumentation, and the outcomes of the test runs with a particular focus on the lessons learned regarding the equipping of the laboratory.

Christiane Heinicke↗

Accelerator Technologies and Science: Progress and Outlook

For over half a century, high-energy particle accelerators play a key role and shape modern nuclear and particle physics, they are also the instruments at the forefront of research for material science and biology. The physics needs continuously push us to invent novel ways to increase energy and improve the performance of accelerators, reduce their cost and make them more power-efficient. Here we briefly overview the most notable accelerator facilities which recently became operational and are now employed for research in nuclear physics, basic energy sciences, neutrinos, high energy particle frontier. We also present upcoming and planned future facilities and outline their main goals, challenges, and required R&D. Focus will be given to the core accelerator technologies such as magnets, RF acceleration, and targets as we as leading beam physics developments such as beam cooling, colliding beams and plasma acceleration.

Shiltsev, Vladimir D.↗

Environmental and Energy Research at the Texas Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling (CASCaM)

The funding enabled the creation of the (University of North) Texas Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling (CASCaM). Due to its success, CASCaM has continued to grow beyond the initial team focused on the biological and environmental research discussed herein, with investments by the University of North Texas in new faculty and researchers who contribute to CASCaM research. CASCaM is now a sustainable effort, with researchers across multiple fields including chemistry, physics, biology, mechanical engineering, materials science, and other fields, with multiple researchers engaged in a broad variety of research, including other DOE projects. Over 20 PI’s and ~100 researchers are engaged in CASCaM research. The overall goal of the research effort was to provide greater understanding about carbon capture, storage, and utilization. As part of this effort, the development of computational methods and identification of novel strategies to support the CO2 and CO studies were necessary. Three primary themes were investigated: carbon dioxide and CO catalysis; protein- and amino acid-based strategies towards carbon dioxide capture, storage, and utilization; and, finally, the methodology improvements for modeling carbon dioxide chemistry

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

PIXEL2020: Tenth International Workshop on Semiconductor Pixel Detectors for Particles and Imaging

This workshop covers various topics related to pixel detector technology. Development and applications will be discussed for charged particle tracking in High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics, and X-ray imaging in Astronomy, Biology, Medicine and Material Science. The conference program will also include reports on front and back end electronics, radiation effects, low mass mechanics and construction techniques, and new technologies such as monolithic and 3D integrated detectors.

Sally, Seidel↗

Waste treatment integration in space

The circumstances and criteria for space-based waste treatment bioregenerative life-support systems differ in many ways from those needed in terrestrial applications. In fact, the term "waste" may not even be appropriate in the context of nearly closed, cycling, ecosystems such as those under consideration. Because of these constraints there is a need for innovative approaches to the problem of "materials recycling". Hybrid physico-chemico-biological systems offer advantages over both strictly physico-chemico or biological approaches that would be beneficial to material recycling. To effectively emulate terrestrial cycling, the use of various microbial consortia ("assemblies of interdependent microbes") should be seriously considered for the biological components of such systems. This paper will examine the use of consortia in the context of a hybrid-system for materials recycling in space.

Waste Management/methods↗

Strategic Research Directions In Microgravity Materials Science

The Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) is moving aggressively to align programs, projects, and products with the vision for space exploration. Research in advanced materials is a critical element in meeting exploration goals. Research in low gravity materials science in OBPR is being focused on top priority needs in support of exploration: 1) Space Radiation Shielding; 2) In Situ Resource Utilization; 3) In Situ Fabrication and Repair; 4) Materials Science for Spacecraft and Propulsion Systems; 5) Materials Science for Advanced Life Support Systems. Roles and responsibilities in low gravity materials research for exploration between OBPR and the Office of Exploration Systems are evolving.

Clinton, Raymond G., Jr.↗

Synthetic data-driven deep learning for label-free autonomous atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a widely used tool for nanoscale characterization across materials science, energy research, and biology. However, its adoption in high-throughput materials discovery and statistically driven studies remains limited by a strong dependence on expert operator input and by the scarcity of annotated experimental AFM datasets needed to enable data-driven automation. Here, we introduce SimuScan, a synthetic-data–driven framework that enables reliable AFM feature identification, segmentation, and targeted imaging without requiring large manually labeled experimental datasets. SimuScan generates tunable, high-fidelity synthetic AFM images of defined morphologies while incorporating realistic experimental artifacts, including tip–sample convolution, noise, flattening distortions, and surface debris. These datasets are shown to support scalable, label-free training of modern deep learning models for AFM analysis. When integrated into data-driven AFM workflows, SimuScan-trained models can locate and analyze nanoscale structures across large datasets and guide targeted follow-up imaging. We validate this approach on nanostructured surfaces, DNA assemblies, and bacterial cells, demonstrating robust generalization across diverse sample types with minimal operator intervention. More broadly, this work establishes a general strategy for generating explicitly conditioned, task-relevant synthetic data to improve the reliability of downstream models in autonomous microscopy.

Millan-Solsona, Ruben [Oak Ridge National Laborato↗

NASA BPS Reduced Gravity Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) Study

The Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), and its predecessors, has sponsored extensive flight and ground experiments yielding benchmark datasets in many materials science research areas including thermophysical properties and solidification microstructure formation and evolution. The subject study sought to motivate and focus BPS’s engagement within the broader Integrated ICME community to understand the phenomena underlying material processing, structure, and properties in the microgravity environment of space and to support future space exploration efforts.

Louise Littles↗

Enhancing Nuclear and Radiological Security in Polarized Times: Safeguarding Against Extremist Insider Threats

Domestic violent extremism has been on the rise in recent years, fueled by growing political polarization, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the spread of misinformation online. This concerning trend raises an important question: has this increase in extremist violence manifested in more incidents involving radioactive or nuclear (RN) materials and a corresponding security concern? To explore this question, we analyzed existing data on events involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials over time. Specifically, we examined the rate of RN-related incidents, the targets of these events, and the ideologies motivating the perpetrators by using the Violent Non-State Actor Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Event Database from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. Our analysis aimed to determine whether the broader rise of violent extremism has translated to an elevated risk of attacks involving RN materials. Results of the analysis revealed that there was no clear increase in events involving RN material in the dataset. However, given the rarity of these events, this conclusion does not indicate that such a trend might not appear in coming years if violent extremism continues to rise. To address the potential risk presented by violent extremism, in addition to quantifying the frequency of RN events, we also reviewed traits that could make organizations more susceptible to insider threats from radicalized employees. Focusing on the literature around counterproductive workplace behavior, we identified organizational characteristics that might increase the risk of malicious acts committed by radicalized insiders. These risk factors include abusive leadership, situational constraints, and organizational injustice. Finally, using these organizational risk characteristics, we discuss interventions that organizations with RN material can take to reduce their risk of attacks stemming from violent extremism while still protecting individual rights to privacy and civil liberties. Overall, this article provides an overview of the intersections between rising domestic extremism, insider threats, and risks posed by RN materials. We present current data on trends and patterns in this space as well as practical guidance for organizational resilience.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗