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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Polar 5 - An electron accelerator experiment within an aurora. I - Instrumentation and geophysical conditions

A mother-daughter rocket was launched over two auroral structures, which included a 10 keV electron accelerator and a series of diagnostic instruments for monitoring optical and wave effects generated through beam-atmospheric interactions and production of secondary electrons. The instrumentation, the ground and rocket background measurements obtained, and some of the beam effects on various geophysical parameters are presented. Attention is given to the rocket geometry, capacitance probe, particle counters, photometers, and the bremsstrahlung X-ray detector. Observations on the plasma environment, auroral particle precipitation, d.c. electric field, optical emissions, and auroral background HF and VLF emissions are also discussed.

Maehlum, B. N.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Electron heating within the earth's bow shock

High-temporal-resolution measurements of electron velocity distributions have been obtained for many transits through the earth's bow shock. Within all oblique shocks studied, the maximum of the electron velocity distribution is offset with respect to the ion rest frame parallel to the magnetic field vector and directed downstream. These observations indicate that electron thermalization within the bow shock consists first of a downstream acceleration parallel to the magnetic field vector by the macroscopic shock electric field, followed by beam-driven plasma instabilities.

Feldman, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

DE-1 observations of counterstreaming electrons at high altitudes

Observations of plasma at altitudes of 2-3 earth radii with the High Altitude Plasma Instrument (HAPI) on DE-1 indicate two distinct types of counterstreaming electron events. The type 1 event is characterized by two Maxwellian distribution functions, an isotropic high-temperature component and a field-aligned low temperature component. The type 2 event is distinguished by beams parallel and antiparallel to the magnetic field direction. The observations suggest two distinct mechanisms for accelerating counterstreaming electrons. Type 1 events appear to involve wave-particle interactions while type 2 events imply direct acceleration by oppositely-directed electric fields pointing toward the satellite along magnetic field lines.

Lin, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Solar-Powered Sensor Module

Hybrid sensor module with no external electrical interconnections includes optical data link. Measures such parameters as temperature, acceleration, and strain. Module transmits measurement data to central unit and receives control signals via light beams.

Johnson, J. Michael↗
NASA NTRS1988

Opportunities for Space Station wave experiments

The solar terrestrial observatory (STO) concept is discussed as well as Space Station accommodations for STO. Instruments for the initial STO which can be used to excite and detect waves include the electrodynamic tether, waves in space plasmas, space experiments with particle accelerators, vehicle charge and potential experiments, recoverable plasma diagnostics package, magnetospheric multiprobes, and theoretical and experimental beam plasma physics. An example is given of a typical campaign mode of operation which is appropriate for active experiments.

Shawhan, Stanley D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Performance Evaluation of the NEXT Ion Engine

The performance test results of three NEXT ion engines are presented. These ion engines exhibited peak specific impulse and thrust efficiency ranges of 4060 4090 s and 0.68 0.69, respectively, at the full power point of the NEXT throttle table. The performance of the ion engines satisfied all project requirements. Beam flatness parameters were significantly improved over the NSTAR ion engine, which is expected to improve accelerator grid service life. The results of engine inlet pressure and temperature measurements are also presented. Maximum main plenum, cathode, and neutralizer pressures were 12,000 Pa, 3110 Pa, and 8540 Pa, respectively, at the full power point of the NEXT throttle table. Main plenum and cathode inlet pressures required about 6 hours to increase to steady-state, while the neutralizer required only about 0.5 hour. Steady-state engine operating temperature ranges throughout the power throttling range examined were 179 303 C for the discharge chamber magnet rings and 132 213 C for the ion optics mounting ring.

Soulas, George C.↗
NASA NTRS2010

LISA Technology Development and Risk Reduction at NASA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint ESA-NASA project to design, build and operate a space-based gravitational wave detector based on a laser interferometer. LISA relies on several technologies that are either new to spaceflight or must perform at levels not previously demonstrated in a spaceflight environment. The ESA-led LISA Pathfinder mission is the main effort to demonstrate LISA technology. NASA also supports complementary ground-based technology development and risk reduction activities. This presentation will report the status of NASA work on micronewton thrusters, the telescope, the optical pointing subsystem and mission formulation. More details on some of these topics will be given in posters. Other talks and posters will describe NASA-supported work on the laser subsystem, the phasemeter, and aspects of the interferometry. Two flight-qualified clusters of four colloid micronewton thrusters, each capable of thrust Levels between 5 and 30 microNewton with a resolution less than 0.l microNewton and a thrust noise less than 0.1 microNewton/vHz (0.001 to 4 Hz), have been integrated onto the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft. The complementary ground-based development focuses on lifetime demonstration. Laboratory verification of failure models and accelerated life tests are just getting started. LISA needs a 40 cm diameter, afocal telescope for beam expansion/reduction that maintains an optical pathlength stability of approximately 1 pm/vHz in an extremely stable thermal environment. A mechanical prototype of a silicon carbide primary-secondary structure has been fabricated for stability testing. Two optical assemblies must point at different distant spacecraft with nanoradian accuracy over approximately 1 degree annual variation in the angle between the distant spacecraft. A candidate piezo-inchworm actuator is being tested in a suitable testbed. In addition to technology development, NASA has carried out several studies in support of the mission formulation. The results of systems engineering work on flight software, avionics and reliability will be summarized.

Stebbins, Robin T.↗
NASA NTRS2023

STXM-C-XANES, IR Microspectroscopy, and Raman Microspectroscopy Analysis of Organic Matter in the Chwichiya 002 C3.00-Ungrouped Chondrite

Chwichiya 002 is a C3.00-ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite discovered in Western Sahara in 2018. The presence of hydrated phases in Chwichiya 002 was not confirmed by XRD analysis, and only a faint water and Si-O band attributed to phyllosilicate were observed by infrared transmission spectroscopy, indicating a very low degree of aqueous alteration (Meteoritical Bulletin, 2020). The structural order of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons evaluated by Raman spectroscopy indicates that the effect of thermal metamorphism is less severe than in the Semarkona meteorite, an LL3.00 ordinary chondrite (Meteoritical Bulletin, 2020). Chiwichiya 002 is a very primitive carbonaceous chondrite and an important information source for the early stage of the evolution of organic matter in the solar system. In this study, we investigated the molecular structure and distribution of organic matter in Chiwichiya 002 by Carbon X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (C-XANES) analysis using a Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscope (STXM). The STXM-C-XANES analysis has a spatial resolution of 20~100 nm and can observe the spatial distribution of organic materials in microstructures. In addition, to investigate the degree of thermal metamorphism of the organic matter, micro-IR, and micro-Raman spectroscopic analyses were performed. In addition, the Murchison CM2 chondrite was also analyzed for comparison. To evaluate contamination during analytical procedures, antigorite, which was heated in air at 500°C for 5 hours to eliminate organic matter was also analyzed in the same manner. The samples were milled into 100 nm-thick, thin sections using a Focused Ion Beam (FIB), and C-XANES spectra were obtained using the STXM at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Photon Factory (PF), BL-19B. The obtained C-XANES spectra were smoothed and then fitted with Gaussian functions using the method of Le Guillou et al. (2018). The C-XANES showed that the ratio of oxygenated functional group (ketone, phenolic) carbons in Chwichiya 002 was lower than in Murchison, whereas the ratio of aliphatic carbons was almost the same. This may reflect the low degree of aqueous alteration of Chwichiya 002. In addition, contamination peaks were detected at 287.3-287.7 eV and 288.3-288.7 eV in the C-XANES spectra of some of the antigorite samples. The source of these peaks is under investigation. Raman spectroscopic analysis showed that the intensity ratio of the D band to the G band of Chwichiya 002 was slightly higher than that of Murchison. IR absorption spectra showed aromatic absorption at 1630 cm -1 , but there was little absorption due to aliphatic C-H around 2900 cm -1 . These results suggest that the organic matter in Chwichiya 002 may be more heated than in Murchison.

Chwichiya 002↗
NASA NTRS2021

Self-Consistent Implementation of a Zero-Equation Transport Model Into a Predictive Model for a Hall Effect Thruster

The performance of an axisymmetric multi-fluid Hall thruster code that incorporates a self-consistent, data-driven closure model for the anomalous electron transport is investigated. Five different operating conditions of the H9 magnetically shielded Hall thruster are simulated with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Hall2De. In order to capture the inherent uncertainty associated with the closure model, O(100) simulations are run for each condition, each of using a coefficient set sampled randomly from a probability distribution. The results of these simulations provide probabilistic predictions of thruster performance quantities including thrust, and discharge current, as well as several component efficiencies and centerline plasma properties. The model is found to yield converged solutions at all conditions, with large 10 kHzrange oscillations and performance trends with voltage and flow rate similar to experiment. The model under-predicts the thrust by 15-25% and over-predicts the discharge current by 20% on average compared to experiments at the same discharge voltage and mass flow rate. This performance discrepancy is due to lower beam utilization, mass utilization, and divergence efficiency than experiment, resulting from high Hall parameters in the acceleration region, which lead to a protracted ion acceleration region. The physical processes underlying this result are discussed in the context of future data-driven modeling efforts.

Jorns, Benjamin A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Observations of radiation from an electron beam artificially injected into the ionosphere

This paper reports the observations of waves generated by a controlled beam of particles artificially injected into the ionosphere and magnetosphere. The measurements were made during the Electron Echo 1 experiment, in which an electron accelerator was carried to a height of 350 km in the ionosphere from Wallops Island, Virginia, on an Aerobee 350 sounding rocket. It injected into the earth's magnetic field over 3000 16-ms pulses of electrons with 40-keV energy and a current of 70 mA at pitch angles between 70 and 110 deg. The ejected fiber glass nose cone carried antennas and receivers to measure the electric field of waves generated by the beam. Associated with the electron beam was radiation detected at frequencies near the electron plasma frequency of the background ionosphere, near twice the electron cyclotron frequency in the whistler mode, and near zero frequency. Associated with the operation of an argon plasma generator used to keep the accelerator neutralized were continuous emissions detected at frequencies near the lower-hybrid resonance (LHR).

Cartwright, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Conjugate echoes of artificially injected electron beams detected optically by means of new image processing

Artificial auroral streaks were detected following two upward injections of energetic electrons (38 keV and 26 keV) from the Echo 4 rocket-borne electron accelerator. Newly developed image processing techniques are used to detect and describe the streaks. It is found that the potential of the payload remained below 1 kV during 45 mA injections at an altitude of 210 km. The echo streaks show little dispersion in time or space, suggesting that the portion of the beam returning to the northern hemisphere loss cone remained collimated and nearly monoenergetic. There was, however, a 70 percent loss in the return flux. The causes of this loss are discussed.

Hallinan, Thomas J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Metric type III bursts from a flaring X-ray bright point near an active region

X-ray bright points (XBPs) are known to show variability on a number of timescales, including impulsive X-ray brightenings. The relationship between these XBP 'flares' and normal flares is poorly known. A fundamental question is whether nonthermal acceleration of particles takes place in XBP flares. We address this issue by seravhing for nonthermal radio emission at metric wavelengths from flaring XBPs identified in Yohkoh/SXT data. Unequivocal evidence for type III-like radio bursts usually attributed to beams of nonthermal electrons on open field lines was found recently by Kundu et al. This suggests that XBP flares are similar to normal flares and can indeed accelerate nonthermal populations of energetic particles. Here we provide further evidence of metric type III bursts from flaring XBPs located near active regions.

Kundu, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Planar dynamics of a uniform beam with rigid bodies affixed to the ends

The planar dynamics of a uniform elastic beam subject to a variety of geometric and natural boundary conditions and external excitations were analyzed. The beams are inextensible and capable of small transverse bending deformations only. Classical beam vibration eigenvalue problems for a cantilever with tip mass, a cantilever with tip body and an unconstrained beam with rigid bodies at each are examined. The characteristic equations, eigenfunctions and orthogonality relations for each are derived. The forced vibration of a cantilever with tip body subject to base acceleration is analyzed. The exact solution of the governing nonhomogeneous partial differential equation with time dependent boundary conditions is presented and compared with a Rayleigh-Ritz approximate solution. The arbitrary planar motion of an elastic beam with rigid bodies at the ends is addressed. Equations of motion are derived for two modal expansions of the beam deflection. The motion equations are cast in a first order form suitable for numerical integration. Selected FORTRAN programs are provided.

Storch, J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Long-Term Reliability of High Speed SiGe/Si Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors

Accelerated lifetime tests were performed on double-mesa structure Si/Si0.7Ge0.3/Si npn heterojunction bipolar transistors, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, in the temperature range of 175C-275C. Both single- and multiple finger transistors were tested. The single-finger transistors (with 5x20 micron sq m emitter area) have DC current gains approximately 40-50 and f(sub T) and f(sub MAX) of up to 22 GHz and 25 GHz, respectively. The multiple finger transistors (1.4 micron finger width, 9 emitter fingers with total emitter area of 403 micron sq m) have similar DC current gain but f(sub T) of 50 GHz. It is found that a gradual degradation in these devices is caused by the recombination enhanced impurity diffusion (REID) of boron atoms from the p-type base region and the associated formation of parasitic energy barriers to electron transport from the emitter to collector layers. This REID has been quantitatively modeled and explained, to the first order of approximation, and the agreement with the measured data is good. The mean time to failure (MTTF) of the devices at room temperature is estimated from the extrapolation of the Arrhenius plots of device lifetime versus reciprocal temperature. The results of the reliability tests offer valuable feedback for SiGe heterostructure design in order to improve the long-term reliability of the devices and circuits made with them. Hot electron induced degradation of the base-emitter junction was also observed during the accelerated lifetime testing. In order to improve the HBT reliability endangered by the hot electrons, deuterium sintered techniques have been proposed. The preliminary results from this study show that a deuterium-sintered HBT is, indeed, more resistant to hot-electron induced base-emitter junction degradation. SiGe/Si based amplifier circuits were also subjected to lifetime testing and we extrapolate MTTF is approximately 1.1_10(exp 6) hours at 125iC junction temperature from the circuit lifetime data.

Ponchak, George E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Fast magnetospheric echoes of energetic electron beams

Electron beam experiments using rocketborne instrumentation have confirmed earlier observations of fast magnetospheric echoes of artificially injected energetic electrons. A total of 234 echoes have been observed in a pitch angle range from 9 to 110 deg at energies of 1.87 and 3.90 keV. Out of this number, 95 echoes could unambiguously be identified with known accelerator operations at 2-, 4-, or 8-keV energy and highest current levels resulting in the determination of transit times of typically 300 to 400 ms. In most cases, when echoes were present in both energy channels, the higher-energy electrons led the lower-energy ones by 50 to 70 ms. Adiabatic theory applied to these observations yields a reflection height of 3000 to 4000 km. An alternative interpretation is briefly examined, and its relative merit in describing the observations is evaluated. The injection process is discussed in some detail as the strong beam-plasma interaction that occurred near the electron accelerator appears to be instrumental in generating the source of heated electrons required for successful echo detection for both processes.

Wilhelm, K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Electric propulsion system technology

The work performed on the Ion Propulsion System Technology Task in FY90 is described. The objectives of this work fall under two broad categories. The first of these deals with issues associated with the application of xenon ion thrusters for primary propulsion of planetary spacecraft, and the second with the investigation of technologies which will facilitate the development of larger, higher power ion thrusters to support more advanced mission applications. Most of the effort was devoted to investigation of the critical issues associated with the use of ion thrusters for planetary spacecraft. These issues may be succinctly referred to as life time, system integration, and throttling. Chief among these is the engine life time. If the engines do not have sufficient life to perform the missions of interest, then the other issues become unimportant. Ion engine life time was investigated through two experimental programs: an investigation into the reduction of ion engine internal sputter erosion through the addition of small quantities of nitrogen, and a long duration cathode life test. In addition, a literature review and analysis of accelerator grid erosion were performed. The nitrogen addition tests indicated that the addition of between 0.5 and 1.0 percent of nitrogen by mass to the xenon propellant results in a reduction in the sputter erosion of discharge chamber components by a factor of between 20 and 50, with negligible reduction in thruster performance. The long duration test of a 6.35-mm dia. xenon hollow cathode is still in progress, and has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of operation at an emission current of 25 A at the time of this writing. One of the major system integration issues concerns possible interactions of the ion thruster produced charge exchange plasma with the spacecraft. A computer model originally developed to describe the behavior of mercury ion thruster charge exchange plasmas was resurrected and modified for xenon propellant. This model enables one to calculate the flow direction and local density of the charge exchange plasma, and indicates the degree to which this plasma can flow upstream of the thruster exhaust plane. A continuing effort to investigate the most desirable throttling technique for noble gas ion thrusters concentrated this year on experimentally determining the fixed flow rate throttling range of a 30-cm dia. thruster with a two-grid accelerator system. These experiments demonstrated a throttling capability which covers a 2.8 to 1 variation in input power. This throttling range is 55 percent greater than expected, and is due to better accelerator system performance at low net-to-total voltage ratios than indicated in the literature. To facilitate the development of large, higher power ion thrusters several brief studies were performed. These include the development of a technique which simulates ion thruster operation without beam extraction, the development of an optical technique to measure ion thruster grid distortion due to thermal expansion, tests of a capacitance measurement technique to quantify the accelerator system grid separation, and the development of a segmented thruster geometry which enables near term development of ion thrusters at power levels greater than 100 kW. Finally, a paper detailing the benefits of electric propulsion for the Space Exploration Initiative was written.

Brophy, John R.↗
NASA NTRS1968

Improved electro-optical tracking system

Electro-optical tracking system employs a laser beam illuminating source, an electronic laser beam deflector, and an image dissector photomultiplier. An electronic scanning transmitter and receiver follows rapid movements or accelerations of the target.

Johnson, R. E.↗